bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social Capital and Income Attainment among Chinese Immigrant Entrepreneurs in Toronto
Authors: Ooka Emi
Published: January 2015

New economic sociologists have focused on the positive effect of social capital embedded in the ethnic structure on the individual's economic actions. However, recent studies on middle-class immigrants provide inconsistent support for this view. This study examines the significance of social capital by investigating the relationship between the income attainment of immigrant entrepreneurs on the one hand, and two forms of institutional arrangements, co-ethnic firm linkages and co-ethnic personal recruitment, on the other. We found that social capital embedded in the ethnic structure does not play a significant role in the income attainment of Chinese immigrant business owners in Toronto. Rather class resources and social capital beyond the ethnic structure significantly increase the level of income attainment.
International Migration and Labor Market Adjustments in Malaysia: The Role of Foreign Labor Management Policies
Authors: Kanapathy Vijayakumari
Published: January 2015

There has been an increase in the global mobility of labor, and political and social imperatives will continue to compel nations to impose restrictions on international migration. The paper examines Malaysia's experience in regulating the inflow of foreign workers to facilitate its labor market adjustment process. The use of immigration policies to meet the competing objectives of unfettered growth and industrial upgrading has recorded mixed success. Immigration policies are necessary but insufficient. They must be complemented and supplemented by labor market development strategies to foster quality growth based upon “high path” structural transformation.
China's International Migration Policy
Authors: Wenruo Hou
Published: January 2015

Labor export and the introduction of foreign experts have played an important role in China since it launched reform and open door policy in 1978. The article discusses China's economic environment since then, the policies and mechanisms attendant to labor export and the introduction of experts, and presents data on international migration. Labor export is subsumed under the larger framework of economic growth. Thus, exporting labor is supplementary to the introduction of new technologies, infrastructure development, and improving the management of enterprises. To facilitate the introduction of new technologies and to improve the management of enterprises, the Chinese government encourages foreign experts to work in China. The government is against irregular migration and seeks to avoid brain drain.
Migration, Development and US Labor Markets: The Mexican-US Case
Authors: Martin Philip , Garcia y Griego Manuel
Published: January 2015

This paper explores economic and technological changes and the evolution of labor markets in sending and receiving countries, with an emphasis on developments in a major emigration country, Mexico, and the impacts of migrants from Mexico and Latin America on the labor markets of Canada and the US. There are four major conclusions. Firstly, while immigrant workers are important in many industries, occupations, and areas, no major US industry or occupation is dependent on foreign-born or Mexican-born workers. Secondly, Mexican-born workers tend to be near the low end, often filling jobs that would be eliminated or modified by technology if wages rose. Thirdly, the short- and long-run effects of trade and investment on migration may be very different, producing a migration hump in the short-term that may increase migration flows before they decline. Finally, current demographic changes in Mexico's labor market can lead to a near-term decline in the volume of unauthorized migration to the United States even if emigration probabilities continue to rise moderately.

Mexico, the US, and Canada are on the path toward closer economic integration that could soon reduce permanent or settler migration, even as temporary or sojourner migration increases for business and other purposes. The reduction in emigration pressure in Mexico may be noticeable sooner than is commonly realized for demographic and economic reasons. The policy challenge is to do no harm, to avoid policies that produce unintended negative consequences or that prolong Mexican-US unauthorized migration during the transition.
Sustaining Families Transnationally: Chinese-Malaysians in Singapore
Authors: Lam Theodora , Yeoh Brenda S.A. , Law Lisa
Published: January 2015

In contrast to existing literature on transnational elites which has stereotypically identified the migrant as an individual careerist, usually white, middle-aged and male, this paper gives attention to aspects of skilled transmigration beyond the productive sphere by bringing into play questions concerning the “family” and “family relations.” We suggest that even in situations where different family members do not move as a unit, the “family” and “family relations” continue to be constructed, sustained and reshaped in grounded ways, as signalled by new family forms such as “astronaut husbands” and “parachute kids.” Indeed, hyper-mobilities among global elites often lead to families being “lived” and “sustained” transnationally. Using a two-pronged approach that combines a questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews, the paper is based on a study of Chinese-Malaysian professionals who have been accorded expatriate or permanent resident status in Singapore. The study focused on their transmigratory experience and how they negotiate crucial issues relating to the “family.” Chinese-Malaysian transmigrants maintain very strong social networks linking them to their dispersed family members, creating new geographies of households. New household strategies and social practices such as transnational marriage, parenting and caring for elderly parents have since evolved to cope with the dispersion of family members across borders.
Transnational Advocacy Networks, Female Labor Migration and Trafficking in East and Southeast Asia: A Gendered Analysis of Opportunities and Obstacles
Authors: Piper Nicola , Uhlin Anders
Published: January 2015

The aim of this article is to advance political economy and politics into migration studies by analyzing the role of transnational advocacy networks working on issues of trafficking and labor migration in East and Southeast Asia. Drawing on some empirical research, but mainly offering conceptual ideas, we demonstrate the importance of gender not only in trafficking and labor migration but also in transnational advocacy. First, we contextualize trafficking and labor migration within a gendered international political economy, focusing on existing power relations between genders, between classes and between states. Second, we examine the role of transnational advocacy networks in this context. In particular, we argue that a broader understanding of political opportunities and obstacles is needed. Emphasizing the transnational context and the importance of gender, we outline different types of opportunities and obstacles to advocacy in this particular area.
Bridging Gender, Migration and Governance: Theoretical Possibilities in the Asian Context
Authors: Piper Nicola
Published: January 2015

This paper examines international labor migration within the broader framework of social justice and ‘politics of migration’ from a ‘bottom up perspective.’ In view of governments' inability or lack of political will to deal with labor migration issues from the perspective of migrant workers' well-being, it is very much up to non-state actors, such as NGOs, to take up the role as advocates to assert pressure on policymakers. Conceptually, this links up with the extensive literature on the revival of civil society and social movements, in a national as well as transnational setting. These linkages (between governmental or elite politics and civil society activism) in the context of international migration have not been explored sufficiently by existing scholarship and need to be integrated into a new normative framework to migration studies. Also, the issue of states' failure in addressing social issues raised by much of the literature on globalization is of importance in this context. At each of these levels, there are gender implications. The international women's movement and feminist contributions in development studies can serve as a model for migration scholars and activists.
Feminized Migration, Community Activism and Grassroots Transnationalization in Japan
Authors: Yamanaka Keiko
Published: January 2015

Japan's 1990 revised immigration law established a renewable ‘long-term resident’ visa category for non-citizens with Japanese ancestry ( Nikkeijin) and their dependents. By the mid-1990s, this had resulted in an influx of more than 200,000 Nikkeijin workers, most of them from Brazil, of whom more than 40 percent were female. In the absence of governmental policy to incorporate immigrants into the nation's political and legal structure, Brazilian children growing up in Japan have encountered great difficulty in acquiring an adequate education. In response, a group of Brazilian mothers founded an organization, ALA Brasil, to help their children cope with study in a public school in Hamamatsu, Japan. In so doing, they collaborated with Japanese parents, teachers, local administrators and community activists, many of whom were also women. Global migration has thus brought dedicated citizens and non-citizens together in pursuit of shared goals, stimulating among them multicultural awareness and grassroots activism. In this process, gender has been found to play a pivotal role. This underlines the importance of gender analysis in achieving an understanding of social processes that can lead to the expanded participation of women in public roles in this era of decentralized power.
Chinese Business Migration to Australia, Canada and the United States: State Policy and the Global Immigration Marketplace
Authors: Wong Lloyd L.
Published: January 2015

This paper examines business migration to Australia, Canada and the United States by integrating the concepts of a global immigration marketplace and the commodification of citizenship into global political economy theory. It finds that state business migration policies constitute “offers” to potential businesspersons, in a discourse of “competition” and simultaneously regulate the process. In the sorting process of potential migrants across countries many businesspersons have a rational “choice” of the country they want to emigrate to. This competition and choice provide evidence of a global immigration marketplace and data show that only Australia and Canada are active competitors with Canada having an advantage. An analysis of Chinese business migration from China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore indicate substantial numbers in the tens of thousands in the early 1990s but this has decreased in recent years due to several economic and political factors. Currently there are moderate levels of Chinese business migration with China now as the major source country. Since businesspersons are not a homogenous group the paper concludes with some suggested policy changes to make business migration more accessible and transformative.
Harnessing Transnational Linkages for Development: The Case of Dutch-Filipino Connections
Authors: Maas Marisha
Published: January 2015

Using the concept of transnationalism as a point of departure, I examine the expanding linkages between Filipinos in the Netherlands and their communities of origin in the Philippines. The emerging linkages and relations between migrants abroad and their home communities also include other actors and institutions, such as government agencies and NGOs. The empirical evidence based on the Dutch-Filipino connections suggests that these transnational linkages have the potential to promote sustainable development in the migrants' home communities.
The Migration of Skilled Health Professionals: From the Pacific Islands to the World
Authors: Connell John
Published: January 2015

This article deals with the migration of skilled health professionals (SHPs) in and from eight Pacific island countries (PICs) in the context of the globalization of the health workforce. Although the migration of SHPs is not new, current trends speak of a global migration chain which includes developing and poor countries as a source of SHPs to developed countries. Recent experiences with the migration of SHPs in and from the PICs are elaborated in this article based on a survey undertaken in the PICs in 2000–2002. Income differentials, poor working conditions and the presence of kin in other countries are some of the factors that drive the emigration of SHPs. The operation of these factors, along with the active recruitment of SHPs by the developed countries, suggests that the PICs are likely to continue losing their SHPs, implying difficulties in responding to national health needs.
International Migration from Fiji: Gender and Human Development Issues
Authors: Chandra Dharma
Published: January 2015

Fiji Islanders have emigrated to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States of America since Fiji became independent in 1970. Emigration has continued since then with peaks during times of political crises, such as national elections. It has experienced troughs during periods of political stability and economic growth. The trends in Fiji suggest that deficits in huamn development, especially in relation to human security, underlie the emigration of Fiji citizens, particularly the Fiji Indians. The gender dimensions of emigration and its implications for human development are explored in this article.
Migration, Poverty and Development in Nepal
Authors: Kumar Bal
Published: January 2015

A high fertility rate of 4.1 children per woman and a huge population of women in the reproductive ages will exasperate poverty and increase migration pressures in Nepal. Those with resources are likely to emigrate for foreign employment while those without will engage in internal migration, which could add to the present level of poverty in the destination areas. A correlational analysis of migration and development indicators found a high incidence of poverty in the regions associated with net out-migration. The articles concludes that a consideration of migration dynamics needs to be integrated in poverty reduction strategies in Nepal.
Ethnic and Gender Relations in Hong Kong: The Work Experiences of Recent Mainland Chinese Immigrant Women
Authors: Lee William Keng Mun
Published: January 2015

This article examines the experiences of paid work and unpaid work of recent Mainland Chinese immigrant women in Hong Kong by looking at how institutional and social organizational processes in Hong Kong affect immigrant women. Using information derived from in-depth interviews of 20 recent Mainland Chinese immigrant women and selected family members, the paper investigates how these women's lives have been transformed due to differences in the social organization of paid and unpaid work, as well as discriminatory policies and practices that underline their experiences.
Departures and Arrivals: International Students Returning to the Countries of Origin
Authors: Butcher Andrew
Published: January 2015

This paper examines notions of re-entry, or return migration, through the experiences of East Asian tertiary international students who had studied in New Zealand. After identifying specific methodological contexts of re-entry for these students, and briefly considering international students' experiences in New Zealand, this article examines various transitions encountered during re-entry. These transitions center on expectations, a longing to belong, identity crisis, and a sense of homelessness and loss, as well as various social responses and other general transitions. The paper then argues that the re-integration of identity and place is crucial in ameliorating some of the reentry difficulties, which also provides a useful conceptual framework to understand re-entry.
‘Singapore Unlimited’?: Transnational Elites and Negotiations of Social Identity in the Regionalization Process
Authors: Yeoh Brenda S.A. , Willis Katie D.
Published: January 2015

Drawing on the burgeoning literature on globalization, international migration and the deterritorialization of social identity in transcultural contexts, we examine the diasporic designs of the Singapore state in its ‘goregional’ push and compare this with individual (re)negotiations of social identity as a result of relocation in China. While the state has exhorted the value of configuring a Singaporean diasporic identity which facilitates cultural penetration of the Chinese nation through network capitalism and ethnic entrepreneurship and by projecting Singapore's brand name on foreign shores, identity negotiations of individual citizens across transnational space appears to be both ‘strategic’ and ‘sticky’.
On the Motivations of Business Travel: Evidence from an Australian Survey
Authors: Tani Massimiliano
Published: January 2015

This paper presents the results of a survey of international business travelers to and from Australia carried out at Sydney Airport in May 2003 to understand the motivations underlying business travel. Data gathered from a sample of 210 business travelers indicate that knowledge sharing is a very common motivation to undertake a business trip while boosting sales is the least common. Business trips emerge as a mechanism to access, develop and transfer knowledge internationally, and possibly affect a country's ability to innovate.
Immigration from Bangladesh to India Based on Census Data
Authors: Nanda Aswini Kumar
Published: January 2015

Census data for the years 1981, 1991 and 2001 were analyzed to measure documented population flows from Bangladesh to India and to describe their distribution and stay in India. The limitations of census data as a source of information on international migration are explained. As of 2001, there were 3.1 million and 3.7 million Bangladeshis in India; these are based on place of last residence and place of birth, respectively. The East and Northeast regions received 97 percent of Bangladeshis for the period 1981 to 2001. They also tend to stay for a long period of time in their areas of arrival.
A Tale of Two Troubled Areas: Forced Migration, Social Violence and Societal (In)Security in Indonesia
Authors: Azca Muhammad Najib
Published: January 2015

This paper discusses the linkages among forced migration, social violence and the problems of societal (in)security in Indonesia. It argues that the issue of forced migration can be seen in two ways: (1) as a consequence and casualty of social violence, in which case it is an indicator of societal insecurity; and (2) as a cause of (new) social violence and a source of societal insecurity. This paper suggests that the increasing incidence of forced migration results from the growing social violence and societal insecurity during the transition period, though more evidence of their links have yet to be established. The portrait at the local level, as the case studies of Ambon-Maluku and West Timor-East Nusa Tenggara show, supports the thesis that the rising incidence of forced migration resulted in increasing societal insecurity and social violence.
Migrant Worker Organizing in Indonesia
Authors: Ford Michele
Published: January 2015

This article examines attempts by Indonesian migrant labor NGOs, migrant worker organizations and trade unions to promote the labor rights of Indonesian migrant workers employed overseas. In recent years trade unions in Indonesia have increasingly been forced to acknowledge the existence of overseas labor migrants. But NGOs have dominated migrant labor advocacy initiatives, and grassroots migrant labor organizations such as the Indonesian Migrant Workers' Union (IMWU) have developed independently of existing trade unions. Unions in Indonesia, like unions in other countries of origin, have been only marginally involved in migrant worker issues because of their physical boundedness within the nation-state and their focus on the formal sector. In other words, the fact that unions operate primarily at the national and sub-national scales and the difficulties they have had incorporating workers employed in less structured workplaces, and particularly in the informal sector, limits their capacity to assist or organize citizens employed outside the boundaries of the nation-state. This paper argues that unions must move beyond their traditional structures and spheres of influence in order to address the needs of overseas migrant workers, who represent an increasingly important union constituency in countries such as Indonesia.
Migrant Workers: An Emerging Concern of Trade Unions in Asia
Authors: Raghwan
Published: January 2015

This paper describes the growing trend of trade unions in Asia becoming increasingly involved with issues affecting migrant workers. This involvement can be observed not only in trade unions' attempts to support migrant workers, but also in cooperating with other stakeholders, notably non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working with migrants. Examples of NGO-trade union initiatives have emerged in Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and Hong Kong.
Engaging with Migration Issues: The Work of FES in the Philippines and Southeast Asia
Authors: Barriga Joanne C. , Herberg Mirko
Published: January 2015

Migrant workers are a special concern of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung offices in Southeast Asia. Its Philippine Office works with various non-government organizations and has supported programs to enhance awareness of labor migration issues and to promote the human and political rights of migrant workers. FES recently initiated a regional project to facilitate more cooperation between migrant NGOs and trade unions in the promotion of migrants' rights and empowerment.
Foreign Women Trafficked to United States Military Areas in South Korea: Trafficking Processes and Victim Profiles in a Different Context
Authors: Yea Sallie
Published: January 2015

This paper details the specific circumstances of foreign women sex trafficked to American military base areas (camp towns) in South Korea, focusing particularly on Filipinas. I suggest that the processes and patterns of trafficking to Korea, including the victim profiles and their migration trajectories, differ in several important respects from those put forward under prevailing stereotypes of trafficking victims, which is based largely on selected findings about trafficking in South Asia and the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GMS). The departures presented by the Korean context point to the need to recognize differences as well as commonalities in the characteristics of sex trafficking throughout the region and the need to draw more fully on a range of trafficking sites beyond the more often discussed South Asia and GMS in extending our understandings of trafficking.
Free Market Reform in China and the Labor Migration of Chinese Seafarers
Authors: Tsui Ming
Published: January 2015

Focusing on a group of Chinese men who intend to work on foreign-owned, seagoing cargo ships, this article examines the demographics and motivations of these migrant workers. The study found that the trainees were more likely to be from rural areas than from cities and that significantly more trainees were residents of inland provinces than coastal provinces. The trainees tend to be young, well educated, and financially better off than average Chinese workers. Viewed in terms of the main economic theories of labor migration, Chinese government policy, and China's free market reform, the findings suggest that in the case of China, international, as well as internal, labor migration is influenced more by government migration policy and institutional changes under market reform than by individual motivations and job opportunities.
Remitting Money to Bangladesh: What Do Migrants Prefer?
Authors: Ullah AKM Ahsan , Panday Pranab Kumar
Published: January 2015

This paper looks into the remittance channels used by Bangladeshi labor migrants in Hong Kong and Malaysia and examines the reasons why they prefer particular modes of money transfer. Data were collected from 126 respondents (56 in Hong Kong and 70 in Malaysia) through a survey conducted during June 2004 to October 2005. An overwhelming majority of migrants preferred unofficial over official channels in transferring money. According to migrants, the informal channels are quicker in transferring money and the exchange rate is higher than the formal channels. They recognized though that there is a considerable amount of risk in remitting through informal channels.
Teaching at Home or Overseas: Teacher Migration from Fiji and the Cook Islands
Authors: Voigt-Graf Carmen , Iredale Robyn , Khoo Siew-Ean
Published: January 2015

The migration of skilled workers is increasing rapidly in Pacific Island countries including Fiji and the Cook Islands. This paper focuses on teacher migration because of the potentially far-reaching implications of this migration for educational systems and development. The situation in Fiji and the Cook Islands is compared and contrasted. Based on a survey of teachers in selected schools in Fiji and the Cook Islands, the paper examines factors related to intentions to migrate or stay. Findings from the study provide insights on how the government in Fiji and the Cook Islands can retain a competent teaching force. The paper also discusses the vulnerability of the education systems in Pacific Island countries in the light of high rates of international teacher migration.
Labor Circulation and Changes among Seafarers' Families and Communities in Kiribati
Authors: Borovnik Maria
Published: January 2015

This paper critically examines the social and cultural elements involved in seafaring and explores how a seafaring lifestyle has affected aspects of the te katei ni Kiribati, the “I-Kiribati way of life.” The decision to undertake contract labor requiring a work life apart from families is one way to maximizing socio-economic benefits, where the hardship of being away from home over extended periods is endured in order to maintain and benefit families at home. This paper explores how seafarers are perceived in Kiribati's communities, and how different aspects of their employment alternating with vacation at home are affecting family relationships and the I-Kiribati culture.
Carework and Migration: Japanese Perspectives on the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement
Authors: Suzuki Nobue
Published: January 2015

This paper details the context of the reception of Filipino careworkers under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). Following the reduction in the deployment of Filipina/o entertainers in Japan since March 2005, the potential deployment of careworkers to Japan has generated much interest in the Philippines. However, many aspects of careworker migration are not well understood. The primary objective of this paper is thus to clarify the social conditions surrounding the JPEPA to better understand the various issues involved in carework in Japan. Towards this end, the paper discusses the following: the attempt of the state to reduce the costs of carework; state policies on foreign workers and the prospect of bringing in Filipino careworkers under the JPEPA; the responses of government institutions, medical and labor organizations to careworker migration; the process of careworker migration as provided in the JPEPA; and possibilities of cooperation between Filipinos already in Japan and incoming careworkers.
Migration, Remittances and Monetization of Farm Labor in Subsistence Sending Areas
Authors: Hull James R.
Published: January 2015

Obtaining the labor necessary to perform household agricultural tasks in contexts with periods of intense labor demand can be a challenge. The challenge is especially pronounced in Northeast Thailand where biophysical conditions constrain the possibilities for labor reduction, while still maintaining productivity, and demographic changes in the supply of laborers place some households in a particular bind. Out-migration is hypothesized to impact the household's decision to grow rice and method of acquiring the necessary labor. Out-migration influences these decisions through lost labor and migrant remittances. These relationships are used to help explain the rapid monetization of agricultural labor in a region of Northeastern Thailand over the period 1994 to 2000. I find that remittances are related to the monetization of agricultural labor, likely through allowing households to escape labor constraints by paying non-household laborers in cash. No such support is found for a pure labor-loss effect driving monetization.
Residential Clustering among Nang Rong Migrants in Urban Settings of Thailand
Authors: Jampaklay Aree , Korinek Kim , Entwisle Barbara
Published: January 2015

This study examines the residential patterns of rural-urban migrants in Thailand. The analysis takes advantage of a rich dataset that followed migrants from rural Nang Rong, a district in the Isan region, to the Bangkok metropolitan area and the Eastern Seaboard. Findings document substantial residential clustering: almost half of the migrants interviewed in 2000 and 2001 lived in neighborhoods where 80 percent or more of their neighbors came from Isan. Migrants with less than a secondary education, those working in factory jobs, and those working with other migrants from Isan were more likely to be living in Isan-concentrated neighborhoods, net of other variables.
Women's Mobility, Changing Gender Relations and Development in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Authors: Williams Catharina
Published: January 2015

This paper investigates the relationships between mobility and the constitution of gender relations and subjectivities of rural-urban female migrants in Indonesia. Employing an ethnographic approach, my research explores meanings of space and changing relationships for migrant subjects. A specific group of migrants — teachers and nurses from the outer islands of Eastern Indonesia — working in urban centers elaborate on their stories of migration. The reasons and consequences of their migration reflect intricate and shifting gender relations, as boundaries of propriety are redefined through spatial movement. This kind of mobility suggests that women migrate for multiple reasons requiring various scales of analysis. Migrants reveal shifting subjectivity and changing relations with family and local communities whilst participating in political and economic spaces.
The Social Identities of Filipino Seafarers
Authors: Dimayuga Ronna
Published: January 2015

This study explores the social identities of Filipino seafarers, an important component of temporary labor migration from the Philippines. Three major questions were examined, namely, their social memberships, the place of national identity vis-à-vis other social identities, and seafarers' perceptions of their Filipino identity. Overall, religion, friends and family were the top three social identities mentioned by all seafarers. Length of work experience abroad was found to be associated with the importance seafarers attached to their group affiliations. The study offers some explanations on why national identity was less salient compared with other social identities.
Assessing the Measurement of Internal Migration in India
Authors: Bhagat Ram B.
Published: January 2015

The lack of data presents a fundamental challenge in measuring internal or international migration. Focusing on the case of India, this research note tackles the following aspects in the measurement of internal migration in India: a survey of migration-related questions included in various censuses, an assessment of the different criteria to determine migration status, and a comparison of migration data derived from census data and the National Sample Survey. Due to recent developments, there is a need to review these approaches to ensure that they capture new realities.
Compulsory Schooling of Immigrant Children in Japan: A Comparison across Children's Nationalities
Authors: Chitose Yoshimi
Published: January 2015

Using the 2000 Population Census of Japan, I assessed the factors that explain differences in enrollment in compulsory schooling between immigrant and Japanese children. I also examined the determinants of schooling by children's nationality. The results indicated that differences in enrollment rates by children's nationality were driven by human, social and regional capital. In particular, the absence of a Japanese member in a child's household and the low educational status of the mother put immigrant children at the risk of non-enrollment. Nationality-specific analysis revealed that determinants of schooling differed by children's nationality. Overall, the impact of mother's educational and work status was substantial. For Brazilian children, current place of residence was also found as an important factor that determines schooling.
Viet Nam
Authors: Anh Dang Nguyen
Published: January 2015

The out-migration of Vietnamese workers seeking overseas employment is the main type of international migration in Viet Nam. There are various government institutions generating data on immigrants and emigrants. The Exit-Entry Department of the Immigration Bureau monitors the outflows of Vietnamese nationals and the inflows of foreign nationals into the country. The General Statistics Office collects data on immigration, but the data collected by the census are not comprehensive. The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs is responsible for data on contract-based labor migration. The Ministry of Public Security and Border Guard Command are potential information providers on irregular migration into and from Viet Nam; however, the collected data are not made public. Commercial banks do not differentiate remittances transferred by overseas Vietnamese workers and other remittances. The scarcity, availability and accessibility of international migration data are areas in need of improvement.
Migrant Remittances and Skipped Generation Households: Investigating the Exchange Motive Using Evidence from Nang Rong, Thailand
Authors: Piotrowski Martin
Published: January 2015

Using data from the Nang Rong projects social survey ( N=6,801 households) and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews, I examine the relationship between migrant remittances and the skipped generation household structure. I find that the skipped generation household is a significant determinant of in-kind remittances and the amount of remittances received by the household. Surprisingly, although qualitative data suggest that grandparents living in skipped generation households provide childcare for the children of absent migrants, quantitative evidence reveals that these households receive lower remittance amounts than other households. This suggests that although an exchange motivation may be overlooked in the remittance literature, it does not apply to migrant remittances as it does in the broader literature on inter vivos intergenerational transfers.
The Vietnamese in Montreal, Canada: Reflections on Intangible Capital and Immigration
Authors: Dorais Louis-Jacques
Published: January 2015

This article examines how a relatively high level of intangible capital has enabled the relatively rapid integration of Montreal Vietnamese, thus making of them “model” minorities, without forsaking their culture and identity. Three major dimensions of the Vietnamese experience in Montreal are examined: ethnic community life, economic and social integration into mainstream society, and transnational ties. It is shown that these dimensions complement each other, and that each of them contributes in fostering one of the three forms of social capital – bonding, bridging and linking – as defined by Robert Putnam (2000). The article concludes on some theoretical implications concerning the role and limits of human and social capital drawn from the Vietnamese example.
Accessing Employment: Challenges Faced by Non-Native English-Speaking Professional Migrants
Authors: Li Mingsheng , Campbell Jacqui
Published: January 2015

This study attempted to identify the challenges faced by non-native English-speaking professional migrants seeking employment in New Zealand. Conducted in 2007, it involved twenty-two semi-structured interviews with professional migrants and four focus groups with recruitment consultants and migrant settlement agencies. The study uncovered a range of employment barriers. Except for a few who found jobs that matched their qualifications, the greater number of interviewees remained unemployed or accepted unskilled jobs while continuing to look for professional jobs commensurate with their qualifications. Unemployment and underemployment affected both the individuals and their families, leading to loss of income, self-esteem, confidence, and marital separation. Non-native English speaking professional migrants paid “ethnic penalties” on grounds of race and ethnicity. We recommend that recruitment agencies and employers recognize the potential contribution migrants bring to the workforce and that government agencies provide information and training in the area of workplace communication to enable professional migrants to gain employment.
Contributing to Development? Transnational Activities among Tamils in Norway
Authors: Erdal Marta Bivand , Stokke Kristian
Published: January 2015

The theme of this article is the transnational activities of members of the Tamil diaspora in Norway and their significance to development in the Northeast region of Sri Lanka. Our analysis acknowledges the complexity of Tamil transnational activities, particularly in regard to issues which may be seen as political. A key observation among the majority of the Tamil diaspora concerns their pragmatic and seemingly apolitical approach to development. This is explained with reference to the positionality of the Tamil diaspora, as a key actor in regard to politics and development in Northeast Sri Lanka, but simultaneously trapped by the dynamics of war and peace. Thus, members of the Tamil diaspora employ transnational strategies, but in forms that cater to complex and sometimes contradictory needs for Tamil identity and belonging, political interests of national self-determination and security, and survival for families.
Human Trafficking in Turkey: Findings from Northeastern Anatolia
Authors: Atauz Sevil , Akbaş Emrah , Atasü-Topçuoğlu Reyhan
Published: January 2015

This study is based on field research implemented in four cities in Northeastern Anatolia, Turkey. It focused mainly on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of different stakeholders with regard to human trafficking. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews conducted among 142 interviewees representing different sectors. Human trafficking in the region seems to occur solely in the form of sex trafficking of women. Findings suggest that the knowledge level of most officials, NGOs and community members is rather low, which may lead to stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes towards trafficked women in the region. Anti-trafficking activities thus far have been limited and more remains to be done to combat human trafficking more effectively and more efficiently.
How Valuable is “Two-Step Migration”? Labor Market Outcomes for International Student Migrants to Australia
Authors: Hawthorne Lesleyanne
Published: January 2015

In the past decade, Australia has developed unprecedented reliance on skilled migrants, a process intensified by a period of sustained economic boom. By 2007, two-thirds were former international students recruited in Australia rather than offshore applicants, exemplifying a transition to what is termed “two-step migration.” How acceptable, however, are such onshore applicants to employers, in a context where Australia's 2006 skilled migration review found less favorable outcomes for former international students than migrants recruited offshore? To address this question, key education enrollment, migration and employment databases were analyzed in-depth. Overall, former international students were found to achieve comparable labor market participation rates to migrants recruited offshore. However, former students qualified in two-year courses and/or in oversubscribed fields performed worse than offshore migrants. Between 2007 and 2010, Australia introduced major policy reforms to improve the outcomes for international students applying under the skilled migration program. In February 2010, the government corrected education sector abuses while significantly changing selection processes. This decade of Australian policy experimentation may be instructive to other countries which have introduced study-migration pathways designed to attract and retain former students as skilled migrants.
Remittance Flows and Their Use in Households: A Comparative Study of Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Philippines
Authors: Eversole Robyn , Shaw Judith
Published: January 2015

International migrant remittances have stimulated considerable interest as a development resource. This paper looks closely at the household-level dynamics of remittance flows and remittance usage, recognizing that the key actors in the remittances story are migrants and their households. Data are drawn from household surveys, focus groups and interviews with remittance recipients and returnees in three countries with substantial remittance inflows: Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The paper describes variations and patterns in migrant destination and work, remitting behavior, and the use of remittances in households, with attention to their larger implications.
Sri Lankan Female Domestic Workers Overseas — The Impact on Their Children
Authors: Hugo Graeme , Ukwatta Swarna
Published: January 2015

Sri Lanka, along with the Philippines and Indonesia, is a major source of migrant domestic workers. There has been little investigation into the impacts of the absence of women on their families and communities left behind. Contract migrant labor in Asia usually means leaving the family behind for two years or even longer. This paper firstly demonstrates how Sri Lankan women are increasingly becoming part of a global care chain. It draws on a survey and qualitative work among families and communities left behind by these migrant workers to explore the impacts on families and children. It examines the ways in which mothers seek to overcome the consequences of their absence on their families and children. A number of policy recommendations are made to ameliorate the negative impacts of the absence of Sri Lankan migrant domestic workers.
From Foreign Trainees to Unauthorized Workers: Vietnamese Migrant Workers in Japan
Authors: Bélanger Danièle , Ueno Kayoko , Hong Khuat Thu , Ochiai Emiko
Published: January 2015

This paper documents the experiences of Vietnamese migrant workers who migrated to Japan as industrial “trainees” during early and mid-2000, some of whom became unauthorized workers. Based on in-depth interviews and survey data collected in Vietnam in 2008 and 2009 from migrants who had returned from Japan, this paper explores the factors that led some workers to slip from legal to irregular work. Our analysis shows how the recruitment process in Vietnam, the implementation of the trainee/intern program in Japan, and migrant networks together create the conditions that encourage or discourage some workers from working in the irregular job sector and overstaying their visas. We situate this argument within the conceptualization of unauthorized labor migration as a structurally embedded phenomenon.
Overview of Trends and Policies on International Migration to East Asia: Comparing Japan, Taiwan and South Korea
Authors: Lee Yean-Ju
Published: January 2015

This overview article examines the major similarities and differences among the three countries in East Asia — Japan, Taiwan and Korea — in terms of their immigration policies and observed flows as an introduction to three country-specific papers and a contribution on the simulation of economic impacts of different migration scenarios in Asia. These papers are from a two-year project, “From Origin to Destination: Policy Alternatives for Managing Two-Way Migration Pathways in Asia,” funded by the Korea Foundation. The papers demonstrate important common patterns, including the special treatment of ethnic return migrants, population aging and demands for low-skilled migrant workers in the industrial and service sectors, the strict policy on temporary migration for low-skilled migrant workers, and the concentration of women in marriage migration and as carers in labor migration.
International Migration, Population Age Structure and Economic Growth in Asia
Authors: Lee Sang-Hyop , Mason Andrew
Published: January 2015

From receiving countries' point of view, immigration may be an attractive policy option because it may attenuate the pace of aging in countries further along in their demographic transitions. Immigration policy potentially has important economic implications for several reasons. First, solely due to the compositional effects associated with immigration, a larger share of the population could be concentrated in the working ages. Second, immigration, particularly in the form of permanent immigration, may affect transfers and the accumulation of assets. Immigrants pay taxes that support children and the elderly, they have children who are supported by native taxpayers, and they grow old and rely on future generations of taxpayers. In this study, we assess whether cross-border immigration is likely to be an important policy option in response to population aging in Asia. The analysis presented here suggests, however, that realistic immigration policy is not likely to have a substantial influence on population age structure and its economic consequences on both receiving and sending countries are likely to be modest.
Seeking a Better Work-Life Balance: Expectations and Perceptions of Work-Related Practices and Attitudes of Recent Immigrants to New Zealand
Authors: Malinen Sanna , Johnston Lucy
Published: January 2015

The retention of immigrant employees has been long recognized as a challenge. Understanding immigrants' expectations and work-related experiences is important in the development of interventions to retain immigrant employees. The reported research investigated recent immigrants' reasons for migration, and their work-related attitudes and perceptions of New Zealand's work-related practices. The immigrants' responses were compared to individuals who had only ever lived and worked in New Zealand. Lifestyle factors were more important than work-related factors in the immigrants' reasons for migration. Overall job satisfaction was high and work-family conflict low, and the immigrants showed fewer behaviors associated with workaholism than did the New Zealand-based group. Moreover, immigrants showed more positive behaviors and perceptions of their current, as compared with their previous, employment. The results are discussed in terms of attraction and retention of immigrant employees and their acculturation to New Zealand.
National Security and the Management of Migrant Labor: A Case Study of the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Lori Noora
Published: January 2015

This article examines the main institutional developments that have accompanied the economic and political changes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the past twenty years. In particular, the different agencies of the UAE's Ministry of Interior have taken active roles in responding to the demographic changes and in developing preemptive policing strategies that include community policing, extensive surveillance networks, and increasingly individualized and standardized forms of identification. The paper assesses how that institutional growth has shaped the way the UAE has come to manage its guest worker program over time. It explains how the security apparatus is deployed by the state for managing the criminal and cultural impact of expatriates on the national body politic.