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Key Trends and Issues on International Migration in Asia and the Pacific
Keiko Osaki-TomitaSocial Development Division
ESCAP
EGM on International Migration and Development in Asia and the PacificBangkok, 20-21 September 2008
Contents
Trends in International migration
Key features of international migrationTemporary labour migration
Feminization of labour migration
Student migration
Irregular migration, Trafficking
Remittances
Challenges of migration in AP
Summary and Conclusion
Long History of Population Movements
Movements of people in the Asian continent accompanied the rise and decline of empires
The “silk-road” joined the cultures of China, Central Asia, Western Asia and Europe
16th century: Arrival of European powers
Late 19th-early 20th century: Recruitment of foreign indentured workers during the colonial period
Contemporary migration in Asia-Pacific
Mid-1970s: Labour migration to the oil-producing countries in Western Asia
1980s: Growing intraregional migration in Eastern and South-eastern Asia; Large-scale refugee movements
1990s: Growing movements of skilled professionals, Feminization
2000- : Further diversification of flows
Permanent settlement to the West
Key Features of international migration in Asia and the Pacific
Temporary labour migration
Feminization of labour migration
Student migration
Irregular migration, Trafficking
Remittances
Refugees
Feminization of labour migration
Women constitute a large proportion of labour outflows:
Philippines: 60%(2006)Indonesia: 83% (2004) Sri Lanka: 53% (2007)
Also significant from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Viet Nam.
Destination varies.Many work as domestic helpers, nurses, care workers, entertainers, factory workers, etc.
Student migration
Number of foreign students in the United States
-
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
1993
/9419
94/95
1995
/9619
96/97
1997
/9819
98/99
1999
/0020
00/01
2001
/0220
03/02
2003
/0420
04/05
Year
Num
ber
China
India
Japan
Republic of Korea
Canada
Taiw an, Province of China
Source: Open Door, 2005.
Student migration: Number of foreign students admitted to Australian universities
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Year
Num
ber
Overseas Students fromSouthern and Central AsiaOverseas Students fromNortheast AsiaOverseas Students fromSoutheast AsiaOther Overseas Students
Irregular migration, Human trafficking
Large irregular migrants
Japan (200,000+)
Malaysia (300,000 to 500,000)
Thailand (1.3 million registered in 20004)
Human trafficking has become wide spread transnational crime.
Source: G. Hugo (2006)
Migrant Remittances
Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators 2006)
Top 10 recipient developing countries in ESCAP region, 2007 (billions)
(US$ billion)
27 26
17
6 6 6 5 4 3 3
India
China
Philip
pines
Bang
lades
hPa
kistan
Indon
esia
Vietn
am
Russia
n Fed
erati
onAu
strali
aSr
i Lan
ka
Challenges of international migration (1)
Protection of the rights of migrants, especially for unskilled migrant workers, women workers. The issue is not yet fully addressed.
Regulation of recruitment agents: Need to develop credible and efficient recruitment system through licensing and close monitoring of agents’ operation.
Leveraging remittances for development: Mechanisms to maximize the development impacts of remittances have been largely absent.
Irregular migration: More effective measures needed to combat irregular migration, including human trafficking.
Challenges of international migration (2)
Impacts on family left behind: Separation of family could be detrimental to family cohesion and marital stability.
Children left behind: More research on long-term impacts is needed.
Philippines (3 to 6 million), Indonesia (1 million), Thailand (500,000)
Marriage migration on the rise: Can be linked to fraudulent marriages and trafficking. Integration of foreign spouses and the children of internationally married couples.
S. Korea (14% of new marriages in 2005 were between a Korean and a foreign spouse).
Summary and conclusion
International migration will increase in scale and complexity
Migration is becoming a long term structural feature of economies in the region
Social dimensions of migration also deserve more attention
Need to combat misinformation and lack of understanding, through research and effective advocacy