USA and Laos - migration Flashcards
USA migration case study - challenges and opportunities - interdependence linked to immigration (57 cards)
1
Q
USA migration case study - study areas
A
- immigration and emigration patterns
- conflict and co-operation
2
Q
USA migration changes over time
A
- changes in types of migrants to America since 19th century
- 19th century main sources Germany and Ireland
- now dominance shift to Mexicans
- growing group Asian migrants
3
Q
USA influential country in driving global migration pattern
A
- USA drives global migration pattern
- attractive location
- drags people from other countries
- can influence these other countries
- drags people from other countries
- attractive location
- Migration driver rather than responder country
4
Q
USA current main migrant sources
A
- current migrants mainly come from Mexico, China, India
- Mexico dominant source (25%)
- very few intervening obstacles - geographically close
- China 6%
- India 6%
- very few intervening obstacles - geographically close
- Mexico dominant source (25%)
5
Q
USA as host country
A
- very important host country
- ## currently 44.7 million migrants live in USA
6
Q
USA as attractive destination
A
- rapid immigration growth in 21st century
- since 1960s changes in immigration policies
- more people coming in
- started to slow since 2020
- 2024 13% population of USA made of immigrants
- since 1960s changes in immigration policies
7
Q
USA as net migration gain country
A
- More people enter USA than leave it
- 4.77 million migration net surplus from 2015 to 2020
8
Q
USA emigration main sources
A
- Most people leaving go to Mexico, Canada, UK, Australia
- Mexico as neighbour - over 1 million US citizens living in Mexico
- many American citizens have Mexican descent
- Canada, UK, Australia - similar language / culture / opportunities
- Mexico as neighbour - over 1 million US citizens living in Mexico
9
Q
USA emigration - high skilled workers
A
- high-skilled workers often leave US to work in IT and education sector
- ## EU, Canada, UK
10
Q
USA migration policies
A
- Immigration and Nationality Act
- Sets out USA migration policies
- influence migration patterns (doesn’t account for illegal migrants)
- Sets out USA migration policies
11
Q
USA migration limits
A
- set out limit of 675 000 people
- split into different categories
- largest = visa for reunification of families = 480 000
- highly skilled migrants = 140 000
- refugees and promote diversity
- (countries not normally migrating to US) e.g. Africa =
- humanitarian relief - temporary, vary each year
- people return at a later date
- refugees and promote diversity
- split into different categories
12
Q
USA migration policy changes
A
- 2017 Trump 1st presidency - ‘Muslim ban’
- stop entry of people from certain countries
- suspend resettlement of refugees from Syria
- Immigration policies depend on president / government
13
Q
USA and Mexico mutually beneficial migration - US economy benfits
A
- Benefits to US economy
- Mexicans fill labour gaps in key areas
- agriculture and construction
- improve efficiency of US economy / grow GDP over time
- Mexicans fill labour gaps in key areas
- Benefits to Mexicans
- Paid higher wages in USA
- Send home remittances
- families use in local economy, grow Mexican economy
14
Q
USA and Mexico mutually beneficial migration - Mexican migrant benfits
A
- Benefits to Mexicans
- Paid higher wages in USA (e.g. 6x higher)
- Send home remittances
- families use in local economy
- grow Mexican economy (purchase goods and services)
- 2015 - 25.2 billion sent back to Mexico (2.2% of Mexico GDP)
- 2022 - 61.1 billion (4.2% GDP)
15
Q
USA and Mexico - trade
A
- Stable migration corridor
- NAFTA trade bloc
- agreement goods shipped without huge taxes
- made bi-lateral trade much easier
- NAFTA trade bloc
16
Q
USA and Mexico - trade examples
A
- Secondary manufacturing done in Mexico, especially cars
- benefit to Mexico GDP of sales
- USA imports cars and car parts
- USA benefits from cheaper products than USA produced
17
Q
USA investment in trade
A
- US financiers started to invest heavily in Mexico Aerospace Industry
- Include American TNCs set up in Mexico
- manucture planes etc.
- investment allowed sector to grow
- manucture planes etc.
- USA benefit from export of cheaper Mexican-made planes
18
Q
USA - amount of foreign direct investment
A
- USA invested over 130 billion in Mexico
- across lots of different sectors
- include aerospace
19
Q
USA / Mexico political interdependence
A
- Start to co-ordinate on common issues
- e.g. drug trafficking / money laundering
- shared problem, cross-border
- Mexican sellers often sell to consumers in America
- USA fund Mexican police, resources e.g. helicopters
- sort problem in Mexico before a problem in borders and in USA
20
Q
USA / Mexico environmental interdependence
A
- Rivers flow across borders USA into Mexico
- co-operation over use of water
- cholera water treaty updated to agree on water sharing during times of shortage
- River Colorado - agree to extract water sustainably
- treaty have lots of examples working together to achieve shared goals
21
Q
USA - immigration challenges - financial cost
A
- 10.9 million illegal immigrants in US
- nearly half are Mexicans
- big issue for homeland security - rising costs:
- 1990s dept homeland security - 263 million
- 2019 over 4.8 billion
22
Q
USA - immigration challenges - conflict points on border
A
- more conflict points on border
- increased costs to host nation trying to control an increasingly difficult issue
23
Q
USA - immigration challenges - urban areas impacted
A
- Migrants arriving in USA often concentrate in urban areas
- areas with over 6 million immigrants
- e.g. Southern California, LA, New York, Miami
- e.g. Texas, Houston - geographically close to the border
24
Q
USA - immigration challenges - urban area diasporas
A
- Migrants look for diaspora networks
- migrants already living there, potentially with shared language / culture
- welcoming, easier to feel fitting in
- Can create segregation / ghettos
- concentrations of migrants struggling to integrate into wider US society
- lead to conflict and potential discrimination
- concentrations of migrants struggling to integrate into wider US society
25
USA - immigration challenges - urban area ghettos
- Can create segregation / ghettos
- concentrations of migrants struggling to integrate into wider US society
- lead to conflict and potential discrimination
- increased pressure on services and resources (real or percieved)
- e.g. school places, water supplies
- Southern California anti-imigration groups blamed local water shortages on immigrants
26
USA - immigration challenges - anti-immigration groups
- Anti-immigration groups increase with increase in legal and ilegal immigrants
- increase in xenophobia (fear of foreigners)
- lead to conflict e.g. protests
27
USA - immigration opportunities - urban areas
- Key labour gaps low-skilled jobs filled
- often jobs native Americans don't want
- some industries propped up by migrants (legal or illegal)
- nearly 25% agricultural workers = migrants
- manufacturing and hospitality supported by migrant population
28
USA - immigration opportunities - investment
- migrants can lead to new growth and businesses
- entreprenuership creation of new jobs
- immigrants 40% more likely than native Americans to start a business
- 21% of business owners are immigrants
29
USA - immigration opportunities - age
- migrants often young - working age
- pay tax, used by government to fund services
- illegal migrants estimated to pay up to 12 billion in taxes
- part of this is through sales
- also with hope that if discovered, seen to have good moral character, allowed to stay
- help with USA declining birth rate / aging population
30
USA - immigration opportunities - economics
- increasing demand for high-skilled migrants
- science, engineering, education, business
- attract migrants, tertiary and quaternary sectors able to grow
- lots of jobs go to people from India and China
- forge important connection those countries
- potential for trade and new opportunities
31
Interdependence
- Mutually beneficial
32
Laos - patterns migration and policies
- country with limited influence on how responds to changes in migration system
- responder not migration driver (USA country)
- limited influence over global migration patterns - responds to them
33
Laos - background
- Laos is landlocked LIDC in south east asia
- Very poor - GDP per capita 2500 USD
- Dominated by primary sector - 73% work in agriculture
34
Laos - net migration loss
- Laos has net migration loss
- response to change outside
- most people head to Thailand, nearby emerging economy
- economic growth of Thailand leads to Laos people leaving
- responding to change rather than driving it
35
Laos - migrant destinations
- 1.3 million Laotians living abroad
- 930 000 in Thailand
- 200 000 in US
36
Laos - few immigrants
- Very few people come to Laos
- Major group from Vietnam (10 000)
- Vietnam is close - in South Asian region
37
Laos - reasons people leave - employment push factors
- Laotians mainly subsistence farmers
- very few opportunities in rural areas
- farming provides little income
38
Laos - reasons people leave - financial push factors
- Emigration offers greater range of economic opportunities
- Chance to go abroad, send home money in remittances
- Laos, daily minimum wage = 80 baht
- Thailand, daily minimum wage = 300 baht
39
Laos - reasons people leave - environmental push factors
- Laos regional areas have regular drought
- push factors for many rural poor:
- leads to food insecurity
- lack of land for farmers to use efficiently
40
Laos - reasons people leave - pull factors - financial
- Laos people will have seen others emigrate and experience financial success
- encouraged to try for themselves
- Remitances can become main source of family income
- for many is essential rite of passage to emigrate and make money
41
Laos - unskilled workers in demand elsewhere
- Laos is LIDC, education not available for everyone
- low education levels
- Thailand (emerging economy) has great demand for unskilled workers
- Laotians cross border, fill in labour gaps in construction, fisheries, agriculture, factories
42
Laos - migrant brokers - push factor
- Another factor reducing barriers to emigration is migrant brokers
- Thailand have for Laotians
- help get to border and cross it
43
Laos - language similarities - push factor
- Languages are very similar
- L in T can get jobs and integrate quickly
44
Laos - infrastructure improvements - reduced barriers
- Friendship bridges
- Improved access to cross Mekong River separating Thailand and L
45
Laos - human trafficking - source country
- Human trafficking is major problem
- L is a source country
- lots people originate in L get trafficked to places like T
46
Laos - human trafficking - migration policy - struggle
- L is LIDC government, without resources or political stability to deal with human trafficking
- struggled to implement decent policies
- underage liberian footballers travel to Laos to play football
47
Laos - human trafficking - migration policies
- Severe trafficking issues
- global report - on list for not fully comply globally recognised anti-trafficking laws
- efforts to make improvements
48
Laos - national plan of action for human trafficking
- Laos government with international organisation for migration (part of UN)
- plan = prevention, protection and prosecution
49
Laos - human trafficking **prevent**, protect, prosecute
prevention = stop trafficking happening - alleviate poverty back in L
- raise awareness campaigns of what trafficking looks like, reduce those fall for scams
50
Laos - human trafficking prevent, **protect, prosecute**
- protection = shelters for women who've been trafficked and need counselling
- prosecution = legal action taken
- better training border officials to spot, investigate trafficking networks to prosecute criminals
51
Laos - part of ASEAN trade block
- Similar to EU
- Migragion policies:
- skilled labour some (conditional) freedom of movement
- working as a professional for 5 years in a country, can then move
- great movement of skills - architects, nurses, dentists etc
- move away from places like Laos
- look for economic opportunities other parts ASEAN network
52
Laos - benefit interdependence - Thai economy
- Many unskilled Laos workers emigrate to Thailand
- help grow Thai economy
- 1990s 8 000 GDP per person
- now closer to 17 000 per person
53
Laos - benefit interdependence - Thai improved economy benefit L
- L workers in T send home remittances
- millions of dollars help individuals at family level, local and regional impact
- 412 million per year sent back (Bank of Laos)
- 2% L GDP
54
Friendship bridges
- 5 bridges across Mekong river
- easier for goods and people to cross obstacle
- 5th built finished by 2024
- L landlocked but now have access to sea through Thailand
- economic improvements through exporting
55
Don Sahong Hydro project - Laos / Thailand border
- manage flooding
- create energy
- create electricity for growing economies
56
Railway link
- Thailand through Laos to Vietnam
- more access to coastal trading in Vietnam
57
COMMIT
- Tackle trafficking issues
- People can migrate to work with less risk
