Why is "Treating migration as only negative for destination countries" a common mistake in International Migration: Causes, Impacts and Management?

Why it happens: Political narrative. How to avoid it: Migrants fill labour gaps, pay taxes, bring skills, entrepreneurship. Most balanced analyses show net positive economic effect. Source: 0460 Examiner Reports 2022-2024

Changing PopulationsCambridge IGCSE Geography (0460)

International Migration: Causes, Impacts and Management

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International Migration Study Notes — Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 (2024-2026 syllabus)

Push and pull factors. Impacts on source and destination countries. Syria-Europe case study. Why migration is complex and controversial.

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0460 syllabus (2024-2026).

6.3.1 — Identify push and pull factors.
6.3.2 — Identify source + destination impacts.
6.3.3 — Use named migration case study.

Push and pull factors

Why people migrate.

Push factors (leave).

Unemployment / low wages.
Conflict / war / persecution.
Natural disasters or climate stress.
Poor services (healthcare, education).

Pull factors (attract to destination).

Better-paid jobs.
Family reunification.
Better quality of life (healthcare, education).
Political safety / freedom.

Most migrants have a MIX of push and pull factors.

Cambridge tip. Mark scheme rewards FOUR of each.

Push: unemployment, conflict, disasters, services.
Pull: jobs, family, services, safety.
Most migrants face mix of both.

See the full worked example for international migration: causes, impacts and management →

Source and destination impacts

Positives and negatives on both ends.

Source country.

Positive: REMITTANCES (Philippines, Bangladesh ~10% GDP); reduces unemployment pressure.
Negative: BRAIN DRAIN (doctors, engineers leave); demographic distortion (young men gone).

Destination country.

Positive: FILL LABOUR GAPS (care, agriculture, construction); migrants pay taxes; bring skills; entrepreneurship.
Negative: pressure on services (schools, housing, healthcare); social tensions / integration.

Reality. Most balanced analyses show NET POSITIVE for destination economies. Migrants typically pay MORE in taxes than they consume in services.

Cambridge tip. Top-band answers acknowledge net positive economic effect.

Source: remittances + brain drain.
Destination: labour + service pressure.
Net positive economic effect for destinations.

See the full worked example for international migration: causes, impacts and management →

Syria → Europe / Türkiye case

Largest recent migration crisis.

Syria. Civil war started 2011. ~6.8 million displaced by 2022.

Push. Conflict between government, rebels, ISIS, Kurds. Cities destroyed (Aleppo). Civilian casualties.

Pull. Türkiye took ~3.7M (largest refugee host). Germany took ~1M. Promise of safety, work, asylum.

Challenges.

Türkiye: support for vast refugee population strains resources.
Germany: integration, language, social tensions.
Greek islands: stuck migrants in camps.
EU split on migration policy.

Cambridge tip. Memorise scale (~6.8M displaced).

Syria → Türkiye, Germany, EU.
~6.8M displaced.
Largest recent migration crisis.

See the full worked example for international migration: causes, impacts and management →

How it’s examined

Migration appears on every Paper 1. Most-tested: push/pull (8 marks), impacts (8 marks), case study (6 marks).

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 syllabus (2024-2026); 0460 Examiner Reports 2022-2024; 0460/22 May/Jun 2024 question paper and mark scheme. Last reviewed 2026-05-09.

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Step-by-step worked examples — International Migration: Causes, Impacts and Management

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on international migration: causes, impacts and management, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Push and pull factors (8 marks)
Extended• Adapted from 0460/22 May/Jun 2024• migration
Question
Identify FOUR push factors and FOUR pull factors driving international migration. (8 marks)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Push factors (4 marks). (a) Unemployment / low wages. (b) Conflict / war / persecution. (c) Natural disasters or climate stress. (d) Poor services (healthcare, education).
2. Step 2
  Pull factors (4 marks). (a) Better-paid jobs. (b) Family reunification. (c) Better quality of life (healthcare, education). (d) Political safety / freedom.
Answer
Push: unemployment, conflict, disasters, services. Pull: jobs, family, services, safety. Most migrants have BOTH.
2Impacts on source and destination (8 marks)
Extended• impacts
Question
State TWO positive and TWO negative impacts on (a) source country, (b) destination country. (8 marks)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Source country positives (1 mark). REMITTANCES — migrants send money home (e.g. Philippines, Bangladesh, Mexico — remittances ~10% of GDP). Reduces unemployment pressure.
2. Step 2
  Source country negatives (1 mark). BRAIN DRAIN — skilled workers (doctors, engineers) leave. Demographic distortion (young men gone).
3. Step 3
  Destination positives (1 mark). FILL LABOUR GAPS — especially in care, agriculture, construction. Migrants pay taxes; bring skills and entrepreneurship.
4. Step 4
  Destination negatives (1 mark). Pressure on services (schools, housing, healthcare). Social tensions / integration challenges. Wage pressure in low-skill sectors.
5. Step 5
  (Bonus marks) Migrants typically pay MORE in taxes than they consume in services on average; brain drain can also be 'brain circulation' — migrants return with new skills.
Answer
Source: + remittances, − brain drain. Destination: + labour, − service pressure. Balanced view earns top marks.
3Named migration case study (6 marks)
Extended• case-study
Question
Using a NAMED example, describe one major migration flow and its causes. (6 marks)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Named example: Syria → Europe / Türkiye (2 marks). Civil war started 2011. ~6.8 million displaced by 2022.
2. Step 2
  Push: war (2 marks). Conflict between government, rebels, ISIS, Kurds. Many cities destroyed (Aleppo). Civilian casualties forced mass flight.
3. Step 3
  Pull: safety + opportunity (2 marks). Türkiye took ~3.7M (largest refugee host). Germany took ~1M. Promise of safety, work, asylum.
Answer
Syria → Europe / Türkiye after 2011 civil war. ~6.8M displaced. Push: war. Pull: safety + opportunity in EU.
Examiner tip
Mark scheme: must NAME the source and destination AND state specific facts (year, numbers).

Key Definitions and Keywords — International Migration: Causes, Impacts and Management

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for international migration: causes, impacts and management answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0460 sitting.

Migration
Examiner keyword
Movement of people from one place to another. INTERNAL (within a country) or INTERNATIONAL (between countries).
Push factor
Examiner keyword
Reason people LEAVE their current location — unemployment, war, disaster, poor services.
Pull factor
Examiner keyword
Reason people are attracted to a destination — jobs, family, safety, services.
Refugee
Examiner keyword
Person forced to flee their country due to war, persecution, or natural disaster. Protected under international law.
Remittance
Examiner keyword
Money sent home by migrants. Major income source for some source countries (Philippines, Mexico, Bangladesh).
Brain drain
Examiner keyword
Emigration of skilled workers (doctors, engineers, scientists) from a developing country, weakening local capacity.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — International Migration: Causes, Impacts and Management

The traps other students keep falling into on international migration: causes, impacts and management questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0460 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Treating migration as only negative for destination countries
0460 Examiner Reports 2022-2024
Why it happens
Political narrative.
How to avoid it
Migrants fill labour gaps, pay taxes, bring skills, entrepreneurship. Most balanced analyses show net positive economic effect.

Practice questions

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Past paper style quiz

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International Migration: Causes, Impacts and Management

Short Study Notes in the form of Slides

Detailed Study Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Push and pull factors (8 marks)

2Impacts on source and destination (8 marks)

3Named migration case study (6 marks)

Migration

Push factor

Pull factor

Refugee

Remittance

Brain drain

✕Treating migration as only negative for destination countries

Practice questions

Past paper style quiz

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