Migrant Labour: opportunity or threat?

Migrant Labour: opportunity or threat?

Human migration has been a natural phenomenon throughout history.

Since prehistoric times, our ancestors have travelled vast distances, peopling the world, developing empty regions, creating and succeeding or replacing previous civilisations.

Very few people who inhabit a present-day location can trace their ancestry back to the earliest times. By tracing the DNA of prehistoric remains, and comparing with present day inhabitants, it has been possible to demonstrate that, whereas a rare few descendants can be traced back through the ages, almost everyone has come from somewhere else.

So why is there now, in so many diverse places on Earth, such resentment towards the migrants of today? To answer this question, we need to look at some of the lessons of historic migration.

Migration of choice or necessity?

For early migrants, mobility was easy: just pack up your belongings and walk. There were no well-defined frontiers, and the nation state was an ill-defined entity.

Economic livelihood pressures often forced the less well-established inhabitants of fertile river valleys to strike out elsewhere to find a new place to live. As people moved, they often forced pre-existing inhabitants to relocate onwards. Thus in Europe, the Celts found themselves pushed westwards, split up into Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. Eventually, hemmed in by the sea, many had to relocate again, as part of migration to America, especially for the Irish, or, incredibly, Patagonia in-present-day Argentina, for the Welsh.

In Asia, Thai, Vietnamese and Burmese moved southwards, displacing many of the pre-existing inhabitants who became minorities in what had previously been their own lands.

Colonialism and forced migration

In later years, colonial powers, who were not only European, but also Asian, brought about more pro-active migration, as new lands had to be populated speedily. This usually meant forceful encouragement of migration, usually of poorer, less enfranchised folk, to relocate to Latin America from Spain and Portugal, North America from the Netherlands, Britain and France, and Australia and New Zealand, mainly originally from Britain, not always voluntarily, as with transportation of Britain’s criminals to Australia.

Colonialists themselves, however, did not invariably choose to migrate. They just ruled and returned home enriched. That saved Asia from implantation of European migrants. Southern Africa was somewhat different as low levels of population and abundant, fertile land encouraged settlers in South and East Africa. That seemed good at the time, but has created problems in later days.

Meanwhile often reluctant but nevertheless mainly voluntary migration was not enough to supply the manpower needs of rapidly-growing new world communities. Since wherever there is demand, there are those ready to supply, a profitable trade of exported humanity developed between conveniently located West Africa, and the countries of Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America. This shameful trade has effectively been perpetuated even to this day in the form of social discrimination, low economic status, and institutionalised prejudice for the once transported African migrants.

Is migrant labour inevitably economically disenfranchised?

There has been a tendency to believe that immigrant labour is inevitably poor and at the bottom end of the economic pyramid. This may have been true at the outset, but it often ends up at the reverse end of that pyramid.

The Jewish communities of the world, who have known two thousand years of migration and frequent oppression, have often suffered dislocation and expropriation. But they have seldom failed to achieve enviable prosperity wherever they have moved. Chinese minority populations, migrating overseas to seek escape from poverty at home, have achieved wealth wherever they have gone. This is also the case with Indian migrants whether in Asia, East Africa, or Europe and North America.

Migrant labour tends to start out poor, but that very poverty has inculcated dedication, determination and energy to better themselves. Long resident indigenous populations may lack such incentives, seeking the easier options of a comfortable life.

The energy of migrant labour helps not only themselves, but also the countries to which they relocate. One need only look to the situations of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and elsewhere in ASEAN to appreciate what migrants have achieved, both for themselves and their families, as well as for the host community as a whole. In recent times, the exodus of Vietnamese, often penniless on sinking boats, has brought added wealth to their new host countries, many now returning to re-energise Vietnam.

Is there a continuing need for migrant labour?

Looking back in history, there was an evident need for migrant labour to build developing lands. Today, that need continues to exist worldwide. Whether it is fruit-picking in Britain or industrial workforce, construction and service industries in Thailand, whether developed or developing, all countries continue to need migrant labour. Such labour can help to fill unfilled sometimes temporary gaps, but then go on to settle and prosper within newfound locations.

Welcoming migrant labour on a temporary basis is only half the benefit for a receiving country. Sending such migrants home after limited periods, as many Middle Eastern countries do, prevents such countries from liberalising, diversifying, and prospering due to the dynamism of immigrant communities.

Thailand has a special advantage over Europe today. The hordes of would-be migrants entering Europe, mostly illegally, are vastly distinct from the local populations, and therefore hard to absorb, both because of culture and numbers. By contrast, those entering Thailand are almost all from immediately neighbouring countries, and therefore readily absorbable within the local society. They offer immense opportunities and benefits to the host society, with few negative threats. It is to be hoped that, in a pragmatic Thai way, means will be found to make their welcome permanent.


Christopher F. Bruton is Executive Director of Dataconsult Ltd, chris@dataconsult.co.th. Dataconsult’s Thailand Regional Forum provides seminars and extensive documentation to update business on future trends in Thailand and in the Mekong Region.

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