1.2.3 Migration - knowledge and understanding

Content

Geographic inquiry and concept(s)
- Processes of population change and their effect on people and places
Geographic knowledge and understanding
- The causes and consequences of forced migration and internal displacement
Case study or detailed examples
- Neither required by the syllabus
Aims of this lesson
- To understand why people are forced to migrate.
- To have knowledge of the impact that migration has on the place of origin and the host area.

The 32.3m surpasses those caused by disasters for the first time, as 82.2m people displaced in total around world

The Guardian · 12 May 2026

Economic migrant
- A person who leaves their country of origin purely for economic reasons that are not in any way related to the refugee definition, in order to seek material improvements in their livelihood.

Environmental push factors
- Environmental (relating to the natural world and the impact of human activity on its condition) factors which initiate and influence the decision to migrate by impelling or stimulating emigration

Forced migrant
- A person subject to a migratory movement in which an element of coercion exists, including threats to life and livelihood, whether arising from natural or man-made causes (e.g. movements of refugees and internally displaced persons as well as people displaced by natural or environmental disasters, chemical or nuclear disasters, famine or development projects).

Internally displaced person
- A person or groups of persons who has been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalised violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognised State border.

Political push factors
- Political (relating to the government or public affairs of a country) factors which initiate and influence the decision to migrate by impelling or stimulating emigration

Refugee
- In the global context , either a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group, is outside the country of nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country, or a stateless person, who, being outside of the country of former habitual residence for the same reasons as mentioned before, is unable or, owing to such fear, unwilling to return to it.

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Suggest two ways in which megacity growth can affect the daily lives of individuals living in informal settlements. [4]
Explain two challenges that rapid megacity growth creates for societies. [4]
The growth of megacities does more to threaten food security than to threaten water security. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
The rapid growth of megacities is the main cause of national resource insecurity. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
Megacity growth brings more benefits than problems for societies in low-income countries. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
The demographic dividend offers more opportunities than challenges for countries experiencing rapid population change. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
Rapid urbanisation puts more pressure on resource security than any other demographic change. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]