How many immigrants were there in the USA as of 2013?
41.3 million immigrants in USA (13% of world total)
Why is the USA attractive to immigrants (pull factors)?
- positive immigration policy + possibility of getting green card, especially w family reunification
- low-skilled + highly-skilled employment opportunities
- comparatively high wages + remittances easy to send home
- good educational opportunities
- Good health services (although no free healthcare)
How many US citizens were living abroad as of 2013?
2.98 million US citizens living abroad
What are the main destinations US citizens emigrate to?
Mexico, Canada, UK, Puerto Rico, Australia and Israel
What explains the high numbers US citizens emigrating away?
This is mainly explained by the returning of migrants t their home countries, either as 1st generation permanent immigrants or 2nd generation US-born returnees.
Additionally, some highly skilled workers move abroad to work in IT and communications in countries with political/economic/historical ties like the UK and Canada
What migration policies exist in the USA?
Immigration and Naturalisation Act - body of la w that sets limit for number of permanent legal immigrants allowed to move to USA each year.
Current maximum of 675,000 permanent visas (green cards) available each year
The number of refugee admissions is decided on a year-to-year basis
Which country does the US have interdependence with and what is it referred to as?
Mexico - the world’s largest bilateral migrant corridor
How many Mexicans were living in the USA in 2013 and vice versa?
Over 11.5 million Mexicans lived in the US, and 1 million Americans lived in Mexico
How do low-skilled Mexican immigrants contribute to the US economy?
Many illegal, working in agriculture, construction + low-paid services. Often jobs where there is lack of domestic supply of labour.
What opportunity do the US’ higher wages provide for Mexican immigrants?
Wages in USA are much higher than in Mexico, opportunity of remittances- via formal channels amounted to $22 billion in 2013 - 2% of Mexico’s GDP
What has caused bilateral trade to grow between the USA and Mexico?
The formation of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Mexican industry has particularly benefitted as FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) from w/in the US has prompted development of aerospace + IT sectors.
How has the US benefitted from migrants?
- Immigrant pop. take low paid jobs, native-Americans don’t want - Eg Mexican employment in US: 31% services, 25% manufacturing, 22% production + transport
- US immigration policy aims to attract highly skilled + well-qualified professionals - (2013) main employment of immigrants from China + India was in business + science
- Most immigrants are in young working age groups - can be of benefit to US as birth rate declined + has ageing population
- Immigrants are consumers themselves - helps creation of more jobs + generates income + wealth for others
What challenges does the US face due to migration?
- Around 11.5 million unauthorised immigrants live in US - meaning enormous border control systems needed - around 6 million from Mexico
- Where immigrant pop become concentrated, supply of resources + services can become an issue - problems w/ water supply exist in already drought prone southern California
- Uneven progress w integration of immigrant groups - political integration is also prevented when immigrants are illegal
In 2013, how many Laos-born emigrants lived abroad and where?
- In 2013, 1.29 million Laos-born emigrants lived abroad - 930,000 in Thailand, 200,000 in USA
In 2013, how many foreign-born immigrants lived in Laos?
- 10,000 from Vietnam + other 10,000 from Asian nations such as China, Thailand + Cambodia
What are the push factors for Lao people to emigrate to Thailand?
- Many of those working on land in Laos = subsistence farmers, farming holds no promise of financial gain, etc, which Thailand might
- Lack of alternative occupations available in rural Laos
- Insufficient land available for farming + periodic drought = food insecurity
What are the pull factors for Lao people to emigrate to Thailand?
- Strong motivation to follow others who returned from financially successful migrations
- Daily minimum wage Thailand = 300 baht, compared w 80 baht Laos
- For many Lao people, migrant remittances = only source of income
- Low levels of education in Laos = many suited to low skilled jobs, insatiable demand for unskilled labour in Thailand’s rapidly growing economy
- Transition from living in Laos to Thailand made easy by familiarity w/ culture + language, improved access to travel between two countries over Mekong river + the ‘brokers’ available to help find employment at destination
What is a consequence of Laos-Thailand migration and why?
Laos is a source country for human trafficking. (2014) 36% of the population were under 15 = increasing number of entrants into work force in country where opportunities = limited. Vulnerability of young migrants to forced labour + sex exploitation in Thailand is of concern to gov. + international organisations.
Recent development = ‘trafficking’ of under-age footballers from Liberia to Laos to play for Champasak United
How is the Lao PDR government tackling human trafficking?
The Lao PDR government has 3 main strands of work against human trafficking:
- Prevention, protection and prosecution
This has all occurred due to gov. working in cooperation with NGOs eg. Save the Children + World Vision
What law is Laos subject to as a member of ASEAN?
Newly formed ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) aims to allow freer movement of skilled labour (from 2015). Mutual Recognition Agreements allows professionals employed in nursing, medicine, dentistry, architecture + tourism, after 5 years of working in their country of origin to have greater freedom of movement between ASEAN countries.
How are Laos and Thailand interdependent?
- Migration corridor = outward flow of unskilled Laotians to work in Thailand. Contribution to Thai economy = construction, agriculture, fisheries + factory work. Money earned by Laotians often returns to Laos (remittances)
- Laos-Thailand Cooperation Committee established = completion of 4 Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges helped strengthen communication + trade - Thailand is principal access to to sea for Laos
- Laos signed agreements to build rail links between Thailand and Vietnam in 2012, w which also has special relations, including high-speed rail link to China - which opens up Laos to development
What are the opportunities created for Laos from migration?
- Relations w Thailand extending - Migration corridor between Laos and Thailand = helped to stimulate political + economic cooperation in trade, investment, security + development projects
- Relations w Vietnam extending - Economic cooperation w Vietnam involved in over 400 investment projects in Laos
- Migrant remittances - 22% of families in Laos live below poverty line. Remittances help families survive.
- Political stability - improving due to ASEAN + its migrant flows
What are the challenges created for Laos from migration?
- Most economic migrants from Laos = low skilled, under 18 + illegal - vulnerable to trafficking + forced labour. Laos gov. policy difficult to implement + depends on outside organisations to enforce
- Loss of skilled labour - Skilled labourers, eg carpenters, mechanics, emigrate to Thailand. If movement becomes even freer between ASEAN countries, skilled emigration will increase further
- Manufacturing workers are lost to higher wages abroad - Laos garment industry = largest sector of manufacturing employment. Growth depends on improved working conditions + retention of young female workers who may leave seeking higher wages in Thailand
