A Push factor is a reason to leave a country while a pull factor is a reason to move to a country. If the country which someone is living in is at war, they are pushed to leave for fear of their life and livelihood, especially if their lives were particularly endangered. 

While moving to a country that has more job opportunities is what often happens, this is a pull factor to pull someone to a country rather than a push factor which pushes someone out of a country.  

Often the country that they are leaving is their native country and the country they are migrating to is foreign to them.  If they are not living in their native country, that is not a push factor to leave although it could be a pull factor to return to their homeland. 

Natural disasters are surprisingly not often considered in the process of migration. Even if they were taken into account, people would not purposefully migrate to a region that has more natural disasters than the region they are already in. 

Someone who is forced to leave their home country is a refugee, regardless of what country to which they migrate. 

An illegal immigrant is someone who illegally immigrates into a country that is not their home. If they illegally immigrated due to being forced to leave their country under persecution they claim refugee status and are classified as a refugee and not as an illegal immigrant. 

There were many Soviet refugees during the break up of the U.S.S.R. and there still are many refugees who are Soviets. But the definition of a Soviet does not equal someone who is forced to migrate due to persecution. The definition of a Soviet is simply someone from the Soviet region of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. 

A prisoner of war is not forced to leave their home country due to persecution. Rather, they are persecuted in a foreign country due to the war that is on-going. They are under captivity in a foreign country. 

The process of moving around to find work in various seasons is referred to as “cyclical migration.” It is common amongst the rural poor in many parts of the world who have to move around to meet the labor demands of various products that can only be harvested in certain seasons.

A “push factor” is something that encourages an individual to migrate away from a certain place. Natural disasters, political revolutions, civil war, and economic stagnation are all reasons why people might want to migrate away from a certain area. Job placement, however, is an example of a “pull factor,” something that makes an individual want to migrate to a certain area.

In geographic terminology, when discussing migration you will often hear “push and pull factors.” A “push-factor” is something that encourages an individual to leave, or emigrate from, a certain place. A “pull-factor” is something that attracts individuals to migrate to a certain place.

Voluntary migration is migration that is undertaken willingly by the group or individual involved. People are significantly more likely to undertake voluntary migration for economic opportunity than any other reason. Political freedom and cultural affiliation are more likely to be pull factors for refugees and victims of civil conflict who are undergoing forced migration.

In geographic terminology you will often hear the term “push and pull factors.” A “pull factor” is something that attracts an individual to migrate to a certain place; it “pulls” the individual in. A “push factor” is something that encourages individuals to migrate away from a certain place; it “pushes” the individual away.

A “pull factor” is something that attracts an individual to migrate to a certain place. Educational opportunity, temperate weather, job placement, and cultural attraction are all reasons why someone might emigrate from one country to another, or one region to another; however, economic stagnation is a “push factor,” or something that encourages an individual to leave a certain place. To provide possible clarification, “economic stagnation” means the economy is not growing and job opportunities are scarce.

A chain migration occurs when individuals from within a community follow the path of a previous group or individual within the community and emigrate to a new region. In this instance the young Indian man began the chain-reaction and soon enough nine other individuals had joined him. This is a common process in modern times and explains why many neighborhoods in big cities have concentrated populations of immigrants from other countries (Chinatown, Little Italy, etc.)

Pull factors are positive factors that attract people to new areas from other areas. A booming job market is a pull factor because many people seek jobs in order to provide for their family. 

Push factors are negative factors that deter people from their original locale. Poor medical care is a push factor because it could prevent people from effectively battling illnesses.