Abstract
High fees paid to recruiters reduce the positive impact of migration on development. It can also lead to irregular migration by deterring migrants from using formal channels or increase the risk for migrants of ending up in forced labour situations because of high debt liabilities. This study seeks to shed light on the migrant worker-paid migration costs in an important migration corridor: Viet Nam to Malaysia. The report gives an understanding of the demographics of low-paid labour migration from Viet Nam to Malaysia and identifies the costs paid by these workers in the process of finding a job in Malaysia. It finds that, although women and men migrant workers have made monetary gains from migration, the average migrations cost and the social costs are too high. The report concludes with observations and recommendations for policy-makers on how to improve the situation for migrant workers in the region. The study uses the methodology and questionnaires developed by the KNOMAD Thematic Working Group on Low-Skilled Labour Migration, which is co-chaired by the International Labour Organization and the World Bank.