3.a. Global migration creates opportunities and challenges which reflect the unequal power relations between countries.

Question 1

Does USA have a weak influence on global migration?

Answer 1

USA has a strong influence on global migration.

Question 2

How many immigrants are within the USA? How many nationalities? How many within each nationality?

Answer 2

Of the 41.3 million immigrants there are 78 nationalities with more than 50,000 people in each.

Question 3

What is the 5-way split of migrants within the USA?

Answer 3

Mexico: (28% of all foreign-born residents).

India: (5% of all foreign-born residents).

China: (5% of all foreign-born residents).

Philippines: (4% of all foreign-born residents).

Puerto Rico: (3.5% of all foreign-born residents).

Question 4

In 2013, there were 41.3 million immigrants in the USA, what was this as a percentage of the total population?

Answer 4

13% of the total population.

Question 5

What are 3 reasons why the USA is attractive to migrants?

Answer 5

Positive immigration policy and possibility of a green card.

Employment opportunities for both low and high skilled workers.

Wage differentials and the opportunity to send remittances.

Educational opportunities and access to other services such as health.

The importance of family reunification within the migration policy.

The policy on refugee admission.

Question 6

Why do USA migrants move to Mexico?

Answer 6

Mexico: Returning to families

Question 7

USA experiences net migration gain. However, in 2013 how many US citizens were living abroad?

Answer 7

USA experiences net migration gain. However, in 2013 2.98 million US citizens were living abroad.

Question 8

Why do USA migrants move to UK?

Answer 8

UK: Historical ties and highly skilled workers in education, IT and communications.

Question 9

Why do USA migrants move to Canada ?

Answer 9

Canada: Highly skilled workers in education, IT and communications.

Question 10

Why do USA migrants move to Australia?

Answer 10

Australia: Highly skilled workers in education, IT and communications.

Question 11

What is the Immigration and Naturalisation Act? What does it allow?

Answer 11

Immigration and Naturalisation Act is the body of law which governs current immigration policies.

This allows an annual worldwide limit of 765,000 permanent immigrants. There are also a separate number of refugee admissions.

Question 12

What are the US Immigration policies are based on?

Answer 12

Reunification of families

Admission of migrants with skills valuable to the US economy

Protecting refugees

Promoting diversity

Humanitarian relief

Question 13

Outline admission of migrants with skills valuable to the US economy (reference to US immigration policies).

Answer 13

There are 140,000 visas available (with limits for each country) for highly skilled workers, normally sponsored by an employer for a job offer.

Question 13

Outline reunification of families (reference to US immigration policies).

Answer 13

480,000 visas are available per year for family members to join US citizens/ legal residents.

Question 14

Outline protecting refugees (reference to US immigration policies).

Answer 14

The number of admissions is decided each year, in 2013 the ceiling was 70,000 apportion by Major World Region.

Question 15

Outline promoting diversity (reference to US immigration policies).

Answer 15

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Programme makes available 50,000 immigrants visas annually, drawn by random selection of individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the USA. In 2014, these went mostly to African countries.

Question 16

Outline humanitarian relief (reference to US immigration policies).

Answer 16

Temporary visas are available each year for relief from natural disasters or ongoing armed conflict.

Question 17

In 2013, how many Mexicans lived in the USA? How many USA migrants lived in Mexico?

Answer 17

In 2013, over 11.5 million Mexicans lived in the USA, and 1 million in Mexico. Each has the largest diaspora in each other, growing social and cultural connectivity

Question 18

How do low-skilled Mexicans contribute to the US economy?

Answer 18

Low-skilled Mexicans (many illegal) contribute to the US economy through construction and agriculture.

Question 19

What types of industries did Mexico benefit from since the formation of NAFTA?

Answer 19

Mexican industries benefited e.g. aerospace and IT have grown mainly by FDI (foreign direct investment) from USA.

Question 20

What issues do USA and Mexico have to mutually assist with the reduction of? What else is there joint management of?

Answer 20

Border security, the drug trade, human trafficking and environmental issues such as water scarcity.

There is also joint management of the Colorado River and the Sonoran Desert.

Question 21

In 2013, what was the total sum of remittances within Mexico? What was this as a percentage of Mexico’s GDP?

Answer 21

These amounted to US$22 billion in 2013, 2% of Mexico’s GDP.

Question 22

In 2013, more immigrants entered the USA from where, than Mexico? What did this do for the USA?

Answer 22

In 2013, more immigrants entered the USA from China and India than Mexico - providing new opportunities and challenges for the USA.

Question 23

What are 2 opportunities within the migration between USA and Mexico?

Answer 23

Immigrant populations take many of the low-paid jobs which native-born Americans find unattractive. In 2013, the main employment of Mexican immigrants was in services (31%), construction and manufacturing (25%) and production and transport (22%) providing significant contributions to GDP and US economic growth.

US immigration policy also aims to attract highly skilled and well-qualified professionals. This includes ‘persons of extraordinary ability’ in the arts, science and business e.g. professors and researches. In 2013, the main employment of immigrants from both China (51%) and India (73%) was in business and science.

Most immigrants to the USA are in the young working age groups. This is of economic and social benefit in a country where crude birth rate had declined and population is ageing.

Immigrants are consumers themselves which helps job creation and business start-ups, and generates wealth.

Question 24

What are 2 challenges within the migration between USA and Mexico?

Answer 24

An estimated 11.5 million unauthorised immigrants (6 million Mexican) live in the USA. Many migrants from other Latin American countries are attempting to cross via the land using Mexico as a transit country. The US Department of Homeland Security has tightened its Southern maritime, Southern land and West coast borders with more Border Control Agents.

There has been uneven progress in the integration of immigrant groups into US society. This depends on the size and diversity of the various immigrant groups and factors such as language, socio-economic attainment, political participation, residential location and social interactions. The size of the unauthorised population is also a barrier to social cohesion and full economic and political integration.

Where immigrant population are particularly concentrated and numerous, supply of resources and services has become an issue, for example adding to demand for water supply in Southern California.

Question 25

State 3 general facts about Laos.

Answer 25

Laos is also known as ‘The Laos PDR’, (The Lao People’s Democratic Republic).

A landlocked LIDC of 6.8 million people, located in the South East Asia.

It is a poor country with 73% employed in agriculture.

It is a Communist state, but also a member of ASEAN since 1997.

Net migration loss is high, (1.1 per 1000 in 2014).

Remittances bring much needed income, but human trafficking is a major problem for the government.

Question 26

In 2013, how many Laos-born emigrants lived abroad, mainly in Thailand?

Answer 26

In 2013, 1.29 million Laos-born emigrants lived abroad, mainly in Thailand.

Question 27

In 2013, how many foreign-born immigrants live in Laos, mainly Vietnamese?

Answer 27

In 2013, 200,000 foreign-born immigrants live in Laos, mainly Vietnamese.

Question 28

Name 3 reasons for emigration to Thailand

Answer 28

Many of those working on the land are subsistence farmers so farming holds o promise of financial gain.

A lack of alternative occupations in rural areas.

Insufficient land available for farming and periodic droughts which lead to food insecurity.

Strong motivation to follow others who have returned from financially successful migrations.

Daily minimum wage in Laos is 80 baht, in Thailand it is 300 baht.

Families in Laos rely on migrant remittances as a main source of income.

Low levels of education in Laos mean that many are suited only to unskilled jobs; there is insatiable demand for unskilled labour in Thailand’s rapidly growing economy.

Question 29

Give 2 ways in which migrations from Laos to Thailand been made easier?

Answer 29

Familiarity with Thai culture and language.

Improved access across the Mekong.

Use of ‘brokers’ to reach the Thai border and access employment in Thailand.

Question 30

Migration to Laos from neighbouring countries, especially Vietnam, is largely the result of what?

Answer 30

Employment opportunities in the government-driven, World Bank-funded programmes linking the countries in the region by highways, bridges and tunnels.

Question 31

Where do many Vietnamese immigrants work after migrating to Thailand?

Answer 31

Many Vietnamese immigrants work in construction and mining.

Question 32

Laos is a source country for what?

Answer 32

Laos is a source country for human trafficking.

Question 33

In 2013, what percentage of the population of Laos were under 15? What did this increase?

Answer 33

In 2013, 36% of the population were under 15, therefore are an increasing number of entrants into the workforce in a country where opportunities are limited.

Question 34

Give a major concern that for Governmental International Organisations within Thailand.

Answer 34

Vulnerability of young migrants to forced labour and sex exploitation in Thailand is of a major concern to the Governmental International Organisations.

Question 35

How have government policies been ineffective?

Answer 35

Government policies have been ineffective, many young migrants do not obtain the required passport and risk fines on return.

Question 36

What are the 3 strands within Laos’ National Plan of Action for Human Trafficking?

Answer 36

Prevention

Protection

Persecution

Question 37

Outline prevention in reference to Laos’ National Plan of Action for Human Trafficking.

Answer 37

Prevention: awareness campaigns, education, child protection, alleviation of poverty reducing the need to migrate.

Question 38

Outline protection in reference to Laos’ National Plan of Action for Human Trafficking.

Answer 38

Protection: reparation and reintegration of returning migrants, including shelters for women who may need counselling.

Question 39

Outline persecution in reference to Laos’ National Plan of Action for Human Trafficking.

Answer 39

Persecution: investigation of trafficking networks, training border officials, strengthening legal framework.

Question 40

What organisation is Laos part of, that means it is subject to its laws on migration?

Answer 40

As a member of ASEAN, Laos is also subject to its laws on migration.

Question 41

What year did the ASEAN economic community allow freer movement of skilled labour?

Answer 41

ASEAN Economic Community aims to allow freer movement of skilled labour from 2015.

Question 42

What does a mutual recognition agreement allow?

Answer 42

Professionals employed in nursing, medicine, dentistry, architecture and tourism, (after 5 years of working in their country of origin), to have a greater freedom of movement between ASEAN countries.

Question 43

Are ASEAN countries becoming increasingly interdependent? What illustrated this?

Answer 43

Yes, ASEAN countries are becoming increasingly interdependent, illustrated by the Laos-Thailand relationship.

Question 44

What is the Laos-Thailand migration corridor dominated by? What is this work usually in?

Answer 44

Dominated numerically by the outward flow of unskilled Laotians to work in Thailand. This work is usually in construction, agriculture, fisheries and factory work.

Question 45

What structure strengthened trade and communication between Laos and Thailand?

Answer 45

Completion of the latest friendship Bridge has helped to strengthen communication and trade.

Question 46

What river commission and hydro-power project did Laos and Thailand work together on, in order to manage flooding and other economic activities?

Answer 46

Laos and Thailand work together as members of the Mekong River Commission to manage flooding and economic activities in the basin and the Don Sahong hydro-power project.

Question 47

What did Laos sign in 2012? Outline brief details.

Answer 47

Laos signed agreements to build rail links between Thailand and Vietnam in 2012.

Has special relations, including a high-speed rail link to China. All of which will open up Laos to development.

Question 48

What does COMMIT stand for? Is Laos part of it? Is Thailand part of it?

Answer 48

Laos and Thailand are members of the ‘Co-ordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking’, (COMMIT).

Question 49

Give 2 ways in which Thailand is beneficial to Laos as a country?

Answer 49

Thailand is principle access to the sea for Laos.

Thailand has also funded a large health service development and drugs treatment centre in Laos.

Question 50

What are 2 opportunities within the migration between Laos and Thailand?

Answer 50

Migration corridor between Laos and Thailand is one of the largest within ASEAN. It has helped to stimulate political and economic co-operation in terms of trade, investment, development projects and security.

Bilateral relations with Vietnam also extend beyond reciprocal labour migration. There is economic co-operation, with Vietnam involved in over 400 investment projects in Laos.

Migrant remittances are very important to the life of returnees and their families. In Laos 22% of families live below the poverty line and the economic impact of this money on local and national development ranges from simple domestic appliances to agricultural machinery.

Political stability is improving between Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

Question 51

What are 2 challenges within the migration between Laos and Thailand?

Answer 51

Most economic migrants from Laos are low skilled, of limited education and under 18 at their first migration. Many trade illegally and are vulnerable to human trafficking, forced labour and exploitation. Laos government policy is difficult to implement and success depends on organisations such as IOM, ILO and Civil Society.

Loss of skilled labour such as carpenters and mechanics to Thailand. This is set to increase if wage differentials remain high and there is freer movement in the ASEAN Economic Community.

Laos garment industry is the largest sector of manufacturing employment, but its growth depends on improved working conditions in the factories of the Laos capital, Vientiane, and retention of the many young female workers who may leave seeking higher wages in Thailand.