Ravenstein’s principles help geographers explain the reasons why people migrate:
Most people migrate for economic reasons.
Political and environmental reasons also induce migration, although not as frequently as economic reasons.
One of these reasons usually emerges as most important, although elements of more than one reason may be detectable. Ranking the relative importance of the reasons may be difficult and even controversial.
Key Issue 3: Why Do People Migrate?
Ravenstein’s laws help geographers contextualize why people migrate:
• Most people migrate for economic reasons.
• Political and environmental reasons also induce migration, although not as often as economic reasons.
People migrate due to push and pull factors. A push factor motivates people to move from their present location, while a pull factor encourages people to move to a new location. Push and pull factors typically work in tandem for people deciding or being forced to migrate.
A political or environmental feature that deters migration is an intervening obstacle. While long-distance passage over land or sea was the traditional environmental barrier to international migration, transportation improvements have diminished the prominence of environmental features as intervening obstacles. Today the major barrier for migration is political as the migrant needs a passport to emigrate and a visa to immigrate to another country.
Forced Migration of Native Americans Under the Indian Removal Act of 1830, Native Americans were forced to move from the lands they had historically occupied in the southeastern United States to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma). Twenty-five million acres of land were opened for white settlement by these five removals. Many of the 46,000 Native Americans forced to move died on the journey to Indian Territory, with a dry climate unsuitable for agricultural activity awaiting them in the west. The route taken by these Native Americans is now known as the Trail of Tears; parts of it are preserved as a National Historic Trail.
Forced Political Migration The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) recognizes three groups of people who are forced to migrate for political reasons:
• A refugee has been forced to migrate to another country to avoid the impacts of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights, or other disasters and cannot return for fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or political views.
• An internally displaced person (IDP) has been compelled to move for similar political reasons as a refugee but has not migrated to a different country.
• An asylum seeker is someone who has migrated to another country in the hope of being recognized as a refugee.
In 2017, The UN counted 25.4 million refugees, 40 million IDPs, and 3.1 million asylum seekers. The largest number of refugees in 2017 were forced to migrate from Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, and South Sudan due to prolonged civil wars in each respective country. Neighboring countries received the most refugees.
Push Factor: Katrina Flooding A common environmental threat is water—both too much and too little can cause people to migrate. Many people are forced to move by water-related disasters because they live in a vulnerable area like the floodplain of a river. The rising waters associated with hurricanes, such as Katrina, 2005, have forced large-scale migration. New Orleans was especially vulnerable because the site of the city is below sea level and the system of dams and levees designed to protect it failed. The population of New Orleans declined by 53 percent between 2000 and 2006. By 2016 the population still had not recovered to 2000 levels.
Push Factor: Harvey & Maria Many African Americans fleeing from Hurricane Katrina moved to Houston. In 2017 Hurricane Harvey hit the Houston area forcing evacuations, causing severe flooding, and destroying many homes. Hurricane Maria, 2017, devastated the island of Puerto Rico with great loss of life and property. The electrical grid was destroyed and rebuilding it took almost a year.
Pull Factor: Attractive Environments include mountains, seaside locations, and warm climates.
Economic Reasons for Migrating Most people migrate for economic reasons, often due to a lack of job opportunities. Economic restructuring impacts job prospects at the international and intraregional levels.
Economic Migration: Developing Countries Some countries allow people to immigrate on a temporary basis for economic reasons, most notably in Asia and Europe.
South and East Asia The world’s largest sources of economic migrants emigrate from South and East Asia, with more than 2 million people emigrating from India, Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan every year. 50 million Chinese and 25 million Indians live abroad, with the United States and other Asian countries being prominent destinations.
Southwest Asia Economic migrants from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries travel to the oil-rich countries of Southwest Asia for work. Immigrants compose more than 50 percent of the population in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have the largest number of immigrants in the region. Working conditions are often poor and many of the countries fear that the large numbers of immigrants will challenge traditional Islamic life.
Economic Migration: Developed Countries Throughout history, the United States and Canada have drawn economic migrants. In the past Europeans were the predominant group immigrating to the United States and Canada, but today the lure of economic prospects attracts people from Latin America and Asia. Sometimes, it is difficult to categorize migrants coming to the United States, Canada, and European countries—many move for economic reasons, while others flee government persecution. This distinction between the two is important because these destinations treat these two groups differently. Economic migrants are generally not admitted unless they possess special skills or have a close relative already in the new country, while refugees receive special priority in most cases.
Remittances The transfer of money by workers to people in the country from which they emigrated is a remittance. The total amount of remittances worldwide was $613 billion in 2017, with this figure rising by nearly 10 percent every year. In 2017, people in India received the most remittances, bringing in $69 billion, followed by China with $64 billion.
Gender & Age of Migrants Ravenstein detailed distinctive gender and family-status patterns in his migration theories:
• Most long-distance migrants were male.
• Most long-distance migrants were adult individuals rather than families with children.
Age of Migrants Ravenstein theorized that most long-distance migrants were young adults seeking job opportunities rather than children or elderly people. Recent migration trends in the United States mirror this theory in some aspects, but not in others:
• Most U.S. immigrants are young adults, reflecting Ravenstein’s laws. 49 percent of recent immigrants to the United States are between the ages of 20 and 39.
• Only 5 percent of recent U.S. immigrants are over the age of 65. However, in developing countries, the elderly are more likely to migrate, and comprise 8 percent of the immigrants.
• Children under the age of 20 make up 21 percent of immigrants to the United States, while in developing countries, 23 percent of the same cohort are migrants.
The number of unaccompanied minors attempting to enter the United States without proper documentation has skyrocketed in recent years, due to a mix of pull and push factors. Ninety percent of the children between 12 and 17 trying to immigrate to the United States have been males—these teenage boys are pushed by increasing gang violence in their home countries (such as Honduras and El Salvador), and pulled to the United States because of rumors that deportation will not happen if they are caught.
Gender of Migrants Ravenstein theorized that males were more likely to migrate long distances to other countries than females because searching for work was the main reason for international migration, and males were more likely than females to be employed. This theory held true for immigrants to the United States during the nineteenth and most of the twentieth centuries, when 55 percent were male. However, since 1970, female immigrants have outnumbered their male counterparts, comprising 55 percent of the total. This trend can also be observed in other developed countries. Ravenstein theorized two reasons for this shift:
• The high percentage of females in the workforce of developed countries attracts a high percentage of female immigrants.
• Some developed countries have allowed wives to join husbands who have already immigrated.
3.3
Asylum seeker A person seeking residence in a country outside of their own because they fleeing persecution
Floodplain The area subject to flooding during a given number of years, according to historical trends.
Forced migration When people migrate not because the want to but because they have no other choice
Internally displaced persons A person forced to flee their home who remains in their home country
Intervening obstacle A difficulty that prevents people from completing a planned migration
Intervening opportunity A favorable circumstance that causes people to stop a planned migration to take advantage of the prospect
Natural hazards A danger or risk found in the environment that may place an obstacle in the path of migration.
Pronatalist policies When a country provides incentives for people to have more children
Quota In reference to migration, a law that places maximum limits on the number of people who can immigrate to a country each year.
Refugee A person who flees their home country and is not able to return
Refugees People who are forced to migrate from their home country and cannot return for fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or political opinion.
Remittance Transfer of money by workers to people in the country from which they emigrated.
Gender For our purposes in class, it refers to the cultural differences in how men are treated differently than women
International migration Permanent movement from one country to another.