mfi
An empty house in Banteay Meanchey province in September 2019 belonging to a family that migrated to Thailand (Licadho)

Microfinance Debt Pushes Villagers to Work in Thailand: Licadho

More than half of surveyed families in a Banteay Meanchey village said the need to repay microfinance loans compelled some in their households to migrate to Thailand for work, which researchers say is part of a longtime, well-documented trend of debt-driven migration.

Garment workers in a factory in Cambodia on December 9, 2014 (ILO)

Garment Workers Cornered by Job Loss, Virus Fears and Looming Debt

For indebted garment workers who have been suspended from work due to coronavirus disruptions, money owed to microfinance institutions is a more immediate threat than Covid-19, leading some to consider selling assets before they’re repossessed.