NTS Issues of Migration: Southeast Asian Context

1
NTS Issues of Migration Southeast Asian Context

• BRAC CDM, August 2008

2
Scope

• Introduction Context
• Migration in SEA China (highlights)
• Migration NTS Issues
• Discussion

3
Introduction Context

• Highlight some issues of Forced Migration
• Environment Climate Change
• The Paradox of Developmental Projects
• Economic Boom
• Internal Conflicts

4
Environment Climate Change

• Environmental refugees migration induced by
  environment climate related issues
• UN estimates 155 million people currently
  displaced due to natural disaster development
  projects
• According to other reports, a billion people
  could be forced to leave their homes over the
  next 50 years as the effects of climate change
  worsen.
• Water shortages
• Rising sea level
• Deteriorating pasture lands
• Famines
• Natural disasters

5
Environment Climate Change

• UN Environment Programme (2008)
• 11 million environmental refugees worldwide
• Up from 9.9 million last year
• International Fed. Red Cross warns that climate
  change rising food prices are a bigger cause of
  forced migration than war persecution

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The Paradox of Developmental Projects

• Paradox developmental projects which aspires for
  better socio-economic conditions lead to
  insecurity issues
• The chase for Energy Security in Indonesia might
  lead to Human Insecurity issues
• Hydro-dams projects in SEA might lead to
  population displacement
• Proposals for the construction of nuclear power
  plants in SEA

7
Economic Boom

• Internal migration (rural-urban) Economic boom
  in China
• China economic boom attracts rural-urban
  migration (housing issues)
• Rural migrant labours form the backbone of
  Chinese economy
• Issues with Hukou system (Household Registration
  System) limits rural migrants access to urban
  social welfare system
• Reforms made difficult due to exorbitant costs in
  welfare services
• Also, housing slums emerges due to barriers to
  access credit market
• Puzzle Why rural migrants and urbanites are
  categorically different even though both live in
  the same cities?

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Internal Conflicts

• The situation in Timor Leste
• Approx. 10 (100,000) of the population remains
  displaced ever since civil conflict erupted in
  2006 - east-west divisions.
• 30,000 live in refugee camps while the remaining
  700,000 live outside camps or with family
  friends.
• Reintegration issues major cause of concern

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Internal Conflicts (contd.)

• Barriers to re-integration
• Fear Insecurity
• Fear of division driven violence
• Mistrust of security forces
• Pull Factors
• Free food shelter
• Government continues to provide free food
  shelter due to political reasons fear of civil
  unrest
• Politicization Criminalization of Camps
• Camps managed by groups with vested interests to
  maintain high occupancy
• Lack of housing alternatives
• Destroyed/damaged houses have not been rebuilt
• Unresolved ownership disputes
• Insufficient housing stocks

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Migration NTS Issues

• Human Insecurity
• Human Rights
• Poor living condition
• Low-wages
• Unequal employment terms
• No social security
• Health Insecurity
• Food Insecurity
• Environmental Issues

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Discussion

• TIME FOR A DISCUSSION FOLKS!