Why do people migrate?

People migrate for many different reasons. These reasons can be classified as economic, social, political or environmental:

Economic migration - moving to find work or follow a particular career path.

Social migration - moving somewhere for a better quality of life or to be closer to family or friends.

Political migration - moving to escape political persecution or war.

Environmental - causes of migration include natural disasters such as flooding.

Push factors are the reasons why people leave an area:

• lack of services 
• lack of safety
• high crime
• crop failure
• drought
• flooding
• poverty
• war

Pull factors are the reasons why people move to a particular area:

• higher employment
• more wealth
• better services
• good climate
• safer, less crime
• political stability
• more fertile land
• lower risk from natural hazards

Migration usually happens as a result of a combination of these push and pull factors.