Migration

Migration is the movement of people from one place to another, either within countries or across international borders. People migrate for various reasons—seeking better economic opportunities, escaping conflict, reuniting with family, or pursuing education. Global migration patterns are influenced by economic disparities, political instability, climate change, and technological advancements.

Migration shapes our world in profound ways, influencing population patterns, cultural diversity, economic development, and political systems. It creates both challenges and opportunities for societies worldwide.

Movement of people

  • global distribution of the human population

  • types of migration within countries and between countries

  • causes of migration, including push and pull factors

  • the impacts of migration at origin and destination

  • community and political responses to the voluntary and forced movement of people

  • contemporary case studies to illustrate the causes and consequences of movements of people in specific locations.

The migration project

The migration project will explore human migration and distribution patterns—how people move across landscapes and borders—and examine source regions where migrations originate compared to destination areas that receive migrants.

1. Population distribution and density

2. The source

3. The destination

4. Internal migration

5. Forced migration

1. Population distribution and density

The number of people who live in an area per square kilometre.

Places which are sparsely populated contain few people.

Places which are densely populated contain many people.

The population density of a country is the number of people in that country divided by the area in square kilometres. The country of Singapore is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. It has a population of 4,839,400 and an area of 687 square kilometres, so its density is 7,044 people per square kilometre.

Activity 1. Population distribution and density

  1. Explain the factors that result in high population density using examples

  2. Explain the factors that result in low population density using examples

  3. Create a case study of a region with high population density. (Cough. Bangladesh.)

  4. Outline the physical and human factors that have contributed to high population density in the selected region.

Exam question (SACE 2019)

Explain three characteristics of world population distribution and density shown on the map

Explain: Give the reason, causes effects and or consequences of an event or situation.

Exam question (SACE 2021)

With reference to Map A, outline three factors that are likely to have influenced the population density pattern shown in Map B.

Outline: Give a brief account or summary

Extra: The World is Spiky

The Human Terrain project uses data from the Global Human Settlement Layer, which uses “satellite imagery, census data, and volunteered geographic information” to create population density maps.

Note: In parts of the world where census data is unreliable (e.g., India, China), population density can be ‘noisy’.

To do: Model population distribution and density

  1. Describe the depopulation of rural areas in China as a result of urbanisation. (Show change 1990 - 2015)

  2. Describe the growth of urban areas in India. (Compare to 1990)

2. The source

Migrants originate at the source

A source country (country of origin) is the nation from which migrants originally emigrate.

Source countries often share the following push factors that motivate people to leave in search of better conditions elsewhere.

  • economic challenges (limited job opportunities, low wages)

  • political instability, conflict

  • environmental degradation and or natural disasters

Exam questions:

  • Use examples from your case studies to explain benefits and disadvantages of migration for the source country. (4)

  • Using examples from your case studies, to discuss the reasons for migration from a source country. (4)

Activity 2. The source country. (See Bangladesh case study below).

Ensure you support your response with statistics/indicators.

Questions

  1. Explain the advantages of external migration for the source country.

  2. Explain the disadvantages external migration for the source country.

Extra: How is high external migration potentially a negative indicator for a country?

Advantages of migration for the source country

○ A reduction in unemployment as more jobs become available

○ Remittances are sent home from migrants living abroad

○ Migrants may return home with new skills

○ Increased political ties with host country

Reduced pressure on education and healthcare system

○ Reduction in births rates and total fertility rate as many migrants are

in the reproductive age range.

Disadvantages of migration for the source country

  • Brain drain - losing your most educated and skilled workers.

  • A shortage of workers, especially during periods of harvest

  • An increase in the dependency ratio as the economically active migrate

  • Separation of families, this may include children losing one or both of their parents

  • Creates dependency on remittances

Case study: Bangladesh - source country

Since the 1970's, large numbers of Bangladeshis have migrated to the Arabian Gulf, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates the top country destinations. Australian demographer Graeme Hugo, estimates there are about 8.7 million Asian migrants in the Middle East and over 20 million Asian migrant workers worldwide.

Bangladesh has a rural poverty rate of 27% (2024). This poverty, underemployment and a high youth dependency ratio, 34 percent of the population under 14, has led to economically motivated international migration from Bangladesh. Degradation of land is becoming a major issue and many people have become landless. Labourers only work for a few hours for very low wages, therefor lack of opportunities.

Declining population benefits Bangladesh, reducing pressure on services and unemployment rates. Bangladesh also benefit from remittances sent from migrant workers. These remittances contribute greatly to the country's growing economy and where estimated to be 6.6 percent of the country's GDP.

Bangladeshi Migration to the Arabian Gulf

  • More males emigrating than females. "Gulf wives"- women who live without their husbands

  • The main reason that people are migrating is search for a higher income

  • Most of the migrants are male and between the ages of 20 and 34

  • Most of these emigrants are forced to live in temporary housing in the host country

3. The destination

Migrants travel to the destination

A destination country (host country) is the country where migrants settle after leaving their country of origin. These are the places that attract immigrants due to various "pull factors."

Destination countries typically offer the following advantages.

  • better economic opportunities, higher wages

  • political stability

  • superior healthcare and education systems, or family connections

  • refuge from conflict, persecution, or environmental challenges

Exam questions

  • Explain the advantages and disadvantages of migration for a destination country that you have studied. (4)

  • Discuss the negative impacts of large scale migration on destination countries. (4)

Activity 3: The destination country.

Ensure you support your response with statistics/indicators.

Questions

  1. List the Pull factors for Bangladeshis considering a move to the Gulf countries

  2. Describe the positives for the host countries of migration.

  3. Describe, using examples, the potential problems (for the host countries) of having a large foreign migrant population.

  4. Why are migrant workers are at risk of being badly treated?

Advantages of migration for the destination country

  • Brain gain - Receiving educated and skilled workers.

  • Trained migrants (low paid) to fill manual jobs.

  • Increased cultural diversity - food, dance, language, etc.

  • Growth of GDP due to increase of population

  • Legal migrants- increase in tax revenues for the government

Disadvantages of migration for the destination country

  • Increase in racial tensions between migrants and residents.

  • Increased population cause greater pollution and overcrowding

  • Rise in unemployment when migrants accept lower paid positions, leaving local population unemployed.

  • Increased pressure on services. Schools / hospitals / electricity etc.

  • Growth of black market and informal economy if migrants are illegally present

Case study: The UAE - destination country

Immigrants, who come particularly from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, comprise over 90 percent of the UAE private workforce, the UAE attracts both low- and high-skilled migrants due to its economic attractiveness, relative political stability, and modern infrastructure. Migrants can find work in both skilled and unskilled labour in a country, with a prosperous economy, political stability, high standard of living and modern infrastructure. The Gulf countries offer more opportunities for work and somewhat higher wages.

The UAE is heavily reliant on foreign labour to sustain economic growth and the high standard of living in the country, the UAE government in 1971 introduced a temporary guest worker program called the Kafala Sponsorship System, which allows nationals, expatriates, and companies to hire migrant workers. The Kafala system has posed a number of challenges for UAE policymakers both at home and in the eyes of international onlookers. Chief among them: widespread concerns that migrants fall victim to labour and human-rights abuses in the UAE.

Due to the difficulty of becoming a contract worker, Bangladeshi migrant workers often enter countries unauthorised and without the correct legal documentation for work. This is a major issue as migrants can be abused more easily. Unfortunately some migrants are exposed to employment abuse, unfair pay practices and even physical and sexual abuse.

4. Internal - China

China's urban billion

China only had 172 million urban residents in 1978 (when Deng Xiaoping started economic reform). As of 2025, approximately 65-67% of China's total population lives in urban areas, representing about 950 million people. The government's economic reforms, industrialisation policies, and deliberate urbanisation strategies have driven this massive rural-to-urban migration.

According to the World Bank, China's unprecedented urbanisation presents significant challenges:

  1. Migrants lack equal access to public services due to the hukou system, a two-tier urban society.

  2. Infrastructure and services strain due to rapid population growth. Transportation, water, sanitation.

  3. Environmental problems including severe air and water pollution, leading to health concerns.

  4. Higher property prices, creating affordability crises for middle and lower-income residents.

Activity 4. A visual guide to Chinese internal migration.

  1. Push factors

  2. Pull factors

  3. Impacts on the source

  4. Impacts on the destination

  5. Challenges

5. Forced migration

Some migrants have no choice

Activity 5: Forced migration folio.

Examine the causes and impacts of forced migration.

  1. Definitions:

    Forced migration / Internally displaced person (IDP) / Refugee / Illegal immigrant

  2. Overview using Refugee world map :

    Total world forcibly displaced / total world refugees / total world internally displaced (IDP's)

  3. List the main causes (5) of forced displacement

  4. Identify 4 reasons with an example for each, that keep IDPs from leaving their country.

  5. List the 5 top forced migration source/origin countries using Refugee statistics - UNHCR that includes the following information.

    Total refugees for each source and an annotated map.

  6. Create a refugee source country case study using Source countries - MDP, that includes the following information.

    Total number of refugees / IDP’s / Push factors of forced migration / Impacts on source country.

  7. Create a refugee destination case study using Destination countries - MDP that includes the following information.

    Total number of refugees / Pull factors to host/destination country / Impacts on destination country.

Extra: The journey of a family from the Central African Republic

Background briefing: Internally displaced people (IDP’s)

Internally displaced persons (IDP’s) are individuals forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence, human rights violations, or disasters, yet remain within their country's borders. Unlike refugees, IDPs don't cross international boundaries but face similar challenges—loss of shelter, livelihoods, and access to basic services. The UN estimates over 71 million IDPs globally as of 2023.

IDPs lack the specific legal protections given to refugees under international law. Their vulnerability is compounded by continued proximity to conflict zones and reliance on their own governments—sometimes the cause of their displacement—for protection and assistance.

Exam question

Describe the distribution of global IDP’s.

Migration revision

Questions

  1. Outline solutions for the population profile in Fig 1. (4)

  2. Refer to Fig 2. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of remittances for the sources country. (4)

  3. List the reasons for the population density ( 1,266 people per km2) at this location. (2)

     Earth link

    Refer to Fig 3 for question 4, 5 and 6.

  4. Outline the causes of Iran's declining population growth. (2)

  5. Explain why the total population will still reach 103 million in 2050. (3)

  6. Use evidence from the source to discuss reasons why many young Iranians choose to leave Iran. (3)

Fig 1. Population pyramid 2023

Fig 2. Remittances. Kenya

Fig 3. Iran development indicators