ASSESSMENT REPORT PROFILE OF RETURNED CAMBODIAN MIGRANT WORKERS IOM OIM IOM OIM Report Information Citation Dickson B, Koenig A, 2016. Assessment Report: Profile of Returned Cambodian Migrant Workers. International Organization for Migration (IOM) Cambodia. Written by Andrea Koenig Editors Brett Dickson, Emily Cholette, Tara Dermott, Lindsey Higgs, Anna Nicolaus Funded and Supported by the Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC) Cambodia, U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Published by International Organization for Migration (IOM), Phnom Penh #281, Tai Ming 4th Floor, Preah Norodom Blvd, Phnom Penh 12301, Cambodia P.O. Box 435 Tel: +855.23.216532 Fax: +855.23.216423 E-mail: [email protected] © 2016 International Organization for Migration Photos IOM 2014 // Joe Lowry CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (Cover, P4 - 5), Joacquim Uy by CC2.0 (p15), IOM (P8, 18, 19, 26), Simon76 by CC0 (P9), Mattes (P19), Neajjean CC BY-SA 2.0 (P20), Brett Dickson (p22, 25) The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the section and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Organization for Migration. ASSESSMENT REPORT PROFILE OF RETURNED CAMBODIAN MIGRANT WORKERS Written by Koenig A Edited by Dickson B, Cholette E, Dermott T, Higgs L, Nicolaus A. ASSESSMENT REPORT PROFILE OF RETURNED CAMBODIAN MIGRANT WORKERS Table of Contents 1.1 METHODOLOGY AND STUDY POPULATION 03 1.2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS 06 01 Preconditions 08 Migration experience 08 Executive Experience in Thailand 09 Post return 09 Summary 1.3 RECOMMENDATIONS 10 1.4 DATA LIMITATIONS 10 2.1 BACKGROUND OF RESPONDENTS 11 Home province in Cambodia 11 Age and vulnerability 12 02 Marital status 12 Description Level of education 12 Degree of education related to detainment 13 of Key Findings by Thai authorities; Receiving wages; Health concerns Formal application for a Cambodian passport 13 2.2 BEFORE MIGRATION 13 Income in Cambodia 13 Reason for leaving Cambodia 14 Recruitment 15 Migration facilitator and... 15 ... average cost of migration 15 ... average daily income 15 ... migrating with a passport 15 4 ASSESSMENT REPORT PROFILE OF RETURNED CAMBODIAN MIGRANT WORKERS 2.3 MIGRATION PROCESS AND EXPERIENCE 16 Legal documents for migration 16 02 Legal documents and… ...being detained by Thai authorities 17 Description ...receiving wages 17 of Key Findings ...seeing a doctor 17 Work sector in Thailand 18 Work Sector in Thailand and... ...receiving wages 18 ...problems during migration 19 ...average daily income 19 Province of work in Thailand 20 Income in Thailand 20 Migration companions 22 Exploitation and means of control used 23 by employer Difficult conditions 24 Detention by Government authorities 24 Type of work and detention 24 2.4 POST RETURN SITUATION 25 Socioeconomic status 25 Health concerns 26 Assistance needed 27 Source of information about new passport 27 procedures and employment 3.1 MIGRATION AND GENDER EQUALITY 28 3.2 DETERMINANTS FOR SAFE MIGRATION 28 03 Legal documents 28 Work sector 28 Conclusion Recommendations 29 Photo: Irregular migrants returning to Cambodia at the Poi Pet border crossing. © IOM 2014 (Photo by Joe Lowry) 5 ASSESSMENT REPORT PROFILE OF RETURNED CAMBODIAN MIGRANT WORKERS Part 1 Executive Summary In June 2014, an unprecedented number of Cambodian migrant workers returned home to Cambodia from Thailand, prompted by fear of arrest and uncertainty about the tumultuous political situation in Thailand. More than 250,000 Cambodian migrants, the majority of them undocumented and travelling with families and young children, returned across the border to Cambodia. In response, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Cambodia conducted interviews with 667 of these returning migrant workers to better understand their needs and concerns before, during and after their migration. Figure 1. Source provinces of Cambodian migrants returning from Thailand (n=189,192) Chong Jom O'Smach 60 km 40 mi BANTEAY MEANCHEY ODDAR MEANCHEY 6% Poipet Aranyaprathet SIEM REAP 17% PREAH VIHEAR RATANAKIRI Banteay 15% STUNG TRENG Meanchey Battambang 45% and Siem Reap Ban Laem Duan Lem BATTAMBANG KAMPONG PAILIN 2% 13% THOM MONDULKIRI 7% KRATIÉ Ban Pakard Pailin 3% PURSAT KAMPONG CHHNANG KAMPONG KAMPONG CHAM 2% KMOUM 3% 4% Had Lek Koh Kong KOH KONG KAMPONG PP 2% SPEU KANDAL PREY PP: PHNOM PENH 13% VENG 2% 2% SVAY TAKÉO RIENG KAMPOT 2% 6% 4% PREAH SIHANOUK KEP 6 ASSESSMENT REPORT PROFILE OF RETURNED CAMBODIAN MIGRANT WORKERS 1.1 METHODOLOGY AND STUDY POPULATION In order to develop a full understanding of the current situation of returned migrants from Thailand, this assessment used a quantitative questionnaire to capture several variables at each stage of the migration process. The questionnaire was divided into three stages: 1. The returnees’ conditions before they migrated abroad; 2. The returnees’ experience of migration while abroad; 3. The returnees’ post return conditions in the country of origin. Table 1. Conceptual framework STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 Situation before leaving the Experience of migration in the Return to the country of origin country of origin main country of destination - post return conditions Demographic and social Experience of migration; Return journey; characteristics; Reasons for having lived in Reasons and factors Reasons for leaving the the country of destination; motivating return; country of origin; Duration of the experience National Identification; Social and financial lived abroad; Social and financial conditions before leaving the Documentation conditions after return; country of origin; (Travel/Identification); Employment and financial Composition of the Social and financial status after return; household before leaving conditions in the country of Access to education (if any); destination; and skills training for new Education and skills before Education and skills employment opportunities; leaving; acquired abroad; Health concerns; Health status before Health status experienced Access to services and leaving. abroad; information in the country of Remittances; origin after return. Vulnerability (risks of human trafficking) factors. The overall sample totaled 667 Cambodian migrants who had returned from Thailand, including 312 (46.6%) male and 355 (53.2%) female migrants. The respondents were 16 to 60 years of age. Interviews were conducted by IOM staff and local university students hired and trained by IOM. Interviews were carried out across 10 provinces1, 12 districts, 13 communes and 32 villages. Analysis was conducted to determine factors that contributed to migrants practicing safe migration. IBM SPSS Statistics Version 21 and Microsoft Office Excel were used to analyze the data. 1 Battambang, Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, Kampong Cham, Pursat, Prey Veng, Tbong Khmom, Kampong Thom, Takeo, and 7 Kampot ASSESSMENT REPORT PROFILE OF RETURNED CAMBODIAN MIGRANT WORKERS 1.2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY with a licensed broker linked with a private OF KEY FINDINGS recruitment agency or through an irregular channel (unlicensed broker, friends or The aim of this report is to identify the differences between male and female migration processes, independently). The majority of those migrating experiences, and vulnerabilities. In this report, the regularly with a licensed broker had a passport, term "safe migration" refers to regular (legal) and whereas almost all those migrating irregularly informed migration. Below are the differences with an unlicensed broker did not. and similarities found between male and female • Migrating regularly with a licensed broker migrants: was associated with a slightly higher income in Thailand. PRECONDITIONS Migration companions: Female migrants Female migrants were twice as likely to have were more likely to be accompanied by their no education at all compared to male migrants. spouses or family members during migration. However, education levels did not have any effect Male migrants more often migrated alone or with on variables related to safe migration, such as friends. receiving wages, migrating irregularly, being detained by detention authorities and health concerns. MIGRATION EXPERIENCE Income: Male migrants had significantly higher incomes than female migrants prior to departure in Cambodia, as well as in Thailand. Reason for migration: "No job", "Low income" and "Financial debt" were the three most popular reasons for male and female migrants Documents: Possession of legal documents to leave Cambodia. "A better income" for male (such as passports, border passes, visas, work respondents and "No income at all" for female permits, Cambodian ID cards) increased the respondents were the top reported reasons migrants’ likelihood of migrating safely and to leave Cambodia. This indicates that female regularly. Possession of these legal documents migrants face more barriers to finding a job in decreased one’s likelihood of being arrested Cambodia. The third most common reason to and deported, increased chances of receiving migrate for both genders was "Financial debt". wages and of being able to see a doctor for These top three motivators for migration suggest health concerns. The high cost of a passport was that socio-economic factors are driving migration; given as the main reason for not applying for a with most people migrating as a coping strategy passport, which indicates that lack of finances is when faced with economic hardship. a barrier to practicing safe migration. The second