- Push factor
- A reason that forces or encourages people to leave their home country — e.g. persecution, famine, poverty, war.
- Pull factor
- A reason that attracts people to move to a specific country — e.g. job opportunities, higher wages, legal right to settle, family connections.
- Chain migration
- The process by which early migrants establish a community, then encourage and assist later migrants from the same area or family to follow — reduces the cost and risk of moving.
- Pogrom
- An organised violent attack on an ethnic or religious group, especially Jews; the term comes from Russian and refers particularly to anti-Jewish violence in the Russian Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Asylum seeker
- A person who has fled their home country and applied for legal protection (asylum) in another country, claiming they face persecution or danger if they return.
- Edict of Expulsion (1290)
- The order issued by Edward I expelling all Jews from England — the first complete expulsion of a people from a medieval kingdom. Around 3,000 people were forced to leave.
- British Nationality Act 1948
- The law that confirmed all citizens of British colonies and Commonwealth countries were British subjects with the right to live and work in Britain — the legal basis for the Windrush generation's arrival.
- Huguenots
- French Protestants who fled to England after Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685, fearing persecution. Around 50,000 arrived, settling mainly in Spitalfields, London, and Canterbury.
This definitions covers Key Terms within Migrants to Britain, c.1250-present for GCSE History. Revise Migrants to Britain, c.1250-present in Component Group 1 — Thematic Studies for GCSE History with 14 exam-style questions and 18 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 12 of 17 in this topic. Make sure you can use the exact wording confidently, because definition marks are often lost through vague language.
Practice questions for Migrants to Britain, c.1250-present
Describe two features of migration to Britain in the medieval period.
Describe two features of Jewish communities in medieval England before 1290.
Quick recall flashcards
What is a pull factor in migration?
A reason that attracts people TO a specific country. Examples: labour demand (post-war NHS, London Transport), legal right to settle (British Nationality Act 1948), higher wages than home country, family and community networks (chain migration).
What is a push factor in migration?
A reason that forces or encourages people to LEAVE their home country. Examples: persecution (Jews in medieval England), famine (Ireland 1845-52), war (20th century asylum seekers), poverty (Caribbean and South Asian migrants post-1945).