What are conditions that encourage individuals to move from a location called?

The term that describes conditions that encourage individuals to leave a location is "Push Factors." These factors include elements like economic instability, political unrest, natural disasters, or lack of job opportunities that compel people to seek better living conditions elsewhere. Understanding these factors is crucial for grasping human migration patterns, as they highlight the challenges faced by individuals in their origin locations. Conversely, pull factors refer to the attractive aspects of a new location that draw individuals in, which is a complementary concept to push factors.

Return migration involves individuals moving back to their place of origin, while brain drain describes the emigration of skilled individuals for better opportunities, emphasizing the loss experienced by the home country rather than the conditions prompting movement. Therefore, push factors specifically focus on the motivating reasons behind why individuals choose to depart from their current location, making this term the most accurate in the context of migration.