Gaining from Migration : Trends and Policy Lessons in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
This report contributes to the migration policy debates in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) by providing evidence of the impacts of migration; at the same time, it outlines possible policy approaches to increase benefits from migration. The study focuses primarily on Thailand and Myanmar: the main labor receiving and sending countries, respectively, in the GMS. This report not only presents the recent migration trends and drivers in the GMS but also addresses policy issues related to the economic and social impact of migration on countries both receiving and sending labor; it also addresses the issue of migrants' welfare including social services; and the role of migration policy and institutions. The findings challenge several existing paradigms of developing country migration research and may have broader transferability. Specifically, the proceeding analysis suggests: (a) demographic and income differences among the GMS countries drive migration within the region, suggesting the rising prominence of South-South migration; (b) migration in the GMS tends to be long-term, contrasting the more temporary nature of migration from most of the world's developing countries; and (c) economic factors contribute to migration within the region significantly more so than political factors.
Summary: | This report contributes to the migration
policy debates in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) by
providing evidence of the impacts of migration; at the same
time, it outlines possible policy approaches to increase
benefits from migration. The study focuses primarily on
Thailand and Myanmar: the main labor receiving and sending
countries, respectively, in the GMS. This report not only
presents the recent migration trends and drivers in the GMS
but also addresses policy issues related to the economic and
social impact of migration on countries both receiving and
sending labor; it also addresses the issue of migrants'
welfare including social services; and the role of migration
policy and institutions. The findings challenge several
existing paradigms of developing country migration research
and may have broader transferability. Specifically, the
proceeding analysis suggests: (a) demographic and income
differences among the GMS countries drive migration within
the region, suggesting the rising prominence of South-South
migration; (b) migration in the GMS tends to be long-term,
contrasting the more temporary nature of migration from most
of the world's developing countries; and (c) economic
factors contribute to migration within the region
significantly more so than political factors. |
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