This document defines and describes different types of migration: 1. Internal migrations include rural-urban migration and counter-urbanization within a country. 2. International migrations include emigration, leaving one's country, and immigration, arriving in a new country. 3. Net migration rate indicates whether an area has more immigrants or emigrants on balance. A positive rate means more immigrants, while a negative rate means more emigrants.

1. IES Villa de Vallecas Profª: Gema de la Torre
Migration
Migration is a movement of people from one place to another to live or to work. It usually
involves a change of home.
Types
Internal Migrations
They usually take place inside the same country. There are two main types:
• Rural – urban migration: from a rural area to a city
• Counter – urbanization: from the cities to the suburbs (the meaning of suburb in English is a
residential area)
International Migrations
• Emigration: when people (emigrants) leave their country.
• Immigration: when people (immigrants) arrive to a new country.
Net Migration Rate
The net migration rate is the difference between the number of immigrants (people coming
into an area) and the number of emigrants (people leaving an area) throughout the year.
- Positive net migration rate is when we have more immigrants than emigrants. It
indicates that there are more people entering than leaving an area.
- Negative net migration rate is when we have more emigrants than immigrants. It
means that there are more people leaving than entering the area.
- Stable or balanced net migration rate is when there is an equal amount of immigrants
and emigrants.
Exercise:
1) Tell me the different types of migrations that occur in this diagram.
1. _____________________
2. _____________________
3. _____________________
4. _____________________
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2. IES Villa de Vallecas Profª: Gema de la Torre
More Types of Migrations
• Voluntary Migration: is when people choose to move. This is usually because they want to
improve their quality of life. (Pull factors)
• Forced Migration: is when people have no choice and are forced to move. This can be
caused by natural disasters or wars. (Push factors)
• Refugees: are people who have been forced to leave their homes for fear of persecution.
They usually live in refugee camps in quite bad conditions.
• Asylum seeker: are people forced to leave their home country due to political, racial or
religious oppression. They arrive to a foreigner country, where they ask for asylum.
• Illegal immigrants: are those who arrive in a country without permission and without
identification.
Why do people migrate?
We can divide the reasons in two groups: Pull Factors and Push Factors
Pull Factors: people are attracted to a new country for different reasons:
• They want to improve their standard of living, e.g. more and better-paid jobs, higher life
expectancy (people live longer), better houses with electricity and water supply.
• To improve their quality of life, e.g. a more pleasant environment, better transport,
better food.
• To have good, available services and amenities, e.g. schools, hospitals, shops, amenities
or entertainment, such as theaters, cinemas….
• For freedom, e.g. religious, political or sexual tolerance
Push Factors: people are forced to migrate because of different reasons:
• Natural disasters, e.g. earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, drought and floods.
• Man-made disasters, e.g. war and ethnic cleansing (creating large numbers of refugees)
• Overpopulation or a lack of resources, e.g. famine caused by crop failure.
• Racial discrimination or religious and political persecution.
• Government schemes, e.g. the building of a dam or a motorway
• In rural areas: lack of lands, lack of schools, hospitals, electricity, running water,
sanitation system…
Activity 1: Work in groups and write a story.
You have to invent a story where the main character has left his house and has established
in a different place. The more details your story has, the better marks you will have.
Your teacher will tell you what type of migrant you have to describe.
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