Impact of Migration on the Socio-Economy in the Dry Zone of Myanmar (PDF)

Master's Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: International relations, grade: 4.14, Ritsumeikan University, course: Internatinal Relations, language: English, abstract: This paper investigated the impact of migration on socio-economy in the rural area of Myanmar. Moreover, secondary data collected from concerned Ministries, United Nations agencies and related scholars and websites. Data collection conducted about 12.02 % of total households from six sample villages through household survey and field observations. Findings from the study showed that about one fourth of household members were migrants who were mostly young and active men. The youngest age at initial migration was 15 years. Their education levels were mostly secondary and migrated in the years of 2005. Common migration was international (cross-border migration) following by internal (rural to urban out-migration). Remittance of migrant was significantly high and it was about half of total households' income.

Migration is recognizing as a universally popular trend around the world. The roots of migration are the economic, social, political, cultural, environmental, health, education and transportation. Moreover, it is important in the socio-economic development and population growth of a country, mainly for the providing of occupation and social amenities to the migrants and their relatives. Agriculture is the main livelihoods in rural areas of Myanmar; farm labors are major source of employment opportunity for farming however their socio-economic status is still lower.

Moreover, the socioeconomic status of farmers has been more adversely affected by the unpredictable climate changes, natural, disasters and others, year after year. For that reason, Myanmar rural nationals are practicing migration as their income diversification strategies to solve their economic and social status as like other developed and developing countries. As a result, this research aims at to examine the socio-economic characteristics of migrants and to extract the significant features of pull and push factors of migration in rural area of Myanmar.