3.A - LAOS - LIDC Flashcards
key patterns
emigration to Thailand :
- - people leave to go to Thailand and USA and wealthier and more opp.- mostly women
- lack of alternative occupations in rural areas
- insufficient land avaiable for farming and periodic droughts - lead to food insecurity
- strong motivation to follow others who have returned from finalcial successful migration
- dailt minimum wage is 300 baht comapred to 80 in Laos
- remmitances - main source of income for many families
- low levels of education in laos
opp created
- migration corridor- largest with ASEAN - stimulate political and economics co-operation in terms of investment
- bi lateral relations with Vietnam - 400 investments
- migrant remittences - very important - 22% people live below poverty line and economic impact on money in local/ national scale
- political stability increases between Laos,nthailand and Vietnam
improved skills and working experience in Thailand.
those at home held in debt traps so its almost safer to leave and return. no jobs in countryside
challenges created
- most economic migrants are low skilled ad under 18 - travel illegally so vunerable to human trafficking, forced labour and exploitation
- loss of skilled workers - brain drain - e.g carpenter and mechanics to Thailand. increases if wage differentials remain high and freer movement in ASEAN economic community.
- Laos garment industry - largest sector of employment - growth depends on working conditions and Laos capital - poor labour and exploitations are very bad
- on arrival, many young Laotians handed off from 1 employer to another.
- sold to entertainment venues/restaurants/factories
- then these women and girls are sexually exploited
- employers underpay Lao workers and threaten to arrest them if they complain
- young girls are trafficked into Thailand for sex trade/agriculture/domestic work. -
- during 2001-2011, there were more than 1500 cases
- health impacts (physical and mental issues) and disease spreads. migrants lack access to healthcare facilities.
- workplace safety is low
many travel illegally and are vulnerable to forced labour, human trafficking and exploitation
migration policies
- source of human trafficking - 36% of pop were under 15 - entrants at working age with few prospects - easy targets
- problem = government policies ineffective - many young migrants don’t have a passport and risk fines on return.
- Laos PDR Ministry of Security and labour and social welfare work in co operation with NGOS (CARE international) and save the children to stop trafficking.
National Plan action - Prevention - awareness education and poverty reduction to reduce likelihood of migrating
- protection - repatriation, reintegration of migrants with shelters for women
- prosecution - strong boarders controls and laws to punish traffickers
interdependence linked by migration
- Laos - Thailand - dominated by the outward flow of unskilled Laotians to Thailand. contribution - agriculture, constructions, factory work
- L and T work together as members of Mekong river commission to manage flooding and economic activities in the basin
- the L-T cooperation committee jas been setab. - latets frindhsip bridge - helped strengthen communication an dtrade - T is pricipal access to sea for L
- Laos agreed to build a rail link between Thailand and Vietnam - open up development to Laos
- both memebrs of the COMMIT - combat against trafficking
Savannakhet to Thailand example
57% of population of Savannakhet in Laos is farming. Largest producer of rice in Laos. Only crop, not all year round.
move to Thailand to gain income to support family members education and building houses.
migration decreases poverty in local town
