The number of young people migrating within Laos is on the rise due to poor social and economic circumstances, and the trend is placing an increased number of children in vulnerable situations.
The findings are part of a series of new studies released at a forum held in Vientiane yesterday.
Young women from rural areas work at a garment factory in Vientiane.
“In Laos, internal migration is emerging as a critical issue affecting children and young people,” reported the study entitled ‘Causes and Impacts of Internal Migration on Children in Laos', which was undertaken by the National Economic Research Institute (NERI) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
According to the report, children in the most remote, impoverished and ethnically diverse areas are often most likely to migrate, exposing them to a variety of risks.
Analysis of data from the Population and Housing Censuses of 1985, 1995 and 2005 shows significant increases in the number of young internal migrants. There was a 49 percent increase in the number of inter-provincial ‘never married 15-24 female migrants' from 1995 to 2005, and a 17 percent increase in the number of male migrants in the same category.
Recent routine data collected by schemes such as the Education Management Information System suggests there have been significant recent waves of internal child migration.
NERI Director General Dr Liber Libuapao said structural economic changes have led to changes in the labour market as industrial enterprises are driving a large proportion of national economic growth.
“The small share of the agricultural sector in national domestic product confirms the inefficiency and poor incomes of the sector where a large portion of labour is occupied, in comparison to industry. This is a main cause of labour migration,” he said.
Urbanisation, industrialisation and modernisation are also factors driving the influx to towns, where better living conditions and more opportunities are available.
“Migration is an attractive option for children and families in rural areas where public services, especially education and healthcare, and employment opportunities are limited,” the study reported.
This study, along with two others, suggests multiple factors driving the migration trend including young people's desire to escape poverty and isolation, resettlement policies, and faster and cheap transport systems.
Migration is reportedly highest in the north and most common among young people and the Tai Deng and Khmu ethnic groups. Its impacts are often highest among those groups as well, for example, Khmu girls frequently migrate as a result of feeling responsible for their parents.
“The studies underscore the fact that young people, who account for more than half of the Lao population, must be carefully considered when looking at the issue of migration,” UNICEF Lao office Deputy Representative Ms Julia Rees said, speaking on behalf of various UN agencies.
Policies on migration not only have critical impacts on youth but also on the development goals of the country, she added.
The three studies were sponsored by UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund, and the International Organisation for Migration.
The ‘Migration and its Implications on Children and Young People' forum was organised by NERI in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. It was convened to consider possible steps towards addressing the social impact of migration on younger generations.
