ACCESS TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE SYSTEM: A COMPARATIVE RESEARCH BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES OF CHAM, KHMER, AND KINH IN THE RURAL SOUTHEAST

Abstract

For more than three decades, there has been a continuous flow of people moving from the Mekong Delta to the Southeast. The extent to which migrants have accessed to the social Welfare system in their new destination is important to their lives, reflecting the implementation of local government policies towards migrants. Using survey data from household questionnaires and in-depth interviews with correspondents, applying the concepts of "Social Welfare" and "Accessing to Social Welfare." the paper compares the level of access to the social welfare system of three migrant communities - Cham, Khmer, and Kinh - from the Mekong Delta to rural Southeast. The findings indicate that there is a difference in the three survey communities' levels of social security system engagement and benefit in relation to their educational attainment, occupation, income, and spiritual leader. The research result implies that the social welfare system is very meaningful for migrants, but the efforts of individuals and the migrant community are even more important to stabilize their lives and grow the economy.