Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T19:28:30.251Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

1 - Migrants of the Mekong: Wins and Losses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2015

Hossein Jalilian
Affiliation:
University of Bradford
Glenda Reyes
Affiliation:
Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI)
Get access

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The fierce controversy in international migration is barely surprising. At its heart is the poignant debate regarding the universality and territorial application of basic human rights. In this state-centric system, the possession of legal citizenship has been the core basis for awarding a person with full state recognition and the protection of such rights as life, liberty, security, movement, expression, and a standard of living enough to guarantee his or her well-being. Where these rights do not or only partly get fulfilled in their countries of origin, some people venture abroad in the hope of improving their economic, political, and social circumstances. Lacking citizenship in their host countries, migrants in general tend to end up grappling with even greater uncertainty regarding the status of their rights. The tough challenge in translating the principles of non-discrimination and equality into reality for migrants is demonstrated not least by the failure so far to broaden the ratification of and accession to the International Migration Convention. As of April 2009, only forty-three states were parties to this convention (International Steering Committee 2009). The majority of these state parties, none of which are from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), are net sending countries.

The struggle for migrant rights becomes a cause for greater concern if one appreciates how, for many migrants, emigration is fraught with danger and represents a long uphill battle against the constraints of poverty and freedoms. The journey has become more onerous with the marriage of migration, national security, and crisis management policies. Especially vulnerable are those conveniently classified as irregular migrants, though in reality some of these are refugees, stateless, or have been trafficked. Throughout the migration cycle, these migrants are at risk of abuse, enslavement, social exclusion, imprisonment, and deportation. Reaping net economic gains from overseas employment forces them to take informal, riskier routes to destination countries and reject registration opportunities to avoid tax payments and contributions to funds that are earmarked to fund their repatriation.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute
Print publication year: 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×