Migration: Push & Pull Factors — GCSE Geography Revision

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What is Migration: Push & Pull Factors?

Migration is the movement of people from one place to another with the intention of settling. It can be voluntary or forced, internal or international. The decision to migrate is often explained by a combination of push factors, which are negative aspects of the origin country that encourage people to leave (e.g., poverty, war, unemployment), and pull factors, which are positive aspects of the destination country that attract people (e.g., job opportunities, better services, political stability).

Board notes: A fundamental concept in population and urban geography for all boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR). Students must be able to define and give examples of different types of migration and explain the role of push and pull factors, often in the context of a specific international migration flow.

Worked example

Common mistakes

• 1Confusing a migrant with a refugee or an asylum seeker. A migrant is anyone who moves, usually for economic reasons. A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee their country due to persecution, war, or violence. An asylum seeker is someone who has sought international protection as a refugee but whose claim has not yet been determined.
• 2Thinking that all migration is permanent. Much migration is temporary or circular, with people moving to work or study for a few years before returning home, often sending money (remittances) back to their families.
• 3Assuming migration is always a problem. Migration can bring huge benefits to the host country, such as filling labour shortages, boosting economic growth, and enriching cultural life. It can also benefit the source country through remittances and the skills that returning migrants bring back.

Migration: Push & Pull Factors exam questions

Exam-style questions for Migration: Push & Pull Factors with mark-scheme style solutions and timing practice. Aligned to AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the difference between a push and a pull factor?

  A push factor is a reason to leave a place, such as a lack of jobs, a natural disaster, or political persecution. A pull factor is a reason to move to a particular place, such as the promise of a better job, good schools, or greater freedom.

• What are remittances?

  Remittances are sums of money sent by migrants back to their families in their home country. Globally, remittances are a huge source of income for many developing countries, often exceeding the amount they receive in international aid.