Contextual Analysis of Migration in the Greater Mekong Subregion
Overview
Cross-border migration within the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and beyond has taken place for many centuries, even millennia. Yet, when the Mekong Migration Network (MMN) was conceived of in the early 2000s, the knowledge of migration from a regional perspective was scant and collaboration between civil society organisations (CSOs) in GMS countries was limited and difficult, not least because of the sociopolitical climate at the time, language barriers, and a lack of mutual understanding of the legislative and policy framework in each country. In recognition of the rapidly changing issues relating to migration in the subregion, several CSOs and migrant rights advocates from each country in the GMS gathered in 2001 and decided to jointly map out migration issues and needs, as well as responses and strategies of responsible actors. This became the precursor to MMN’s creation.
Building on the information collected from the initiative in 2001, MMN and members have since jointly and periodically conducted contextual analysis of the issues surrounding migration within and beyond the GMS. Such issues include the evolving legislation and policies relating to migration in the region, changes in political and economic situations, climate change, and development. Based on our findings, MMN makes recommendations to various stakeholders to ensure that the rights and protection of migrants are upheld in spite of shifting contexts and the emergence of new migration-related issues.
Related Initiatives
Since the first cross-border research project on migration in the Greater Mekong Subregion took place in 2001 and the subsequent creation of the Mekong Migration Network (MMN) in 2003, MMN has jointly carried out a number of activities in the areas of advocacy, capacity building, information monitoring, research, and publication. 2018 marks the 15th anniversary of MMN, and thus MMN deemed it timely to review MMN’s achievements and challenges over the past 15 years, as well as to reflect on changes in key migration issues, and identify opportunities and obstacles going forward.
Beginning in 2012, MMN’s Bottom of ASEAN project investigated the situation of workers in Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, and Lao PDR, as ‘last frontier economies’ in the region. Poor labour standards and extremely low wages cause many workers from these developing economies to migrate to neighbouring countries. Once they migrate, they frequently suffer further exploitation and discrimination which is often justified by policy-makers and the business sectors as “better than the situation in the countries of origin”.
MMN and the Asian Migrant Centre (AMC), supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, undertook a project aiming to contribute to a greater understanding of climate change in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), and the effects that climate change may or may not be having on people’s livelihoods and migration…
In July 2008, MMN organised a workshop entitled Migrants, Migration and Development, during which issues relating to border economic zones (BEZs) and migration were brought up. Subsequently, at the MMN General Conference, members decided to carry out collaborative research on the impact BEZs were having on migration and the lives of migrants.
As information regarding policies concerning the arrest, detention, and deportation (ADD) of migrants was scarce in the 2000s, MMN organised a symposium held in September 2004 to initiate dialogue with policy makers and civil society representatives. Over the course of 2005 and 2006, MMN carried out a collaborative study on ADD practices in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)…
Despite migrant workers being the backbone of economic and social development in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), they are denied many essential rights, benefits, and labour protections. In order to formulate coherent responses, collaboration across borders and sectors, including with workers, is crucial. This has been hindered at times by a lack of common understanding of the issues and relevant terminologies among state and non-state actors, due to both language barriers and differing perspectives on migration issues…
In the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), numerous development projects, including road construction, hydropower projects, and economic zones along the border, have been implemented in over the past two decades. While migration in the GMS is not an old phenomenon, these development projects have had new impacts on migration in the GMS, including the creation of new migration flows…
Following the successful completion of the project, Mapping Migration Issues, Needs and Responses in the Greater Mekong Subregion (2001-2002), MMN decided in 2004 to launch a new phase of the research to look in-depth at the quality of life of migrants while continuing to study the overall situation of migrants and updates on migration-related policies.
The project, Mapping Migration Issues, Needs and Responses in the Greater Mekong Subregion was the precursor to the creation of the Mekong Migration Network (MMN). In September 2001, Asian Migrant Centre (AMC) together with its regional and country partners launched a collaborative research project with the aim of surveying and identifying the key issues, needs, action groups, and responses on migration-related issues in the six countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)…
