Push Factors: One push factors from Southern Europe is the large and growing Muslim population. This is a push factor because although many Muslims are moderate, peaceful people, many migrants may fear that some radical Muslims could commit acts of terror. Another factor is the ethnic tension in Kosovo that has been present for a while, and may force citizens who are in tension out of the country/region. Many countries such as Greece have high unemployment rates, which might cause citizens to migrate in search of jobs. Spain currently has a weak government and an unstable economy, which is a push factor because most people would favor a stronger, more stable economy, unless of course they are coming from a country with a significantly weaker economy than Southern Europe. One last push factor is the mistreatment of women in countries such as Italy, which might be looked down upon by women and possibly some men, and they might choose to immigrate elsewhere. Emigration could lead to decreased economic growth due to workers leaving the country to find jobs elsewhere. Also, brain drain occurs which weakens countries' tertiary sectors.
Pull Factors: A pull factor to Southern Europe is the economy, because although weaker than usual, Italy, and Spain still have significantly stronger economies than much of countries in other regions of Europe, which attracts migrants, since most people seek a strong economy. Another pull factor is the lack of pollution in Southern Europe, especially compared to countries such as China and India, which is appealing to people who live in heavily polluted areas, so that they can live a longer, healthier life . Democracy is another reason people might want to migrate to Southern Europe, because many countries are still run by dictatorships and corrupt governments, which might cause people to immigrate to Southern Europe for a safer life with more peace and freedom . Safety is a major reason for migration to Southern Europe, because in countries such as Syria, citizens are terrorized by ISIS, and other countries such as Honduras have very high crime rates, so people might want to migrate to Southern Europe for a safe and secure life. One last pull factor is low unemployment rates in such as Malta, and Andorra, which attracts migrants looking for jobs, since they are available in these countries. Immigration causes many countries in Southern Europe to legalize illegal immigrants. For example, Spain ran a program that legalized about 600,000 illegal immigrants several years ago.