Voice of America’s immigration news

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has recorded its wettest April since 1961, with more than double the usual rainfall for the month, the national weather center said. The country experienced days of extreme weather in April that killed scores of people and destroyed property and farmland. Experts said Pakistan witnessed heavier rains because of climate change. Last month’s rainfall for Pakistan was a 164% increase from the usual level for April, according to a report published Friday by Pakistan’s national weather center. The intense downpours affected the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southwestern Baluchistan provinces the most. Devastating summer floods in 2022 killed at least 1,700 people, destroyed millions of homes, wiped out swaths of farmland and caused billions of dollars in economic losses in a matter of months. At one point, a third of the country was underwater. Pakistani leaders and many scientists worldwide blamed climate change for the unusually early and heavy monsoon rains.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Washington — The United States, boosted by allies and the private sector, is delivering for Pacific islands even if Washington alone cannot match China's growing footprint, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late Friday.  Blinken spoke after lawmakers in the Solomon Islands, whose warming security relationship with China has sparked alarm in the United States and Australia, choose another Beijing-friendly prime minister.   "China covers a lot of ground in the Pacific Islands, maybe more ground than we can cover ourselves," Blinken told the McCain Institute's Sedona Forum in Arizona.  But he said that by partnering with like-minded Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and India, "we cover a lot of ground."  "You're seeing that play out in our ability to help deliver some of the things that people in those countries want," Blinken said.  "It is often more effective to say to a country — we're not asking you to choose, we want to give you a better choice."  He pointed to an initiative — announced at a summit last year between U.S. President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese — in which Google is building trans-Pacific cables to improve internet connectivity in South Pacific countries.  The high-speed cables are an alternative to those on offer from China, whose tech companies have been increasingly active in the South Pacific.  Tensions have eased between the United States and China, with Blinken last month visiting Beijing for the second time in less than a year, but the Biden administration has declared China to be the top long-term rival to U.S. global leadership.  

PARIS — France's world-leading cosmetics sector is counting on talks between Xi Jinping and Emmanuel Macron next week to help minimize the impact on French companies of tough new Chinese import rules requiring the sharing of formulas and manufacturing know-how.  President Xi's first visit to Europe in five years comes amid a backdrop of tense trade relations, with the European Union threatening China's electric vehicle and green energy industries with tariffs.  But progress toward an agreement between France and China on the regulation of cosmetics, including lipstick and fragrances, could be a bright spot in discussions in Paris next week.  President Macron's office said ahead of the meeting that cosmetics would be a topic of "great attention," and that they sought to "find a solution that also protects the interests of our companies."  France is the world's leading cosmetics exporter, shipping nearly 2 billion euros ($2.15 billion) worth of makeup and skin care products to China last year, second in importance only to aerospace products.  New Chinese safety rules due to come into effect next year threaten that trade.  From May 2025, cosmetics exporters will be required to share detailed information on their manufacturing processes with Beijing and receive Chinese inspectors in their factories, a measure that raises concerns about losing control of intellectual property.  Under a plan proposed in talks between the two sides in the past year, French authorities would take responsibility for assuring the safety of some of its exports without the need for Chinese inspections.  France would grant some similar measures to China, but it was not clear what areas those would cover.  "This reciprocity will assure the highest standards of safety to Chinese consumers," said Emmanuel Guichard, secretary general of France's cosmetics industry association FEBEA, adding that the plan could be formalized during talks between Xi and Macron.  FEBEA's members include L'Oreal, LVMH and Coty.  Under the agreement, France's consumer and anti-fraud watchdog DGCCRF would ensure the safety of a number of French manufacturers that qualify for "white list" status.  The agency said in a report issued Friday on its recent activities that it held its first meeting on certification of French cosmetics for export to China with China's National Medical Products Administration, or NMPA, in December.  The Elysee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  The DGCCRF did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The NMPA could not be reached for comment on a holiday weekend. Sunday is Labor Day in China, recognized as a national holiday. 

MEXICO CITY — Mexican authorities said Friday they recovered three bodies in an area of Baja California near where two Australians and an American went missing last weekend during an apparent camping and surfing trip. The state prosecutor's office did not say whether the bodies were those of the three foreigners but said the bodies were discovered during the search for the missing men. It also announced that three people who were being questioned in the case of the missing men had been arrested and charged. “Three bodies were found south of the city of Ensenada, and they were recovered in coordination with other authorities during a specialized operation because they were found in a zone of difficult access,” the office said in a statement. “This was done as part of the search for two Australians and one American reported missing,” the office said. The site where the bodies were discovered near the township of Santo Tomás was near the remote seaside area where the missing men's tents and truck were found Thursday. The men — identified by family members as brothers Jake and Callum Robinson from Australia and American Jack Carter Rhoad — went missing Saturday. They did not show up at their planned accommodations over the weekend. The U.S. State Department said: “We are aware of those reports [of bodies] and are closely monitoring the situation. At this time, we have no further comment.” Baja California prosecutors had said Thursday that they were questioning three people in the case. On Friday, the office said the three had been arrested and charged with a crime equivalent to kidnapping. It was unclear if they might face more charges. Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez, the chief state prosecutor, said evidence found along with the abandoned tents was linked to the three people being questioned about the missing foreigners. “A working team [of investigators] is at the site where they were last seen, where tents and other evidence was found that could be linked to these three people we have under investigation,” Andrade Ramirez said Thursday. “There is a lot of important information that we can’t make public.” While drug cartels are active in the area, she said, “all lines of investigation are open at this time. We cannot rule anything out until we find them.” On Wednesday, the missing Australians’ mother, Debra Robinson, posted on a local community Facebook page an appeal for help in finding her sons. Robinson said Callum and Jake had not been heard from since April 27. They had booked accommodations in the nearby city of Rosarito. Robinson said one of her sons, Callum, was diabetic. She also mentioned that the American who was with them was named Jack Carter Rhoad, but the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City did not immediately confirm that. The U.S. State Department said it was aware of reports of a U.S. citizen missing in Baja, but it gave no further details. Andrade Ramirez said her office was in contact with Australian and U.S. officials. But she suggested the time that had passed might make it harder to find the missing trio. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t until the last few days that they were reported missing. So, that meant that important hours or time was lost,” she said.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY — Twenty horses stampeding toward the first turn in a battle for position. A screaming crowd of 150,000 and maybe some showers that dampen the Churchill Downs dirt strip. It's the 150th Kentucky Derby. Beyond a couple early wagering favorites, it's a wide-open race. Post time is 6:57 p.m. Saturday. The forecast calls for 27 Celsius (81 Fahrenheit) with a 60% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. That kind of weather could benefit six horses that have won in the mud or slop before, including early favorites Fierceness and Sierra Leone. The others with experience on messy surfaces are Dornoch, Just a Touch, Mystik Dan and Society Man. The Derby will answer the perennial question of which 3-year-old can best handle running 1¼ miles in front of the biggest crowd they will ever see and hear. Fierceness and jockey John Velazquez will break from the No. 17 post, which has never produced a derby winner. The costliest colt in the 20-horse field is Sierra Leone at $2.3 million. “A lot of times you buy an expensive horse like that, and they can't run,” said Peter Brandt, one of the six owners. “We've very, very lucky he's made it this far. We're looking forward to this race but also looking forward to the future of taking care of this horse.” Conversely, Larry Demeritte shelled out just $11,000 to buy Saratoga West. The 74-year-old Bahamas native has won 180 races and nearly $5 million in purse money since he started training in 1984. Demeritte is just the second Black trainer since 1951 to saddle a horse for the derby. “This is truly amazing how we got to this position with this horse,” he said. The Derby winner earns $3.1 million from the record purse of $5 million. For the second straight year, Japan has two entries: Forever Young and T O Password. The country has never won the race. This year's race is one for the ages, too. D. Wayne Lukas, the 88-year-old trainer with four derby wins, saddles Just Steel. Frankie Dettori, the famed Italian jockey, is back to ride Society Man at age 53 after a 24-year absence. Trainer Todd Pletcher, who saddles Fierceness, is in the derby for the 24th year and it never gets old. He's won it twice. “If anything, it just becomes more nerve-wracking,” he said.

BEIJING — A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country’s mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people. Wang Xiangnan was driving Wednesday along the highway in Guangdong province, a vital economic hub in southern China. At around 2 a.m., Wang saw several vehicles moving in the opposite direction of the four-lane highway and a fellow driver soon informed him about the collapse, local media reported. Reacting swiftly, Wang, a former soldier, positioned his truck to block the highway, effectively stopping dozens of vehicles from advancing into danger, Jiupai News quoted Wang as saying. Meanwhile, his wife got out of the truck to alert other drivers about the situation, it said. “I didn’t think too much. I just wanted to stop the vehicles,” Wang told the Chinese news outlet. Wang’s courageous actions not only garnered praise from Chinese social media users but also recognition from the China Worker Development Foundation. The foundation announced Friday that in partnership with a car company it had awarded Wang 10,000 yuan ($1,414). A charity project linked to tech giant Alibaba Group Holding also gave an equal amount to Wang, newspaper Dahe Daily reported. Wang told the newspaper he would donate the money to the families of the collapse victims. Local media also reported that another man had knelt to prevent cars from proceeding on the highway. The accident came after a month of heavy rains in Guangdong. Some of the 23 vehicles that plunged into the deep ravine burst in flames, sending up thick clouds of smoke. About 30 people were hospitalized. On Saturday, one was discharged from the hospital, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The others were improving, but one remains in serious condition. On Saturday, the Meizhou city government in Guangdong said in a statement that authorities would conduct citywide checks on expressways, railways and roads in mountainous areas. A team led by the provincial governor is investigating the cause of the collapse, Southcn.com reported. The Chinese government had sent a vice premier to oversee recovery efforts and urged better safety measures following calls by President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party’s No. 2 official, Premier Li Qiang, to swiftly handle the tragedy. The dispatch of Zhang Guoqing, who is also a member of one of the ruling Communist Party’s leading bodies, illustrates the concern over a possible public backlash over the disaster, the latest in a series of deadly infrastructure failures.

GENEVA — The World Meteorological Organization warns that Tropical Cyclone Hidaya, which is projected to make landfall in Tanzania and Kenya this weekend, threatens to worsen the humanitarian crisis triggered by torrential rains in these and other heavily flooded countries in East Africa. “Hidaya is the first documented system to have reached tropical cyclone status in this part of the world. We are not talking about Sudan. We are talking about lower and East Africa,” WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis told journalists in Geneva on Friday. “It is historically significant. It is also going to have a very big impact, and specifically on Tanzania, where the ground is already absolutely soddened. Tanzania, which has suffered flooding, is about to get hit with more heavy rains falling ... from this system. “And the moisture in this tropical cyclone will also impact Kenya, where there is also very, very bad flooding,” she said, noting that “climate change was supercharging extreme weather.” El Nino, which sparked heavy rains and severe flooding sweeping East Africa, is waning. Despite this, the WMO says this weather event still carries a big punch and is leading to more heavy rainfall, devastating floods and landslides in the East African region. While casualty figures continue to rise, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports this disaster so far has killed more than 400 people. This includes at least 210 in Kenya, more than 150 in Tanzania and others in Burundi, Rwanda and Somalia. OCHA reports heavy rains and floods in these five countries have affected more than 637,000 people, including 234,000 who are displaced. It says governments and humanitarian agencies are still assessing the damage and destruction of infrastructure, which is extensive. “In terms of economic losses, it is still too early to say. When you look at the images of bridges and roads being swept away, it is going to be immense,” said Nullis. “The loss of livestock, the disruption of agriculture. It is a huge, huge investment.” In an address to his nation Friday, Kenyan President William Ruto outlined a series of measures to deal with this emergency, noting that no corner of the country “has been spared from this havoc.” “Sadly, we have not seen the last of this perilous period, as this situation is expected to escalate,” he said. “Meteorological reports paint a dire picture. The rains will persist, increasing both in duration and intensity for the rest of this month and possibly after.” While all those caught in this disastrous event are suffering immense hardships, the U.N. refugee agency expresses particular concern about the welfare of thousands of refugees and other displaced people “being forced to escape once again for their lives after their homes were washed away.” “In Kenya, nearly 20,000 people in the Dadaab refugee camps, which host over 380,000 refugees, have been displaced due to the rising water levels,” said Olga Sarrado Mur, UNHCR spokesperson. “Many of them are among those who arrived in the past couple of years after severe drought in neighboring Somalia. Some 4,000 people are currently sheltering in six schools with facilities that have been extensively damaged,” she said. She noted that many of the tens of thousands of refugees in Tanzania, Burundi, and other hard-hit countries in the region have had to relocate multiple times as water levels continue to rise. She said many people are struggling to find shelter, to pay the rent, to earn enough money to feed themselves and their families. “Climate change is making many parts of the world, especially in fragile regions like East Africa and the Horn of Africa, increasingly uninhabitable,” said Sarrado Mur. “Storms are more devastating. Wildfires have become commonplace. Floods and droughts are intensifying. Some of these impacts are irreversible and threaten to continue worsening, and displaced people are bearing the brunt of the impact,” she said. The WMO reports early warning systems are critical in saving lives before natural disasters strike. It says these systems are more crucial than ever to protect people from the extreme weather conditions stemming from human-induced climate change. “So, on tropical cyclones, we do have very, very good warnings these days in most parts of the world that enable evacuations to take place,” said Nullis, underscoring that early warning systems enable “what we call anticipatory action, which is sort of prepositioning by humanitarian agencies of relief supplies.” “Thanks to such actions, we have prevented a great loss of life in many regions of the world,” she said. However, UNHCRs Sarrado Mur observed that “many of the preparations resulting from early warnings often do not reach the most vulnerable communities, including refugees or other displaced communities, which often are in areas that are more exposed to these climate hazards.” She emphasized the importance of providing funding to vulnerable peoples and the communities hosting them, “so they can be equipped and be prepared, and so they can adapt to this new situation which is unfortunately the new reality.”

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Kolkata, India — Eighteen-year-old Jaya comes from the Munda tribe in India’s eastern state of Jharkhand. She has not seen her father in more than a decade. In 2013, Jaya’s mother — who works as a daily wage laborer in agricultural fields — took her two daughters and fled her marital home in Ranchi, the capital of the state, to settle down instead on land owned by her parents in their village, located in the interiors of Jharkhand. “My father is an extreme alcoholic and used to get drunk and badly beat up my mother, my sister and me every single day when we lived with him,” Jaya, who asked that her real name not be used to protect her security, told VOA in a phone interview. According to the fifth National Family Health Survey of India, more than 30% of Indian women belonging to scheduled tribes — tribal and indigenous communities recognized by the government — reportedly have faced physical domestic abuse. Experts say the problem of domestic violence — physical, emotional, verbal and sexual — is exacerbated in tribal communities because of the deep-rooted culture of alcoholism in certain areas. Most cases go unreported. Violence in every home Rashmi Tiwary, founder of Aahan Foundation, a nongovernmental organization that works to prevent gender-based violence in Jharkhand’s tribes, told VOA that 100% of the girls she has worked with have faced or witnessed domestic violence of some kind. “Domestic abuse has become a part of the tribal social fabric in Jharkhand, and a lot of it is connected to intergenerational alcohol addiction and inherited trauma. Despite being very strong physically, tribal women will often take extreme beatings simply because they think it is the men’s right to abuse them,” said Tiwary. “Hadiya, an indigenous alcoholic drink prepared with fermented rice, was traditionally used as a coolant in Indian tribal communities. However, now it is produced in every other rural tribal home, using chemicals for quick fermentation and mass selling. For several such socioeconomically underprivileged families, selling Hadiya may be the only source of livelihood — and often seeps into their family’s culture as well,” she said. Jaya, who resides with her grandparents, maternal uncles and their families, said that she “is not doing very well here, either.” “My grandfather, who is an agricultural laborer, drinks often to blow off steam after work. But when he gets drunk, he beats up my mother and me very badly. Sometimes he even withholds food from us. No other family member tries to stop him, because this behavior is considered normal,” she told VOA. Witch hunting Rishi Kant, co-founder of Shakti Vahini, a New Delhi-based nongovernmental organization that works closely with several tribal communities, told VOA that domestic violence is “ingrained in the culture” of many tribes, and may not always look like what is conventionally understood as such. “Superstitions prevail in Jharkhand’s tribes, and women and girls often face the brunt of it. A harrowing but common way in which domestic violence manifests in such cases is through witch hunting,” he said. “If there is a problem in the family, like an illness or unemployment, a woman of the house is blamed — a daughter-in-law, a young girl, an elderly grandmother and so on. She is deemed as ‘possessed,’ beaten up, hung by the limbs from a tree with her body being mutilated,” Kant said. In 2022, Jharkhand recorded 11 cases of witch hunting that ended in murder, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, or NCRB. Estimates suggest that between 60 to 70 women are killed for “practicing witchcraft” in Jharkhand every year, many of them belonging to indigenous tribes. With both their parents often under the influence of alcohol, tribal children — especially girls — often become vulnerable to abuse, trauma and, in many cases, human trafficking. Tiwary told VOA: “When tribal men become alcoholics, they get violent. But for women, Hadiya often leads them to withdraw from their family and neglect their children. “There have been cases of young girls burning their hands while cooking because no adult in the house would prepare food. We have also encountered children who are beaten up by their mothers when drunk. Simultaneously, tribal girls take active part in preparing Hadiya and serving to customers — it is all a family business. In rare cases, the children partake in drinking, too,” she said. Generational trauma Clinical psychologist and trauma therapist Prachi Saxena Vaish said that witnessing regular domestic violence between parents can make a child especially vulnerable to abuse in future relationships. “An experience of witnessing abusive relationships in early childhood can create a new normal for a child where they learn to associate ‘love’ with abuse. Even if they feel anger and rebellion toward what they are witnessing, they are unable to break away from this normalized abuse to create a healthy prototype of love in their minds,” she told VOA. “Later, they may become easy victims of abuse in their own future relationships or adopt abusive behaviors themselves toward their partners because they believe that to be an expression of love,” she said. Aahan Foundation founder Tiwary said that despite the high rates of violence in their families, tribal communities have little to no access to mental health resources. “At Aahan, we offer free counselling, trauma therapy and dance therapy — all by licensed professionals — for tribal girls and boys. We also provide peer counseling, and with our main goal being to make the child feel loved, valued and protected through education, arts training and sports,” Tiwary said. “However, Aahan has only reached the tip of the iceberg. We need support from the government and the global community — rehabilitation centers for tribal men and women struggling with alcohol addiction, improved mental health resources and awareness initiatives.”

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Washington — Accepting a cease-fire deal with Israel should be a "no-brainer" for Hamas, but the motivations of the militants' elusive Gaza-based leadership remain unclear, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late Friday. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has announced that its delegation will return to Cairo Saturday to resume long-running talks brokered by Egypt and Qatar that would temporarily halt Israel's offensive in return for freeing hostages. "We wait to see whether, in effect, they can take yes for an answer on the cease-fire and release of hostages," Blinken said. "The reality in this moment is the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a cease-fire is Hamas." Noting that the militants "purport to represent" the Palestinian people, Blinken said: "If it is true, then taking the cease-fire should be a no-brainer. "But maybe something else is going on, and we'll have a better picture of that in the coming days," he said. Blinken pointed to difficulties negotiating with Hamas, which the United States considers a terrorist group and does not engage with directly and which Israel has vowed to eliminate. "The leaders of Hamas that we're indirectly engaged with — through the Qataris, through the Egyptians — are, of course, living outside of Gaza," Blinken said. "The ultimate decision-makers are the folks who are actually in Gaza itself with whom none of us have direct contact." Blinken was addressing the McCain Institute's Sedona Forum in Arizona days after he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top leaders on his latest visit to the Middle East. Rafah assault still threatened Ahead of his talks with Blinken, Netanyahu vowed to push ahead with an assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah regardless of the outcome of truce negotiations. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has repeatedly warned Israel against moving on Rafah, where an estimated 1.2 million Palestinians have taken shelter. Blinken said that Israel, which counts on the United States for military and diplomatic support, has yet to present "a credible plan to genuinely protect the civilians who are in harm's way." "Absent such a plan, we can't support a major military operation going into Rafah because the damage it would do is beyond what's acceptable," Blinken said. Global criticism of the war's toll on civilians has mounted, as has pressure on the Biden administration. The war broke out after Hamas's October 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The militants also took some 250 hostages, of whom Israel estimates 130 remain in Gaza, including 30 believed to be dead. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 34,622 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's Health Ministry. Saudis want progress “as soon as possible” Blinken on Monday held his latest meeting with Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to discuss potential normalization with Israel. "He's made it clear that he wants to do something on normalization, and he'd like to do it as soon as possible," but only if conditions are met, Blinken said. Before Hamas's October 7 attacks, Netanyahu had seen growing Arab recognition of Israel as a key legacy, and Saudi Arabia, the guardian of Islam's two holiest sites, would be the most coveted prize. But Saudi Arabia has made clear it wants a pathway to a Palestinian state, a prospect long resisted by Netanyahu and adamantly opposed by his far-right allies. "I believe that there can be a Palestinian state with necessary security guarantees for Israel," Blinken said. "And to some extent, I think you'd have Israelis who would like to get to real separation. Well, that is one way to do it." While in Saudi Arabia, Blinken said that the United States was nearly ready with a set of security promises sought by the kingdom in return for normalization with Israel.

KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Ukraine's Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, injuring at least six people and hitting critical infrastructure, commercial and residential buildings, regional officials said on Saturday. The Ukrainian Air Force said the Russian forces launched 13 Shahed drones targeting the regions in the northeast and center of the country. The air defense units downed all the drones, the Air Force commander said. However, debris from the downed drones struck civilian targets in Kharkiv in the northeast, injuring four people and sparking a fire in an office building, the regional governor said. Oleh Synehubov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said a 13-year-old child and a woman were being treated at a hospital. Two other women were treated on site. Emergency services were bringing the fire under control, he said. In the industrial Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were wounded, said Serhiy Lysak, the regional governor. He said a critical infrastructure facility and three houses were damaged.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

VIENTIANE, LAOS — Large numbers of Laotian workers, facing poor economic conditions, are seeking work in Thailand, South Korea and Japan, bringing Laos millions of dollars in repatriated salaries but exposing the workers to debt traps and human trafficking. Laos has the region’s lowest minimum wage, a problem exacerbated by inflation and a substantially depreciating currency, the kip. It also is increasingly dependent on China because of debt and substantial Chinese investments in Laos' energy sector. Meanwhile, government reports say a shortage of skilled workers – which the Energy and Mines Ministry attributes to a "brain drain" and insufficient funding – hampers domestic hydropower and mining projects. The Lao Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare reported last year that of the 303,391 Lao workers overseas, 100,230 acquired jobs legally, while 203,161 sought employment in neighboring countries without proper permits. A report published in February by the Vientiane Times said approximately 228,000 Laotians were working in Thailand, including 70,000 without permits. Another 13,000 were working in South Korea, the report said. These figures do not include large numbers of migrant workers who illegally cross the borders into neighboring countries, especially China. There is little recorded data available on Lao migrant workers in China. However, it is reported that some Laotians cross the border for weekly and seasonal jobs in China from some districts in the northern Luang Namtha province, according to a spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. "Such migrant workers use passports and border passes to cross borders but find irregular work in China through Lao and Chinese brokers. The authorities of both countries, as well as their families, are unaware of their status of working and living in China," the spokesperson said. "They cannot even locate the specific areas where they are employed and residing. This doubles their vulnerability to the risk of abuse and exploitation." Traffickers, he said, use media channels such as TikTok to lure workers and use deception, brokers, and peer pressure to entice them into fraudulent schemes. Many Lao migrant workers are routinely promised good-paying jobs in online services or in cryptocurrency. Meanwhile, the primary challenge for work migration to South Korea is that Laotian migrant workers must pay all the costs before departure, including domestic travel, new passports -- which can take months to obtain -- and recruitment agency fees. Workers also must pay back the agencies, which deduct extra fees from their monthly salaries, the IOM spokesperson told VOA. A 19-year-old recent high school graduate from Luang Prabang told VOA he could make about $560 a month in South Korea, more than twice what he could make in Laos. He said his brothers, all with bachelor’s degrees, are barely making $375 a month and had advised him to skip college and find a job abroad. In October, Laos raised its minimum wage from $61 per month to $75 in the face of inflation, which hit 40% last year and was around 25% in this year’s first quarter. Government’s financial gains from migrant workers Lao workers abroad send back to Laos an average of over $35.5 million monthly, totaling $426 million annually, according to government reports from mid-2023. In July, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone highlighted the importance of remittances for the Lao government, announcing initiatives to promote employment opportunities domestically and internationally by decentralizing job placement centers, modernizing job search services, and promoting self-employment. "We've established 18 job placement service points at the provincial level, 36 at the district level, and engaged four domestic and foreign job placement service enterprises," Sonexay  told the National Assembly. "Efforts include modernizing the job search service mechanism, connecting databases of Lao and foreign workers, and integrating worker salary information with systems like TaxRis," he said, referring to the government’s tax collection system. Additionally, in October, Laos and South Korea initiated a project to streamline cross-border money transfers, with plans for expansion to Thailand and Japan, led by the Lao Labor Ministry, the Bank of Laos, Lao Foreign Commercial Bank, and South Korea’s Global Loyalty Network Company. Not cost-free These benefits to Laos come at a cost, though. Despite promised higher pay for work abroad, deceptive recruitment practices often lead to exploitation and debt bondage because of upfront fees and unclear agreements, said Matthew Friedman, head of the Hong Kong-based Mekong Club, an antislavery organization. "They often don't really know what they're getting into. They then sign agreements without fully understanding what they're signing or interest rates and fees," Friedman said from his temporary location in Singapore. In South Korea, typically Seoul or Busan, workers become ensnared by debt, unable to leave until debts are cleared, he said. Lao workers, mostly young adults or teenagers who are increasingly migrating to Thailand in search of higher-paying jobs as construction workers, waiters, or maids, often face exploitation and unsafe conditions, according to the IOM. Despite legal employment agreements between Thailand and Laos, illegal migration continues as loopholes within the legislative frameworks and tracking systems of both countries facilitate the entry of undocumented workers. The most recent case, on March 3, unfolded in Udon Thani, in northeast Thailand about 75 kilometers from the Laotian border, where local police rescued an 18-year-old Lao woman working as a maid from alleged severe abuse by her employer.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.