People migrate for many different reasons which can be divided into two categories, push factors and pull factors.
PUSH FACTORS = things that push people out of their own country
POLITICAL
CONFLICT - Many countries around the world are involved in an internal war or cross border conflict. Many citizens decide to escape the violence and move to another city, neighbouring countries, or other parts of the world if possible.
ENVIRONMENTAL
NATURAL DISASTERS - such as earthquakes, flooding, or rising sea levels caused by Global Warming, force people to move to a safer area or another country.
ECONOMIC
POVERTY - Some people leave their place of birth for better opportunities or a better lifestyle. For many in underdeveloped countries, poverty often leads to bad health and exposure to diseases and maybe even death.
PULL FACTORS = things which draw people to a particular place or region.
SOCIAL
BETTER SERVICES - Such as healthcare, welfare and education. People often say that they migrated because they wanted to have access to better government services which are not available in their homeland.
LOVE - People often migrate for love or marriage. Perhaps they met someone who was on holiday in their country or both of them were touring a third country when they met.
POLITICAL
FREEDOM - For many people, the freedom to say and do as they please is a very important right and they will migrate to a new place so that they can enjoy the freedom to love someone, worship God or simply speak their mind.
DEMOCRACY - In many countries, citizens have no right to decide who rules them and how they will be ruled. They migrate in search of political choice and a chance to have a say.
ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITIES - Some people migrate for a job or business opportunity. They move to make more money and provide a better life for their families, some are just following their dreams or ideas.
VOCABULARY
IMMIGRATE - to come to live in a different country:
He immigrated with his parents in 1895 and grew up on Long Island.
EMIGRATE - to leave a country permanently and go to live in another one:
Millions of Germans emigrated from Europe to America in the 19th century.
MIGRATE - If people migrate, they travel in large numbers to a new place to live temporarily:
Mexican farmworkers migrate into the US each year to find work at harvest time.
MIGRANT - a person that travels to a different country or place, often to find work:
The cities are full of migrants looking for work.
REFUGEE - a person who has escaped from their own country for political, religious, or economic reasons or because of war:
