Mongolian Labor Migration to Czech Republic

1. Mongolian Labor Migration to Czech Republic IOM Prague Summer School on migration Studies Jindřichův Hradec, 1.9.2010 Tomas Janeba, IOM Prague & Enkhchimeg (Chimgee) Narmandakh

2. Why to talk about Mongolians? • In the recent years the number of Mongolian labor migrants coming to Czech Republic had suddenly and significantly increased. • This phenomenon is interesting because of the geographical and partly cultural distance between the countries. • Mongolians are „natural born migrants“. • During the short boom of labor migration to CR and than during the economic crisis, the Mongolians were in the spotlight of Czech media. • Since October 2007 until now, IOM Prague has implemented 6 projects focused on Mongolian labor migrants and on capacity building of Mongolian NGOs.

3. Mongolian Labor Migration to CR in Numbers • During the 90’s the average number of Mongolians living in CR was some 1500. • Since 2006 the numbers of Mongolians registered at the Czech MWWA first increased and than decreasedsharply: • December 2006 – 3,500 • December 2007 – 8,000 • December 2008 – 14,000 • December 2009 – 6,5000 • The Czech Republic has become a state with the third largest community of Mongolian labor migrants in the world – 1. South Korea (some 30,000), 2. USA (some 20,000), 3.CR (some 14,000).

4. Mongolians in the Czech Republic • The presence of Mongolians on Czech territory is not a new phenomenon. • During the time of socialism, Mongolians were coming to CR mostly to study at secondary and vocational schools as well as universities. • According to some estimates, today, up to 20,000 Mongolians can speak or understand Czech or Slovak language to some extend. According to the former Czech ambassador to Mongolia, Mr. Jiří Šíma, some 60,000 Mongolians had come to Czechoslovakia (1960 - 1989) to study or work.

5. Why were the Mongolians coming? • According to Czech Embassy in Mongolia: the majority of migrants were from the rural areas – internal and subsequently external migration is currently one of the biggest problems of Mongolia. • Up to 60% of migrants possessed secondary education, the man/women ratio was approximately 50/50 As to their motivation to work in CR they stated: 1. To make money, 2. To travel to Europe, 3. To study, 4. To provide a chance for better life andopportunity of quality education to their children

6. What did the Mongolian migrants know about their future life in the Czech Republic Prior their departure, the majority of migrants had just a very vague idea about: • what kind of job they will do • where exactly they are going to work– what town or village • in what conditions they will be working • what salary they really will get • what are the living costs in Czech Republic • what legal status they will have • what rules they will have to follow Basically, their ideas about their life in the Czech Republicwere predominantly based on incorrect or completely false iinformation provided by agencies or even their relatives.

7. How did the Mongolians get to CR? • The majority of migrants used services of unofficial Labor Agencies in Mongolia or help of their relatives. • The services of LA were not free: while in 2006 the average fee of LA was some 400 USD, in December 2008 it was 2,000 EUR. • Migrants had to sell their houses, flats, livestock, firms or take loans from banks in order to generate enough money. • They arrived by train – a week long journey – transfer in Moscow from one train station cost between 20 to 100 USD per person. • Quite many Mongolian migrants had become so indebted that they have no place to return in Mongolia.

8. What do the Mongolians do in CR • The majority of Mongolians have been hired by some Labor Agency and worked at construction, warehouses, logistic centers, meat processing plants, frozen food plants, sewing factories. • Many Mongolians were sewing and gluing leather on steering wheels of expensive cars. • Mongolians have been doing jobs nobody else wanted to take, not even Ukrainians or other foreign labor migrants.

9. Labor agencies: How does it work? I. • LA often recruit workers in the country of origin, where migrants sign the employment contracts with the LA. • Migrant pays to the LA for services related to relocation to CR. • In CR: the LA can not only bring the labor force to CR, but also can hire its clients out and offer the workers to large companies or small entrepreneurs (Contractors). • This system is very popular among Contractors as it allows them to be very flexible in hiring – firing labor force plus they have no hassle with taxes, social and health insurance. • Worker gets about 50% or 60% of the money the Contractor pays to LA for each worker. • This system could be potentially beneficiary for migrants, because LA provides them with visas, work,accommodation, pays social and health insurance. • This leads to full dependency on the LA. • LA owners know how to use such dependency.

10. Labor agencies:How does it work? II. • Average Mongolian labor worker works 10-12 hours a day, 6 days a week. • Average salaries has depended on the type of work, generally, they were receiving between 10,000 CZK (500 USD)CZK – 20,000 CZK (1000) a month. • This situation is convenient for the Contractor, the LA and seemingly for the migrants. • But the migrants do not realize what price they have to pay for being part of this system. • The most common result of this system is full dependency on LA, poor health, poor family life, possible and quite high risk of loosing legal status.

11. Advantages of the LA system for the foreigner In the ideal case,the migrant has a secured stable job, accommodation, a health insurance, services of an interpreter, services related to visa prolongation etc.

12. Disadvantages of LA employment for foreigners • The foreigner has usually no idea about his rights, about his duties, knows nothing about the ways to prolong their visa. Many LA are using this to their advantages. • The foreigner can gradually get in to deep dependency on LA, this could lead to huge debt, health problems, loss of a legal status. • Typical sign of such dependency is a situation, when migrant has to use and pay to the company interpreter for helping with a visit to a physician. • Other example of such dependency: migrants must live in a dormitory owned by LA. If migrant wants to move, faces possibility of loosing job. • Company interpreter often reports the health status of migrants to LA or Contractor. In some cases the Contractor forced the female migrants to choose between abortion or loosing the job.

13. Where do the Mongolians work in CR? Mainly in large industrial centers , such as Prague, Brno, Plzeň, but also often in small towns or even villages where one Contractor hires possibly hundreds of Mongolians (Blansko, Rumburk, Kostelní Hlavno). In the case of a small town, large concentration of Mongolians could potentially lead to problems. In the town of Blansko (20,000 inhabitants) at some moments lived up to 600 Mongolians.

14. Is this system good and advantageous for CR? • In the short time perspective: YES – great work force mobility. • In mid-long perspective:NO - eventual economic recession posses great risk of irregular migration. • In the long time perspective – NO – the system decreases the value of a worker and creates unrealistic environment on the labor market – this could negatively affect the situation and rights of Czech workers.

15. Thank you for your attention Tomáš Janeba Contact: tjaneba@iom.int