Migration & Impacts on Children
Observed annually on 18 December, International Migrants Day highlights the diverse and often challenging realities faced by migrants worldwide. An estimated 23.6 million Southeast Asian migrants live outside their countries of origin, profoundly shaping the social and economic landscapes of their communities. Alarmingly, in 2020, there were nearly 1.3 million child migrants in the ASEAN region, underscoring the pressing need for attention to the vulnerabilities of young migrants and their families.
Why Do They Migrate?
Distress migration is very common. Some migrants were struggling to feed their family due to low crop yields, crop failures, and/or a lack of stable work. Some parents viewed migration as a long-term investment in their children’s future. Other economically insecure households often needed to sell their land in order to pay off debts and even cover the costs of migration.
Climate change and environmental degradation have a profound effect on vulnerable populations precariously close to the edge, just one drought or flood away from the tipping point. Every year in Southeast Asia, countless families choose to migrate with their children, and many children also migrate on their own. These journeys, most of the time, are unsafe and filled with risks.
Lived experiences of distressed migration in Southeast Asia
![My parents have been living in Thailand for more than half of my life. They migrated because they had no work due to floods and droughts – and were in debt to a microfinance provider. I didn’t want them to go. I often cry by myself at night. Our grandmother used to live with us, but she also left because she had to find work. I cook, do housework and grow some chilies to sell. I go to pick beans for other people, with my younger brother and friends, and earn about 7,000 riels [US$1.70] per shift. - 12-year](/sites/default/files/styles/hero_rectangle/public/2024-12/3.webp?itok=fEjLQ3qV)
![Over the last four years, there have been big floods here. No one can live in this village. Some years we have 20–30 sacks of rice, other years almost nothing due to floods. We need to borrow rice from others. I migrated to Thailand [for work], but if income from farming were good, people would not migrate. - 18-year-old from Laos](/sites/default/files/styles/hero_rectangle/public/2024-12/4.webp?itok=RnfNfiw3)
![I used to earn 110 baht daily [US$3], and I had to worry about evading the police. I could only send back 1,000–2,000 baht [US$27–54] per month to help my family buy food and pay for school. - mother of three from Laos](/sites/default/files/styles/hero_rectangle/public/2024-12/5.webp?itok=OCtaD0AV)
![I was confined to the premises and witnessed people stabbing each other. I was scared and had to run to my room. I could not see my mother again before she died [of brain tumour]. They did not pay me on time, and even when they did, it was only a partial amount, and they provided limited funds for our basic needs. - 35-year-old mother of three from Laos who migrated to Bangkok to work in construction](/sites/default/files/styles/hero_rectangle/public/2024-12/6.webp?itok=BgNh7lGg)
![I was misled by traffickers who took me to Cambodia. I went to the South to work with my friends. My parents didn’t know what it was like to go south to work. When I reached my destination, I realised I had been tricked and was in Cambodia. My parents had to borrow 100 million dong [US$3,928] to get me back home. - 17-year-old boy from a very poor household in Viet Nam](/sites/default/files/styles/hero_rectangle/public/2024-12/9.webp?itok=vCabsgnV)
Sothalen's Story
As we observe International Migrants Day, we urge all stakeholders to recognise the importance of building supportive communities for migrants. At World Vision, we are committed to ensuring that every migrant, no matter where they come from, or where they are going, feels a sense of belonging and connection. Through our ongoing efforts, we continue to create pathways for migrants to thrive and contribute positively to their new communities.
