Interrelations between Public Policies, Migration and Development in Cambodia
Interrelations between Public Policies, Migration and Development in Cambodia is the result of a project carried out by the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) and the OECD Development Centre, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and with support from the European Union. The project aimed to provide policy makers with evidence on the way migration influences specific sectors – the labour market, agriculture, education and investment and financial services – and, in turn, how sectoral policies affect migration. The report addresses three dimensions of the migration cycle that have become an important part of the country's social and economic contexts: emigration, remittances and return.
The results of the empirical work confirm that even though migration contributes to the development of Cambodia, the potential of migration is not fully exploited. One explanation is that migration only appears to a very limited extent in the National Strategic Development Plan. Many policy makers in Cambodia do not sufficiently take migration into account in their respective policy areas. Cambodia therefore needs to adopt a more coherent policy agenda to do more to integrate migration into its National Strategic Development Plan, improve co-ordination mechanisms and strengthen international co-operation. This would enhance the contribution of migration to development in the country.
What impacts does migration have on development in Cambodia?
OECD Development Centre
Despite improving economic and social development in recent decades, Cambodia is still challenged by limited employment opportunities in the domestic labour market and relatively low wages compared to other countries in the region. As a result, a growing number of people from rural areas – especially young people – are seeking opportunities abroad. The impacts of this migration on household and national development are not well understood. The various dimensions of migration – emigration, remittances and return migration – are likely to have both positive and negative effects on household wellbeing and key sectors of the Cambodian economy. This chapter investigates the development impacts of migration in four sectors: the labour market, agriculture, education, and investment and financial services.