2 EQ2 & 3 - Burkina Faso and Laos

What is the South to South migration case study?

Laos to Thailand

Burkina Faso to Ivory Coast

General info on Burkina Faso

* Population: ==22 million==
* GDP ==$820== per capita
* Low income country
* Bordered by the Ivory Coast
* There were ==927 million== people born in Burkina Faso living in the Ivory Coast in 2018

General info on the Ivory Coast

* GDP of ==$1716== per head
* Lower-middle income country
* World’s largest exporter of cocoa

Explain the excess movement of migrants from Burkina Faso to the Ivory Coast

* Employment opportunities and higher wages available in the Ivory Coast’s cocoa and coffee plantations
* Opportunities for migrant farmers as the land in the Ivory Coast is more fertile
* Former French colonial administration in both countries has led to a shared language, currency and culture

General info on Laos

* Landlocked LIDC
* Population: around ==7 million==
* ==73%== of people employed in agriculture
* Member of ASEAN since ==1997==
* In 2013, ==1.3 million== Laos born emigrants lived abroad, mainly in Thailand

What are the poverty statistics for Laos?

* ==22%== of families live below the poverty line
* It is an LIDC, and Thailand is an EDC
* Around ==10%== of people are paid less than ==$1.90== per day

What are the main reasons for emigration to Thailand from Laos?

* Many of those working on the land are subsistence farmers so farming holds no promise of financial gain
* There is a lack of alternative jobs in rural areas
* Insufficient land area suitable for farming
* Minimum daily wage in Thailand is ==300 baht== compared to ==80 baht== in Laos
* Migrant remittances are a key source of income for many Laos families
* There is a low level of education in Laos so most people are unskilled. There is a huge demand for unskilled migrants in Thailand due to its growing economy

What factors make migration to Thailand easier?

* Familiarity with Thai culture
* Use of ‘brokers’ to reach the Thai border
* Transport across the Mekong river has improved

What are the problems associated with migration for Laos?

* Human trafficking
* Young migrants are very vulnerable to sex exploitation and forced labour. Over ==30%== of Laos’ population is ==under 15==
* Women and girls are often targeted
* Government policies have been ineffective as many young migrants don’t have the required passport
* Loss of skilled labour such as carpenters and mechanics
* Clothing manufacture is the largest sector of secondary industries in Laos, however this relies on the workers to stay and not migrate to Thailand

What strategies are there to target the the issues caused by migration in Laos?

* The Lao Ministries of Public Security, Public Labour and Social Welfare work in cooperation with UN agencies such as UNICEF, UN Women, as well as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
* The National Plan of Action for Human Trafficking (NPAHT) led by Laos Government focuses on:
* Prevention - awareness campaigns, child protection, alleviation of poverty reducing the need to migrate
* Protection - repatriation and reintegration of returning migrants, including shelters for women
* Prosecution - investigation of trafficking networks, training border officials

How are Laos and Thailand interdependent?

* The Laos-Thailand migration corridor is dominated by the outward flow of unskilled Laotians to work in Thailand
* Their contribution it the Thai economy is in construction, agriculture, fisheries and factory work
* The remittances assist development in Laos
* The Laos-Thailand Cooperation Committee has been established to strengthen communication and trade
* Thailand has funded a large health service development centre in Laos
* Laos and Thailand work together to manage the Mekong River
* Deal with flooding and hydro-power projects
* There is a plan to build a railway from Laos to Vietnam