ABSTRACT
General theories o f migration tend to concentrate on the decision to migrate at the individual level, which is assumed to be based on a rational comparison o f relative costs and benefits o f migrating or remaining. Therefore, the causes for migration are sought in terms of'push ' and 'puli' factors. The existence o f undesirable factors in the area o f origin (for example, overcrowding, low incomes and living standards) compels people to leave, while the merits o f the destination (for example, better economic opportunities, political freedom, higher living standards), beckons them to it. Such a framework is instrumental to the analysis o f migration, but it does not encompass all the factors at work in the migratory process. It either totally disregards the role o f the State and its policies, or treats it as an aberration, which, because it disrupts the functioning o f the rational market, should be removed. Further, the push-pull model cannot explain why certain groups o f migrants go to one country rather than another.
