Unit 2: Population and Migration Geography

Lesson 11: Types of Migration

Definition of Migration

  • Migration is defined as the permanent or semipermanent relocation of people from one place to another.

    • There are several types of migration, each characterized by different elements and implications. The primary categories include:

      • Emigration: The act of leaving one’s country to settle in another.

      • Immigration: The act of entering a foreign country to live.

      • International Migration: Movement from one country to another. cross a nations boarder

      • Transnational Migration: Migration across national borders, maintain super close ties and or business in both countries. Involved with home country and new country at the same time.

      • Internal Migration: Movement within a single country.

        • Interregional Migration: Movement between different regions of a country. Rural areas to urban areas.

        • Intraregional Migration: Movement within a single region of a country, which can include specific practices such as transhumance. More common than interregional.

          • transhumance is a seasonal movement normally by herders from high elevation to low elevation and vise versa. Only based on elevation.

Types of Migration

Forced Migration

  • Forced Migration refers to situations where individuals are compelled to move, often due to circumstances beyond their control. Could be for political, environmental or social. Examples include:

    • Refugees: Individuals who are forced to flee their country due to persecution, war, or violence. Cross national boundaries. Typically supported by local Govt or international agencies.

    • Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): Individuals who are displaced within their own country due to conflict, disasters, or other crises but have not crossed international borders. Fleeing economical, environmental, political, and social reasons.

    • Asylum Seeker: a person who is fleeing violence but is not recognized as a refugee by the United Nations.

Voluntary Migration

  • Voluntary Migration occurs when individuals choose to relocate, typically in search of better economic opportunities or living conditions.

  • chain migration: where a migrant moves to join family member in another country. Form enclaves in large cities like little China and little Italy.

  • Step migration: a process where migrants move in stages, settling initially in one place before gradually moving to a final destination, often influenced by social networks and economic opportunities along the way.

  • guess workers: people that enter a country temporarily for economic reasons and are expected to leave right after.

Lee’s Model: Intervening Obstacles & Opportunities

  • According to Lee’s model, migrants encounter intervening opportunities and obstacles that can influence their migration decisions and pathways. ESPeN.

    • Obstacles and Opportunities can be categorized into the following classifications:

      1. Economic

      • Obstacle: The cost associated with migration, such as travel expenses and relocation costs.

      • Opportunity: Finding employment or job opportunities in the destination location.

      1. Social

      • Obstacle: Cultural barriers, which may include language differences, unfamiliar customs, or family obligations that hinder movement.

      • Opportunity: The possibility of finding communities that align with one's cultural background or the chance of forming new relationships or marriages during the migration process.

      1. Political

      • Obstacle: Laws and regulations that restrict immigration, including border control measures, visa requirements, and patrols.

      • Opportunity: Areas that are more welcoming to immigrants, potentially providing incentives for such individuals to settle there.

      1. Environmental

      • Obstacle: Natural barriers like deserts, mountains, or oceans that physically impede migration.

      • Opportunity: Attractive natural features or favorable site characteristics that may draw migrants to certain locations.

Zelinsky’s Migration Transition Model

  • Zelinsky’s Migration Transition Model illustrates the relationship between migration patterns and social as well as economic changes within a society.

    • As societies evolve through different stages, migration patterns also transform. The model outlines the following stages:

      1. Stage 1:

      • Economic Activity: Hunting and Gathering

      • Migration Pattern: Nomadic lifestyle characterized by daily migration within local territories.

      1. Stage 2:

      • Economic Activity: Agriculture, predominantly subsistence farming

      • Migration Pattern: Increased emigration when job opportunities diminish, often moving towards more developed Stage 3 or Stage 4 countries, as well as urban to rural migration trends. International migration for economical opportunities.

      1. Stage 3:

      • Economic Activity: Industrialization

      • Migration Pattern: A deceleration of emigration due to a growing number of job opportunities; marked rise in rural to urban migration.

      1. Stages 4 and 5:

      • Economic Activity: Services

      • Migration Pattern: An overall slowdown of international migration, often influenced by increased government restrictions; rural to urban migration slows, whereas urban to urban migration may increase significantly. These countries limit migration.