Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanently move to a country). A migrant emigrates from their old country, and immigrates to their new country. Thus, both emigration and immigration describe migration, but from different countries' perspectives.
Demographers examine push and pull factors for people to be pushed out of one place and attracted to another. There can be a desire to escape negative circumstances such as shortages of land or jobs, or unfair treatment. People can be pulled to the opportunities available elsewhere. Fleeing from oppressive conditions, being a refugee and seeking asylum to get refugee status in a foreign country, may lead to permanent emigration.
Forced displacement refers to groups that are forced to abandon their native country, such as by enforced population transfer or the threat of ethnic cleansing. Refugees and asylum seekers in this sense are the most marginalized extreme cases of migration, facing multiple hurdles in their journey and efforts to integrate into the new settings. Scholars in this sense have called for cross-sector engagement from businesses, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, and other stakeholders within the receiving communities.
History
Patterns of emigration have been shaped by numerous economic, social, and political changes throughout the world in the last few hundred years. For instance, millions of individuals fled poverty, violence, and political turmoil in Europe to settle in the Americas and Oceania during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Likewise, millions left South China in the Chinese diaspora during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
"Push" and "pull" factors
Demographers distinguish factors at the origin that push people out, versus those at the destination that pull them in. Motives to migrate can be either incentives attracting people away, known as pull factors, or circumstances encouraging a person to leave. Diversity of push and pull factors inform management scholarship in their efforts to understand migrant movement.
Push factors
Poor living conditions or overcrowding
Lack of employment or entrepreneurial opportunities
Lack of educational opportunities
Threat of arrest or punishment
Persecution or intolerance based on race, religion, gender or sexual orientation
Political corruption, lack of government transparency or freedom of speech
Inability to find a spouse for marriage
Lack of freedom to choose religion, or to choose no religion
Resource depletion, scarcity or austerity
Military draft, warfare or terrorism
Expulsion by armed force or coercion
Recession or economic collapse
Famine or drought
Cultural fights with other cultural groups
Pull factors
Higher quality of life, economic growth or lower cost of living
Encouragement to join relatives or fellow countrymen; chain migration
Quick wealth (as in a gold rush) More job opportunities or promise of higher pay Prosperity or economic surplus Educational opportunity (including university for adults or K-12 for children) Prepaid travel (as from relatives) Building a new nation (historically) Building specific cultural or religious communities Political freedom Cultural opportunities Greater opportunity to find a spouse Favorable climate Ease of crossing boundaries Reduced tariff
Criticism
Some scholars criticize the "push-pull" approach to understanding international migration. Regarding lists of positive or negative factors about a place, Jose C. Moya writes "one could easily compile similar lists for periods and places where no migration took place."
Emigration waves by country
Jews escaping from German-occupied Europe
Yerida (Jewish emigration from Israel) Swedish emigration to the United States
Statistics
Unlike immigration, in many countries few if any records have been recorded or maintained in regard to persons leaving a country either on a temporary or permanent basis. Therefore, estimates on emigration must be derived from secondary sources such as immigration records of the receiving country or records from other administrative agencies.
The rate of emigration has continued to grow, reaching 280 million in 2017.