2.a. South-South corridors

Question 1

South-South Migration Case Study: Burkina Faso (Push Factors) to Ivory Coast (Pull Factors)

Answer 1

Why people leave source country (PUSH):
- Burkina Faso is a low income developing country (LIDC). Its GDP per capita is $830.93 USD [2020]
- Burkina Faso, after independence in 1960, struggles to improve its agriculture-based economy, with a low Human Development Index (HDI) of 452 [2020]
- Since April 2021 Burkina Faso has experienced a surge in violence causing 13,000 people to flee their homes weekly and resulting in nearly 500 civilian deaths

Why migrants are attracted to destination country (PULL):
- Employment opportunities and higher wages: Burkinabe migrants seek higher wages in Ivory Coast’s cocoa and coffee plantations, despite small income difference, resulting in 1.46 million living in the region
- Land fertility: There are better opportunities for migrant farmers in the more fertile lands of the Ivory Coast
- Shared culture: Former French colonial administration in Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso has led to a shared language, currency (West African CFA franc). These factors have meant that it is much easier for people of Burkinabe to travel to the more prosperous Ivory Coast. In short there are fewer intervening obstacles

Question 1

What are the reasons for the increase in the magnitude of south-south migration?

Answer 1

• Restrictive Migration Policies in the Global North - Migration policies in many developed countries are becoming increasingly restrictive, making it more difficult for people from EDCs and LIDCs to migrate to the Global North. This is leading more people to consider migrating to other countries of lower levels of development instead. (E.g. The EU’s external borders, The USA’s stricter migration policies, the USA-Mexico border wall)
• Fast Growing Economies - Many EDCs and LIDCs have experienced rapid economic growth in recent decades, creating new and accessible job opportunities and attracting migrants from other LIDCs. (E.g. South Asian countries to GCC countries + 4 of the 5 fastest growing countries in the world are EDCs and LIDCs in the ‘poor’ South: Guyana (LIDC), Niger (LIDC), Fiji (EDC), Libya (LIDC)
• Improved Transportation and Communications: Advances in transportation and communication technology have made it easier and cheaper for people to migrate between developing countries. (E.g. The growth of low-cost airlines has made it possible for people to fly between major cities in the South for a fraction of the cost of flying to the Global North)
• Costs - The costs of moving to more distant and richer countries (ACs in particular) have become preventative. (E.g. The USA is a popular destination for immigrants, yet citizenship can be a lengthy and costly process, involving payments ranging from $4,000 to $11,300 in 2022)
• Proximity - Around 80% of South-South migration occurs between contiguous borders. A large share of migration between countries with non-contiguous borders goes to countries that are relatively close. This is due to lower costs, lack of travel documents and the connection between ethnic, family and religious ties across borders. (E.g. Burkina Faso → Ivory Coast, Myanmar → Thailand)
• Networks - Ethnic, community and family ties reduce the costs and uncertainties involved in migration. (E.g. In Africa, migrant networks play a critical role in magnifying outflows once migration is underway. In some areas, migrant diasporas are longstanding: the arrival of significant number of Swazis, Tswanas and Basothos in South Africa stems from movements of tribal groups in the 19th century)
• Uneven Development / Income Differences - Income differences between countries have some influence on South-South migration. The clearest example is seen in EDCs that have substantial numbers of immigrants from nearby LIDCs. Given the extreme poverty in many low-income countries, substantial migration flows also occur among low-income countries of different income levels. E.g. Argentina and Chile attract migrants from Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru. Malaysia draws migrants from Indonesia. South Africa attracts people from Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe
• Transit - Some EDCs and LIDCs receive migrants in transit to ACs.
  Also EDCs often serve as a gateway for professionals from LIDCs. (E.g. Mexico has become an important destination for migrants from Central America, both as a place to settle and as a temporary stop on the way to United States. Ghanaian nurses working in South Africa before migrating to Canada, the UK or the US)
• Conflict and Disaster - Migrants escaping war often seek asylum in neighbouring LIDCs with the number of refugees in these regions three-and-a-half times higher than in ACs as of 2005. Climate change is also driving South-South migration. (E.g. Conflict: Myanmar to Thailand and Bangladesh. Disasters: Many people in Africa are migrating to other parts of the continent to escape drought, famine and conflict)
• Regional and Bilateral Agreements and Increased Regional Integration - Regional integration initiatives, such as the African Union, Mercosur, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), have made it easier for people to move between member countries. (E.g. The African Union has adopted a number of measures to promote free movement of people within the continent)

Question 2

South-South Migration Case Study: Myanmar (Push Factors) to Thailand (Pull Factors)

Answer 2

Why people leave source country (PUSH):
- Myanmar is a low-income developing country: Myanmar has a GDP per capita of $1,400 USD [2020 World Bank figure]
- Myanmar’s low HDI: Myanmar has a low HDI of 0.583 meaning it is ranked 147/189 countries. Life expectancy is 67 and the average years of schooling is 5 years
- Myanmar has a poor record on human rights: Human rights in Myanmar under its military regime have long been regarded as among the worst in the world. The Muslim Rohingya have consistently faced human rights abuses by Burmese regime which has refused to acknowledge them as citizens (despite generations of habitation in the country) and attempted to forcibly expel Rohingya and bring in non-Rohingyas to replace them

Why migrants are attracted to destination country (PULL):
- ASEAN Economic community [AEC]: Membership of this economic community allows for freer flows of labour
- Proximity: Thailand + Myanmar share a border and therefore there are few intervening obstacles
- Economic reasons: Thailand is South East Asia’s fastest growing economy. The corridor between Myanmar and Thailand is the largest in ASEAN. Many people in Myanmar live below the poverty line and are attracted to Thailand because of the relatively higher standard of living and better economic opportunities. Thailand has labour shortages in areas such as agriculture, fishing and construction. The minimum wage in Thailand (300 baht) is ten times higher than in Myanmar (30 baht)