The big idea: Forced migration is when people move because they have no real choice -- they are driven from home by danger or disaster.
This is different from voluntary migration (moving by choice, e.g. for a better job). The line matters: forced migrants are pushed out, not pulled.
People can be forced across a border (becoming refugees) or moved within their own country (becoming internally displaced).
Key terms
- Forced migration -- movement people are compelled to make by threat to life or livelihood.
- Refugee -- a forced migrant who has crossed an international border to seek safety.
- Internally displaced person (IDP) -- forced to flee but still inside their own country.
- Push factor -- a negative condition (war, drought) that drives people to leave.
Free preview
This is the free notes preview
You're reading the free notes. Aimnova Pro unlocks the full study experience — and you can try it with your first topic free to keep:
- FlashcardsLock in vocabulary and key terms with spaced repetition.
- Practice questionsAnswer exam-style questions and get instant AI marking.
- Mock exams & past-paper vaultSit full mocks and see exactly how examiners award marks.
- Personalised study planA daily plan built around your exam date and weak areas.
The four main types of cause
- Political -- armed conflict, civil war, persecution of a group, or oppressive government.
- Environmental -- drought, flooding, sea-level rise, earthquakes or desertification destroy land and homes.
- Social -- ethnic or religious persecution, or threats to a particular community.
- Economic / developmental -- a dam or mine project that floods or seizes land and evicts residents.
Explain = give the mechanism: In an Explain answer, name the cause and say how it forces the move:
- conflict -> homes destroyed and lives at risk -> people flee for safety. - drought -> crops fail and water runs out -> people leave to survive.
Explain how armed conflict and persecution can each force people to migrate.
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Feeling unprepared for exams?
Get a clear study plan, practice with real questions, and know exactly where you stand before exam day. No more guessing.
Named examples (use real places): Syria (from 2011) -- civil war forced over 6 million people abroad as refugees and displaced millions more inside the country (political/conflict cause).
Lake Chad basin, Sahel -- shrinking water and desertification, alongside conflict, have displaced over 2 million people (environmental + political).
Three Gorges Dam, China -- reservoir flooding relocated more than 1 million residents (developmental cause).
Effects of forced migration
- Environmental -- large refugee camps strip nearby land for fuelwood and pollute water sources.
- Political -- a sudden influx can strain a host country and raise tensions or instability.
- Social -- families are split, schooling is disrupted, and host communities may face pressure on services.
- On the source area -- it loses working-age people and skills (a 'brain drain' from the home region).
Name and locate a specific forced migration and explain one of its environmental consequences.
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
How this is tested: The data stimulus here is a bar chart of refugees resettled in one country, year by year -- the kind of infographic used to show a displacement crisis. The skills tested are Estimate (read a value off a bar) and To what extent (judge whether the figure gives a misleading picture of the real scale).
Read the axis units first. Which year is the tallest bar (the peak), and which is the lowest?
Interactive diagram
Explore the labelled diagram, charts and maps for this topic in full study mode.
Using the bar chart, estimate the number of refugees resettled in the peak year.
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
| Year | Refugees resettled (thousands) |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 58 |
| 2014 | 70 |
| 2016 | 85 |
| 2018 | 23 |
| 2020 | 12 |
IB-style question -- read the infographic
Using the table above: (a) estimate the number of refugees resettled in 2016 [1]; (b) work out the increase in refugees resettled between 2012 and 2016 [1].
How to answer each part
- (a) Estimate 2016. Read the 2016 row -> about 85 thousand refugees.
- (b) Work out the increase. Subtract: 85 - 58 = 27 thousand more resettled in 2016 than in 2012. Always quote the units.
Final answer
(a) about 85 thousand; (b) an increase of about 27 thousand (85 - 58).
Evaluate how far an infographic of refugees resettled in one country gives a misleading picture of the true scale of a displacement crisis.
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.