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1. The migration of people to new surroundings
You have already become acquainted with the migration of people from the countryside to the city. Migration, however, does not only take place from rural to urban areas. People move from one urban area to another, and also from one country to another.
Migration from the place where you have been living for many years, e.g. from Cape Town to a new city, e.g. London, is known as EMIGRATION .
Migration to a place where you have found a new home, is called IMMIGRATION. e.g. to London.
Migration is a permanent relocation to a new environment or place.
R easons for migration
There are various reasons why people move from one place the other. These factors can usually be divided into two categories, namely:
Push factors – factors that encourage people to leave a specific area.
Pull factors – factors that entice people to settle in a specific area.
Collect information about people who migrate to other countries and answer the questions that follow:
1. What circumstances in South Africa do you think made people decide to take such a step?
2. What influence will this tendency have on the South African economy if highly schooled workers are to leave the country in large numbers?
2. Factors that promote migration
2.1 Push factors
Push factors play an important role as a reason for migration. Push factors can mainly be divided into three categories:
a) Political factors: political factors play a role where people immigrate due to pressure or persecution experienced in their land of birth. During the years of Apartheid many black South Africans left the country and went to live elsewhere, e.g. in England and Europe due to political pressure and persecution that they suffered here, as well as the lack of educational opportunities.
b) Economic factors: economic factors play a role when the economic system of a country is not favourable, causing people to leave for another country where they can enjoy a better life. Many people have moved to the USA and England where better working conditions are available.
c) Environmental factors: people also leave their homes because of an unfavourable physical environment. Too much or too little water may be a serious hazard for the environment. People are forced to move because they live on the flood plains of a river. During a flood their properties and lives are threatened by the water masses.
On your own
You are a migrant worker who helps to harvest fruit in the Cape. You work on as farm near Worcester. Write a letter to your family living in Kimberley, describing the difficult living and working conditions you experience.
P olitical push factors
People are often obliged to leave their country due to persecution or threats to their lives because of their political ideas. These refugees must then find themselves
another place to live. They cannot return to their country, because their lives are in danger.
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