Fourth GMS Economic Corridors Forum (ECF-4): 5.h Session3-Facilitating Safe Labor Migration in the GMS_IOM

7/31/2019 Fourth GMS Economic Corridors Forum (ECF-4): 5.h Session3-Facilitating Safe Labor Migration in the GMS_IOM

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Towards implementing the New GMS Strategic Framework (2012-2022):

Expanding, Widening, and Deepening Economic Corridors in the GMS

The Fourth GMS Economic Corridors Forum (ECF-4)

Federico Soda,

Head, Labour Migration and Human Development

International Organization for MigrationMandalay,

Myanmar

28 June 2012


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FOR MIGRATION

Current labor migration trends

Issues and challenges

Labour mobility and regional development

Outline


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Current trends

Labor migration in GMS is driven by:

Unequal development: economic, social

Existing regional links


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Current trends: Quick Profile

3-5 mil. in the region; more than 60% in Thailand difficultto estimate due to high irregular migration

In 2004: intra GMS migrant flow around 1.5 million; flowtowards extra-GMS around 1.8 million

Mostly low-skilled (agriculture, fisheries, construction,domestic work); tradesmen from Viet Nam

Limited data makes it difficult to analyze

High levels of irregular migration expensive, difficult


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FOR MIGRATION

Current trends: demographic factors

Demographic inequalities

More developed: older pop, lower fertility rate, lower popgrowth rates & high per capita GDP

Less developed: younger pop, higher fertility rates, highpop growth rates & lower per capita GDP

Demographics changing and economies develop


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Current trends: economic factors

Source:

http://www.unescap.org/tid/artnet/artnet_app/images/

GDP-Growth.jpg


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What can we anticipate?

Ageing populations in Thailand, Southern China and willsoon decrease in Vietnam

Vietnam is expected to show labor shortage by 2016 Guanxi Zhuang population will decline by 2030; 2040 for

Yunnan Next ten years: push and pull factors will lead to increased

migration within GMS, with an increase of around 30% In 2021 the migrant stock in GMS is expected to be higher

than 5 million Developments in Myanmar


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Social and economic impact

Irregular migration needs to be reduced; it underminessovereignty, reduces the benefits of migration, distortslabour markets

Regular channels are costly and complicated; migrantsoften prefer to pass through brokers

Recruitment practices associated to trafficking especially

women and men in the fishing sector


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INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

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Issues and challenges

Intra-regional migration to continue to grow Insufficient data to analyze it and formulate policies

benefits of labour migration for the region not beingmaximized

Need to better jointly manage labour migration Existing legal channels insufficient (costly, complicated);

recruitment to be better regulated and betterenforcement

Remittances, transfer of skills and knowledge


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FOR MIGRATION

Recognize that migration is related to market integration andliberalization goods, services, investment and migrant

workers Include the social dimensions of migration in the integration

process; recognize pros and cons and the rights of migrantworkers

Include migration into the national regional developmentagenda

Strengthen national and intra-regional collaboration onmigration data.

Conclusion - Labour mobility and

regional development


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Strengthen registration and identification cards for migrantworkers (especially under MOUs with TH) increase numberof regular, documented migrant workers.

Enhanced protection and enforcement to promote regularmigration better integration of migrants

Better governance through: pre-departure training, information,standardization of training and skills, access to social servicesand portability of benefits, remittance transfer channels,

productive return

Conclusion - Labour mobility and

regional development


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Thank you

[email protected]

Documents

Fourth GMS Economic Corridors Forum (ECF-4): 5.h Session3-Facilitating Safe Labor Migration in the GMS_IOM