Which is a push factor?

war in the home country. It drives people away.

Which is a pull factor?

job opportunities in the destination. It attracts people.

someone forced to flee their country who cannot safely return. War, persecution and disaster are the usual causes.

What are remittances?

money sent home by migrants. They can be a large part of a low-income country's income.

What is a brain drain?

the loss of skilled workers from a country through emigration. The country loses the people it trained.

Which is a way of managing international migration?

visas and quotas. They control who may enter and how many.

International migration · Cambridge IGCSE Geography (9

In plain words

Hundreds of millions of people live in a country they were not born in. Some went looking for something better. Others were running from something worse. The reasons, and the law, treat them differently.

8 things to know

An economic migrant moves by choice to find work or a higher standard of living.
A refugee has been forced to flee their country because of war, persecution or disaster, and cannot safely return.
An asylum seeker has left their country and applied for protection in another, and is waiting for a decision on whether they will be accepted as a refugee.
Push factors drive people away from a place: unemployment, low wages, war, persecution, natural disasters, poor services. Pull factors attract people to a place: jobs, higher wages, safety, better education and healthcare.
Impacts on migrants: higher earnings and opportunities, but also low-paid work, discrimination and separation from family.
Impacts on the country of origin: money sent home (remittances) and less pressure on jobs and services. But young and skilled workers are lost, the "brain drain", and families are divided.
Impacts on the destination: gaps in the workforce are filled, taxes are paid and culture is enriched. But there is more pressure on housing and services, and sometimes tension.
Management: border controls, visas and quotas, systems that select migrants by skill, agreements between countries, and help for migrants to settle.

Worked example

A nurse leaves a low-income country to work in a hospital abroad. Give one push factor, one pull factor, and one impact on each country.

Push: low pay and poor working conditions at home. Pull: much higher wages abroad.
Country of origin: it loses a trained nurse it paid to educate, but she may send money home.
Destination: a shortage of nurses is eased.

Tips and tricks

A refugee is forced to move. An economic migrant chooses to. An asylum seeker is waiting for a decision. Use the terms exactly.
Cover all three when asked about impacts: the migrant, the country of origin and the destination.

6 questions, about 2 minutes.

It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.

International migration: 6 questions and answers

These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.

Which is a push factor?
- higher wages abroad
- war in the home country (the answer)
- better schools abroad
- family already living abroad
It drives people away.
Which is a pull factor?
- unemployment at home
- drought at home
- job opportunities in the destination (the answer)
- persecution at home
It attracts people.
What is a refugee?
- someone who moves for a better job
- someone forced to flee their country who cannot safely return (the answer)
- a tourist
- someone moving within their own country for work
War, persecution and disaster are the usual causes.
What are remittances?
- taxes paid by migrants
- money sent home by migrants (the answer)
- visas
- border controls
They can be a large part of a low-income country's income.
What is a brain drain?
- an illness
- the loss of skilled workers from a country through emigration (the answer)
- a type of visa
- a school subject
The country loses the people it trained.
Which is a way of managing international migration?
- remittances
- visas and quotas (the answer)
- natural increase
- push factors
They control who may enter and how many.

6 questions

Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.

Worksheet

3 questions, 9 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.

International migration

Cambridge IGCSE Geography (9–1) 0976 · 9 marks · papermunch.org

Name ______________________________ Date ______________

Describe the difference between an economic migrant, a refugee and an asylum seeker.[3]
Show answerHide answer
An economic migrant chooses to move to find work or a better standard of living. A refugee has been forced to leave their country by war, persecution or disaster. An asylum seeker has applied to be recognised as a refugee and is waiting for a decision.
I got this one
Explain two impacts of international migration on the country of origin.[4]
Show answerHide answer
Migrants send money home, which supports families and the economy. The country loses young and skilled workers, which is called a brain drain.
I got this one
Give two pull factors that attract migrants to a country.[2]
Show answerHide answer
Higher wages and more jobs. Safety. (Also: better healthcare and education.)
I got this one

Answers: International migration

1. An economic migrant chooses to move to find work or a better standard of living. A refugee has been forced to leave their country by war, persecution or disaster. An asylum seeker has applied to be recognised as a refugee and is waiting for a decision.
2. Migrants send money home, which supports families and the economy. The country loses young and skilled workers, which is called a brain drain.
3. Higher wages and more jobs. Safety. (Also: better healthcare and education.)