People on the Move: What Is Migration?

Imagine you had to pack everything you own into boxes and move to a completely new place — maybe a new town or even a new country. How would you feel? What would you miss? What might excite you? People have been moving from place to place for thousands of years. Today we are going to find out why.

Migration means moving from one place to live in another place. People who migrate are called migrants. Humans have always migrated — it is one of the things that has spread people all around the world. There are two main types of migration. Internal migration is when someone moves within the same country — for example, moving from a village in India to the city of Mumbai. International migration is when someone moves from one country to a different country — for example, moving from Mexico to Canada. Geographers talk about push factors and pull factors to explain why people migrate. Push factors are things that make someone want to leave their home. Examples include war, natural disasters like floods or droughts (when there is not enough rain), poverty (not having enough money), or a lack of jobs. Pull factors are things that attract someone to a new place. Examples include better jobs, safer living conditions, joining family members who are already there, or a better education. Sometimes people choose to migrate — this is called voluntary migration. Sometimes people are forced to leave because it is too dangerous to stay — this is called forced migration. People forced to flee their home country because of danger are called refugees. For example, many people have migrated from rural areas (the countryside) of Poland to cities like London in the United Kingdom, looking for work. This is an example of international migration pulled by better job opportunities.