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Valuing the Gains in Intra-regional Labour Migration: The case of

skilled Filipino migrants in Thailand

Mary Rose G. Sarausad Ph.D.

(Demography)Asian Institute of Technology

Thailand

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Background of this study

• The Philippines culture of migration characterized by a high

rate of outmigration to diverse locations around the world (IOM, 2008; Asis, 2006);

viewed as a supplier of labour to more developed areas in Asia, and countries like the US and Canada;

comprehensive overseas employment program to regulate migration and to protect the rights of migrants;

an increasing trend in the number of Filipinos leaving the country from 1981-2012 (CFO); present in over 190 countries around the world (POEA, 2011).

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47%

40%

13%

Stock Estimate of Overseas Filipinos, 2013

(Commission on Filipinos Overseas)

Permanent Temporary Irregular

Permanent: 4,869,766

Temporary:4,207,018

Total:10,238,614

Irregular:1,161,830

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Global migration of Filipinos

1981 1982

1983 1984

1985 1986

1987 1988

1989 1990

1991 1992

1993 1994

1995 1996

1997 1998

1999 2000

2001 2002

2003 2004

2005 2006

2007 2008

2009 2010

2011 2012

2013 0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Registered Filipino Migrants by Sex, 1981-2013(CFO, 2013)

MALE

FEMALE

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Top 10 Countries of Destination of Overseas Filipinos

(CFO, 2013)

1. USA - 3,535,6762. Saudi Arabia – 1,028,802

3. UAE – 822,4104. Malaysia – 793,5805. Canada – 721,578

6. Australia – 397,9827. Italy – 271,9468. UK – 218,126

9. Qatar – 204,55010. Singapore – 203,243

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18%

50%

32%

ASIA, East & South

Permanent TemporaryIrregular

3%0% 1% 0%

73%

0%

20%

2% 1%

Overseas Filipinos in the ASEAN(CFO, 2012)

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM CAMBODIA INDONESIALAOS MALAYSIA MYANMARSINGAPORE THAILAND VIETNAM

Total:942,106

Total:1,599,352

Malaysia

Singapore

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The invisible flow• The Philippines - Thailand migration

system has been understudied or overlooked.• Filipino migration to Thailand has been

occurring over the last 40 years.• Estimate of 9,000 migrants was first reported

in 2004; 16,000 migrants in 2012.• CFO reports showed the number of irregular

migrants remained almost unchanged from 2004-2012, at 3,600 migrants only.

• Thailand has been focusing on low-skilled migration and irregular flows from the neighbouring countries within the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS).

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2004200520062007200820092010201120120

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

PERMANENT TEMPORARY IRREGULAR

Stock Estimates of Filipinos in Thailand2004-2012

(Commission on Filipinos Overseas, CFO)

BUT interviews revealed that there are about 25,000-30,000 Filipino migrants in Thailand; about half of them are irregular.

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• The flow is occurring outside the framework of the formalized system established by the Philippine government (POEA) --a huge challenge in distinguishing a migrant from a tourist, and to monitor their conditions.

• Most of the migrants are educated, so it is often seen that they moved in an unproblematic manner.

• Challenges of everyday life faced by Filipino migrants remain largely invisible.

The invisible flow

Need to problematize this type of migration

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• An increasing trend of not only Filipino tourists, but also registered Filipino workers in Thailand.

• The migrants entered or enter Thailand as tourists with the intention of finding employment.

• Many of them continued being tourists while in employment due to the inability of their employers to secure a work permit for them.

• Filipinos in Thailand continued to have the highest growth rate of work permits held since 2004 until 2007 (Huguet, 2009:50-51).

• From 2008-2012, the number of registered Filipinos continued to rise in various occupational categories; the highest in the teaching sector, compared to those from Japan, the UK, China and India.

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Filipino Migration to Thailand: main findings

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-

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

20122011201020092008

Trends in Registered Employment, by occupations, 2008-2012

Ministry of Labour (2012)

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12Source: Ministry of Labour, Thailand (2012)

Types of Occupations of Registered Foreign Migrants in Thailand from the 5 highest Origin Countries, as of May, 2012

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1313

• Most migrants came as tourists; allowed to stay for 30 days.

• Tourists renew their visas at the borders between Thailand and Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia; many of them are working without a work permit.

• Out of the 818,275 Filipinos who came to Thailand from 2009-2011, a total of 13,081 remained or have not departed during that period.

• Unaccounted rise of irregular Filipinos working in Thailand

• Increase in crimes such as drug trafficking and robbery committed by Filipinos, more women than men.

• A high demand for cheap, English-speaking teachers for Thai students in government and private schools created a niche for Filipino migrants in skilled occupations particularly in education and teaching.

• Filipino migrants are concentrated in areas where educational and skilled opportunities exist, such as in Chiangmai, Phitsanulok, Chonburi and Bangkok (central and northern provinces)

Filipino Migration in Thailand

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THE FILIPINO MIGRANTS IN THAILAND

151515

Type of migrants, by gender Age

<20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50 and over

% of Total

MaleIrregularRegularSemi-regularN/A% of Total

0.0%0.00.01.71.7

8.6%2.60.96.9

19.0

13.8%19.9

0.013.046.5

3.4%10.3

0.99.5

24.2

0.9%3.40.04.38.6

26.737.9

1.735.4

100.0

FemaleIrregularRegularSemi-regularN/A% of Total

0.50.00.00.00.5

15.411.8

0.99.5

37.5

11.811.8

0.59.5

33.5

6.87.30.03.2

17.2

2.84.10.54.1

11.3

37.134.8

1.826.2

100.0

THE FILIPINO MIGRANTS IN THAILAND

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Type of Migrants

Length of Stay in Thailand

% of Total< 1

year1-4

years5-9

years10-14 years

15-19 years

20 years

or more

MaleIrregularRegularSemi-regularOthers% of Total(*missing:

6.7)

5.9%0.80.05.0

11.7

12.6%14.3

0.813.441.1

3.4%12.6

0.88.4

25.2

0.0%5.90.00.86.7

0.0%1.70.02.54.2

0.8%0.00.03.44.2

22.735.3

1.733.693.2

FemaleIrregularRegularSemi-regularOthers% of Total(*missing:

1.7)

8.75.60.04.8

19.1

20.312.6

1.38.7

42.9

6.110.0

0.07.8

23.9

0.92.60.40.94.8

0.02.20.01.33.5

0.42.20.01.74.3

36.335.1

1.725.198.2

THE FILIPINO MIGRANTS IN THAILAND

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THE PATH TO IRREGULARITY

• Social networks

• Contracted migration

• Speculative migrationTravelling

as tourists

• employment w/o a permit

• overstaying• Visa-runs• employment

with a permit• termination of

contract• Visa-runs• social

networks• migration

policies

Prolonged stay • employed irregular

migrants• unemployed irregular

migrants• regular migrants• employed/

unemployed semi-regular migrants

continued stay / onward migration/permanent stay

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“Everybody’s contract ends after a year. For the newly-hired, we only have a four-month contract

since the project I am in now is new. Everybody’s contract will end by the end of the semester, too.

The whole month of October for example we do not have a job. I think that is the time we can either

find another job or wait for the next semester. Our agencies are conducting monthly evaluation of their teachers. We are employed by two agencies

working in the same project. The provincial government takes care of our finances so the rules

come from them. I cannot say regarding our visas since we still have to be informed if we

will be extended. In our agency, the school director decides whether to renew our contract or not; in the other agency, they consult the director

first then the head of the agency decides.” (IDI#18,28/F, April, 2012, Online interview)

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Loopholes in the existing migration frameworks and systems

• Prospective migrants departing as ‘tourists’ are not required to go through POEA registration.  • long-standing agreement between ASEAN countries for visa-free admission;•absence of bilateral agreements on labour migration means migration most often happens outside the formalized system of employment;• Visa runs at the borders of Cambodia and Thailand perpetuate extended or irregular stays.

WHY IS IRREGULAR MIGRATION AMONG FILIPINOS INCREASING?

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WHY IS IRREGULAR MIGRATION AMONG FILIPINOS INCREASING?

Proximity of both countries

• Cheaper air tickets means lower cost of migrating and return in case migration fails. • Emotional and psychic costs of moving is reduced.• Reproduction of household from afar is maintained with few difficulties due to low cost of communication and ease in frequent trips to the Philippines.

Availability of social support and intermediaries• family member or a friend in Thailand;• thriving migration industry, composed of illegal recruiters, teaching agencies, travel agents, transport operators and small-scale entrepreneurs;

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CHALLENGES FOR FILIPINO MIGRANTS• difficulties for some to obtain stable employment due to constant changes in immigration requirements;• insecure/unstable employment status

Teachers employed through agencies can be terminated by the school or the agency

without prior notice, making the migrant irregular once the work permit is cancelled. • the need to do transitional jobs which provide income in the short term and address the immediate responsibilities back home, and sometimes come with a work permit (e.g., domestic work or any unskilled work) – irregular status as a transitional phase.• much lower pay compared to other foreigners in the same type of job (a Filipino teacher vs. a native English speaker)

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CHALLENGES FOR FILIPINO MIGRANTS•Length of unemployment can range from a few months to a few years. • Tied migrants, particularly men, often experienced joblessness.• a shift from a specific field of practice to the most available occupation in Thailand;• Regularity or getting a work permit depends on the employer – moving in and out of the regular-irregular status and the rise of semi-regular migrants.• Absence of social security benefits for teachers in some schools• Recent policies push more and more irregular migrants to precarious conditions.

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Conclusion•Migration policies, geographical proximity and social networks made migration possible and to persist over the course of 40 years.• Migrants face various constraints while in the country as shown in the mechanisms employed to remain or meet current obligations.•Being in an irregular status is a reality for several migrants regardless of age and sex.•The path of irregularity during the early years after arrival, while others continued to be irregular in later years contributed to their difficulties while in the country.•Networks and intermediaries made migration possible for migrants; thus, perpetuating irregularity.•More and more migrants find other indirect routes to regularity.

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• Filipino migrants in Thailand are more in control of their mobility and seem to be at an advantaged position compared with some of their counterparts in other countries within the ASEAN.• However, educational attainment did not seem to have improved some migrants’ position in the labour market.•Despite the educational qualifications of migrant respondents, a huge proportion are found in the lowest income categories. •Migrants were seen to be continuously having transitions or changes in their lives.•Transitions or mobility within the regular-irregular route gave rise to semi-regularity among several migrants.

Conclusion

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• Migrants will continue to move in different statuses, taking different paths depending on their circumstances. •Social networks and intermediaries will continue to play a significant role in the movements due to the presence of recruitment agencies, travel operators and established formal and non-formal Filipino organizations.•Thailand’s preparation for the AEC by 2015 presents a lot of opportunities for prospective Filipino migrants and those already in the country.• The Philippines-Thailand migration system will continue as border controls do not seem to deter Filipino ‘tourists’ from coming and remaining in Thailand.

Conclusion