Why People Flee: The Five Main Reasons Behind Migration
Escaping Conflict, Persecution, Conscription, Climate, and Poverty
Imagine being forced to leave everything you know and love - your home, your family, your friends - just to stay alive, or find a future that is safe, free and fair. This is the reality for millions of people around the world who flee their home countries each year. To understand the reasons behind leaving their home, we need to consider the factors that lead to this often impossible choice.
A man on bicycle carrying a pair of shoes in his hand while cycling away
According to Justice to Immigrants, these are the five biggest reasons why people leave their homelands.
Conflicts, War and Violence
War and violence are among the most urgent reasons people are forced to leave their homes. When conflict erupts, everyday life becomes unsafe, leaving people with no choice but to seek refuge elsewhere.
For example, there are over 12 million Syrians who were forced to leave their homelands due to war, conflict and violence. This number makes up the biggest refugee population worldwide, meaning conflict, war and violence is one of the main reasons behind migration.
2. Persecution and Oppression
Persecution involves serious mistreatment or harm faced because of one’s identity or beliefs. This mistreatment can threaten life, freedom, or safety. There are various different kinds of oppression and persecution, all with their own impacts:
Gender-Based Persecution:
Severe mistreatment or discrimination based on gender, including violence and restrictions on freedom.
In Iran, for instance, women face harsh punishment for defying restrictive dress codes, or even just showing their hair. Anyone standing up for human rights for women is at risk of imprisonment or even death. The #WomanLifeFreedom movement has seen more than 20,000 people arrested, tortured and executed to date.Sexuality-Based Persecution:
This is the targeting of individuals because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBTQ+ people often face extreme violence, legal criminalisation, and social exclusion because of who they chose to love and how they present themselves to the world.
In several countries, including Mauritania, Yemen, Pakistan, the Republic of Sudan, Iran and Saudi Arabia, being part of the LGBTQ+ community is criminalised. If you are outed or chose to be open about who you are, you can get sentenced to capital punishment.
Religious Persecution:
Severe discrimination or violence against individuals due to their religious beliefs, including attacks and forced conversions. In Nigeria, Christians are being attacked and killed by extremist Islamic groups like Boko Haram. Since 2000, at least 62,000 Nigerian Christians have been killed. In Northern Nigeria, entire villages are burned leaving behind mass graves. Due to strict laws, it is possible to be sentenced to death for insulting Islam, even without meaning to.
Similarly, in China’s Xinjiang region, the Uyghur Muslim minority is enduring severe religious persecution. Since 2017, the Chinese government has detained over a million Uyghurs in so-called "reeducation camps," where they face forced assimilation, arbitrary detentions, and harsh conditions. Reports detail systematic abuse, including forced labour and sterilisations. The Chinese government’s policies not only violate religious freedoms but also aim to erase Uyghur cultural and religious identities.
Ethnic/Racial Persecution:
Targeting individuals based on race or ethnicity, often leading to mass violence and forced displacement.
In this context, race refers to a category of people who are grouped together based on physical characteristics like skin colour or facial features, whilst ethnicity can be defined as a group of people who share common cultural traits such as language, traditions and heritage.
For example, the Rohingya - a Muslim ethnic group from Myanmar, have faced severe ethnic persecution for decades with their whole villages being burnt down. Denied citizenship in 1982, they suffered increasing violence, including mass displacement to neighbouring countries. In 2017 alone, 800,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, forming Kutupalong, the world’s largest refugee camp, as a result of this persecution.Political Persecution:
Targeting individuals due to political beliefs or activities, including harassment, imprisonment, or torture.
In Venezuela, activists standing up against the government are tortured and threatened for their political views. According to human rights reports, at least 15000 people have been arrested and tortured without valid charge between 2023 and 2024 alone.
3. Forced Conscription
Mandatory military service is another reason for people to leave their country. Conscription here means being required to serve in the military, sometimes with no clear end date, trapping individuals in cycles of exploitation.
In Eritrea, almost everyone aged 18 to 50 must join national service, which is meant to last 18 months but frequently extends indefinitely. Schoolchildren also face conscription, finishing their final year at a military camp, with some as young as 15 forced into duties. The system does not allow for conscientious objection, and people cannot choose their work. Under these harsh conditions, fleeing the country often becomes the only way to escape this forced labour and indefinite service.
4. Climate Change
Climate change is an increasingly urgent driver of displacement, forcing people to leave their homes due to extreme weather events and environmental degradation. Rising sea levels, severe droughts, and unpredictable weather patterns are many, often without crossing international borders.
In terms of numbers, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) predicts that by 2050, climate change could force between 44 million and 216 million people to migrate. This makes climate change a major driver of migration.
5. Poverty and Lack of Opportunity
Economic hardship and a lack of opportunity drive individuals to leave their homes in search of a better life and economic stability.
For instance, according to the World Bank, more than 700 million people globally live on less than $1.90 a day, which is considered extreme poverty. These economic conditions forces many to seek better opportunities abroad. In Sub-Saharan Africa for example, approximately 40% of the population live in extreme poverty, making economic hardship the main driver behind migration from Sub-Saharan countries.
What would you do if you had no future in your country of birth?
This is the reality for millions driven to migrate due to conflict, persecution, forced conscription, climate change, and poverty. Each individual's journey is unique, shaped by personal experiences and challenges. Grasping the complexities and nuance behind these stories highlight the need for thoughtful, empathetic responses.
By addressing the root causes and supporting each person as an individual, we can contribute to a world where migration is a choice rather than a necessity.
Every story matters, and every effort counts in building a future where everyone can live with dignity and hope.