Laos Emigration and Immigration

Online Sources

 * 1895-1912 French Overseas Laos Civil Registration and Parish Registers, 1895-1912, index and images.

British Overseas Subjects

 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Laos, index & images ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Laos, index & images ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, Laos, index & images ($)

Laos Emigration and Immigration
"Emigration" means moving out of a country. "Immigration" means moving into a country. Emigration and immigration sources list the names of people leaving (emigrating) or arriving (immigrating) in the country. These sources may be passenger lists, permissions to emigrate, or records of passports issued. The information in these records may include the emigrants’ names, ages, occupations, destinations, and places of origin or birthplaces. Sometimes they also show family groups.

Immigration into Laos

 * Present-day Laos traces its historic and cultural identity to Lan Xang, which existed from the 14th century to the 18th century as one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia.
 * Because of its central geographical location in Southeast Asia, the kingdom became a hub for overland trade and became wealthy economically and culturally.
 * After a period of internal conflict, Lan Xang broke into three separate kingdoms—Luang Phrabang, Vientiane, and Champasak.
 * In 1893, the three territories came under a French protectorate and were united to form what is now known as Laos.
 * It briefly gained independence in 1945 after Japanese occupation but was re-colonized by France until it won autonomy in 1949.
 * Laos became independent in 1953. A post-independence civil war began ending in 1975. Laos was then dependent on military and economic aid from the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991.

Emigration From Laos

 * Some Vietnamese, Laotian Chinese and Thai minorities remain, particularly in the towns, but many left after independence in the late 1940s, many of whom relocated either to Vietnam, Hong Kong, or to France.
 * From 1975 to 1996, the United States resettled some 250,000 Lao refugees from Thailand, including 130,000 Hmong.
 * KNOMAD Statistics: Emigrants: 1,294,200. Top destination countries: Thailand, the United States, Bangladesh, France, Canada, Australia, Vietnam, China, Germany, Switzerland