Short answer: Migration and multicultural-society questions appear regularly in IELTS Writing and Speaking, so precise terms such as immigrant, integration, remittance and asylum are among the fastest ways to lift your Lexical Resource band. The 30 words below come with meanings, natural collocations and example sentences you can adapt straight into an answer.
The causes and effects of migration, multicultural societies, refugees and the pros and cons of immigration are recurring Task 2 prompts and Speaking Part 3 topics, so the vocabulary rewards advance preparation.
A candidate who writes integration, remittance and asylum seeker rather than "fitting in", "money sent home" and "person who wants to stay" reads immediately as a higher-band writer.
This guide gives you 30 genuine Band 7+ migration words, each with the collocation that makes it usable and an example sentence in an essay-style context.
Why topic vocabulary lifts your Lexical Resource band
In both Writing and Speaking, Lexical Resource (vocabulary) is one of four criteria, each carrying equal weight — so it accounts for a full quarter of your mark on those papers.
The public band descriptors state that Band 7 requires "a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision" and the use of "less common lexical items… with some awareness of style and collocation", as set out in the official IELTS Writing Task 2 band descriptors.
Topic vocabulary is the most efficient route to that standard, because a predictable subject lets you prepare precise language in advance rather than improvising under pressure.
The honest caveat matters, though: the descriptors reward accurate use, not decoration. A less common word dropped into the wrong collocation reads as reach without control and can pull your band down rather than up.
That is why every entry below pairs the word with its natural partners — learn the partnership, not the bare word. For a structured month of building this kind of active, in-context vocabulary across topics, follow our 30-day vocabulary plan.
30 Band 7+ Migration words
Read down for the meaning, then across to the collocation and example — the example shows the word doing the job it would do in a real answer.
| Word | Meaning | Collocation / common usage | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| immigrant | a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country | an immigrant community, an economic immigrant | The city's thriving immigrant communities have shaped its culture and cuisine. |
| emigrate | to leave one's own country to settle in another | emigrate to, emigrate abroad | Many skilled workers emigrate to countries that offer higher wages. |
| migrant | a person who moves to find work or better living conditions | migrant workers, a seasonal migrant | Seasonal migrant workers are essential to the region's harvest. |
| refugee | a person forced to flee their country to escape danger | a refugee camp, a refugee crisis | Thousands of refugees crossed the border to escape the conflict. |
| asylum | protection granted by a state to those fleeing persecution | seek asylum, grant asylum | Those fleeing persecution have the right to seek asylum abroad. |
| assimilation | the process of becoming absorbed into a wider society | cultural assimilation, rapid assimilation | Language learning is central to the assimilation of newcomers. |
| integration | the process of joining a society as an equal member | social integration, successful integration | Successful integration depends on both newcomers and host communities. |
| displacement | the forced movement of people from their homes | mass displacement, internal displacement | The war caused the mass displacement of civilians across the region. |
| diaspora | a scattered population living away from its homeland | the global diaspora, a diaspora community | The country's diaspora sends home billions in remittances each year. |
| remittance | money sent home by migrants working abroad | send remittances, remittance flows | Remittances from workers abroad are a major source of income for many developing economies. |
| repatriation | the return of someone to their own country | voluntary repatriation, forced repatriation | The agency oversaw the voluntary repatriation of thousands of refugees. |
| deportation | the forced removal of someone from a country | face deportation, the threat of deportation | Undocumented workers often live under the constant threat of deportation. |
| relocation | the act of moving to a new place to live or work | permanent relocation, the relocation of families | The factory's closure forced the relocation of hundreds of families. |
| exodus | a mass departure of people from a place | a mass exodus, a rural exodus | Economic collapse triggered a mass exodus of young workers. |
| naturalisation | the legal process of becoming a citizen of a country | apply for naturalisation, the naturalisation process | After five years of residence she was eligible for naturalisation. |
| persecution | hostile treatment based on race, religion or politics | flee persecution, religious persecution | Many asylum seekers are fleeing religious or political persecution. |
| resettlement | the process of helping people settle in a new area | refugee resettlement, a resettlement programme | The resettlement programme helped families rebuild their lives in a new country. |
| influx | the arrival of a large number of people or things | a sudden influx, an influx of migrants | The town struggled to house the sudden influx of newcomers. |
| undocumented | lacking the official papers required to live in a country | undocumented migrants, undocumented workers | Undocumented migrants are often reluctant to report crimes to the police. |
| xenophobia | a fear or hatred of people from other countries | rising xenophobia, fuel xenophobia | Economic downturns can fuel xenophobia towards recent arrivals. |
| multicultural | made up of or relating to several cultural groups | a multicultural society, a multicultural city | London is one of the world's most multicultural cities. |
| brain drain | the emigration of highly skilled or educated people | a brain drain, suffer a brain drain | Low salaries at home have caused a serious brain drain of doctors. |
| settlement | a place where people establish a permanent community | a permanent settlement, an informal settlement | Early migrants built permanent settlements along the fertile river valley. |
| destination | the place to which someone is travelling or migrating | a destination country, a popular destination | Canada has become a popular destination country for skilled migrants. |
| push factor | a condition that drives people to leave a place | a push factor, economic push factors | War and poverty are the strongest push factors behind mass migration. |
| pull factor | a condition that attracts people to a place | a pull factor, economic pull factors | Higher wages act as a powerful pull factor for economic migrants. |
| citizenship | the legal status of being a citizen of a country | apply for citizenship, dual citizenship | After naturalisation, migrants gain full citizenship and voting rights. |
| cohesion | the state of a community forming a united whole | social cohesion, community cohesion | Investment in schools and housing strengthens social cohesion in diverse neighbourhoods. |
| demographic | relating to the structure and make-up of a population | a demographic shift, demographic change | Immigration has driven a significant demographic shift in many ageing societies. |
| host country | a country that receives and takes in migrants | a host country, the host community | Host countries often benefit economically from the skills that migrants bring. |
How to turn these words into marks
Learn each word inside its collocation, not on its own: memorising integration is close to useless, but "successful social integration" gives you a ready-made phrase you can drop into an essay without a grammar risk.
Distinguish the close pairs carefully — you immigrate to a country but emigrate from one — because a mixed word form is one of the most visible slips an examiner can see.
Use one or two precise items per paragraph where they are natural, then make them active by meeting them again in our migration reading practice and building a daily habit with the IELTSbiz Word Coach.