Spontaneous rural to urban migration and its links to rural development in Vietnam

Abstract

Spontaneous rural to urban migration has increased greatly since Vietnam decided to switch from a centrally-planned to a market-oriented economy in December 1986. Prior to this economic renovation, internal migration in Vietnam was organized and sponsored by the government. In addition, the government adopted policies concerning migration to urban areas, especially Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, aimed at restricting as much as possible the volume of spontaneous migration. The increased volume of spontaneous rural to urban migration is a new phenomenon in Vietnam and there have not been many studies on it. This thesis is written to the purpose of providing an understanding of this phenomenon with an emphasis on rural development--the source of this migration--rather than urban development. In this connection, the thesis gives an overview of rural development in Vietnam in the period 1976 to the present, with the objective of providing readers with an understanding of some causes of this increased migration. This increase has both positive and negative impacts on individual migrants, their households, and on rural and urban development as well. It is argued that for the sustainable development of the whole country, the positive and negative impacts of this migration should be weighed against each other and the government should formulate appropriate spontaneous migration-related policies, although the right of free rural to urban movement is accepted. On the basis of views on rural to urban migration stated in the literature and on the concrete conditions given in Vietnam, recommendations are made with a hope that they might be considered for policies concerning this migration.