Mobility Labour Migration And Border Controls In Asia

One of the biggest challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region in the 21st century is the large scale cross-border movement of people. This book explores: sovereignty; security issues and border-management strategies of major states, in the face of intensified transnational economic and social processes; and the expanding global governance regime.

This paper, published as part of the ESCAP series Studies in Trade and Investment, explores the linkages between trade, labour mobility and development in the Asia-Pacific region. The paper moves from an analysis of recent trends in regional labour mobility through an examination of the connections between trade, migration and development. Finally it considers how migration could be better governed at the multilateral, regional and bilateral levels. A central theme of the paper is that, when properly governed, labour mobility can deliver large and sustained development gains. Improving cross-border labour market access, particularly for people from developing countries, therefore needs higher prioritization by regional policymakers. At the same time, the concerns of receiving country populations around higher levels of immigration also need to be addressed. Striking this balance will require, in particular, the expansion and further adoption of co-operative agreements between sending and receiving countries which provide labour market access in return for more cooperation in migration management and enforcement.

Driven by demographic changes, and reinforced by intensifying globalization, international labour mobility has been on the rise in recent decades in the Asia-Pacific region. It seems that, after trade and investment, labour mobility constitutes the final frontier for regional integration among the Asia-Pacific economies. There is no doubt that labour movements are integral to regional economic integration and critical to the long-term health of the regional economies and business operations. In reality, however, such movements are much burdened with political and social problems in the labour origin economies as well as the labour destination economies, and yet many of these problems remain not just unaddressed by the relevant governments but not even well studied. The present volume seeks to fill this gap by offering synthesis papers stemming from the studies on international labour migration in twenty Asia-Pacific economies which were discussed at a joint PECC-ABAC conference held in Seoul, Korea, on 25-26 March 2008, organized by KOPEC. These papers examine the demographic transition, the associated pattern of international labour migration, the national policies associated with it as well as their implications for business and the issues they raise, and, finally, the implications of these analyses for cooperation among the APEC governments, for each of the four subregions in the Asia-Pacific, as well as for the whole region.

Labour migration has been on the agenda of many countries around the globe at the same time as governments of both sending and receiving countries have been trying to develop regulatory mechanisms. This book opens the debate on the global politics of labour migration by proposing a re-assessment of the interaction between states regarding labour migration. Presenting case-specific scholarship from leading experts from five different continents, each contribution engages with the changing landscape of migration control and teases out emerging control patterns, dynamics and correlations that can be made between them and existing control paradigms. The multidisciplinary and global focus in 'Constructing and Imagining Labour Migration' sheds much needed light on the mechanisms deployed by states in their attempts to control labour migration and on the manner in which these mechanisms impact upon migrants themselves, leaving some caught up in the politics of labour market control

Labour migration in the Asia-Pacific is dynamic and growing. Variable economic growth, deepening regional integration, and growing disparities in wealth, both within and among countries, have created strong incentives for workers to relocate across borders. Patterns of migration are also becoming more complex: the traditional concept of labour migration as being from 'South' to 'North' is no longer accurate to capture the nuanced patterns of flows across the Asia-Pacific. There is a broad consensus that international labour mobility can contribute positively to development and poverty reduction under certain conditions. The ability to earn higher salaries abroad is broadly good for migrants and their families, and for communities remaining behind in the sending countries. Further, contrary to widespread beliefs that inward migration is socially and economically harmful, receiving countries can also benefit from the skills and economic dynamism brought by new arrivals. But there are also costs involved with migration including: high transaction costs for migrants themselves, low levels of protection for workers' rights, and high human and social costs associated with distance from places of origin. Migration, when not well-managed, can also raise social tensions. Unlike international trade, mechanisms for international governance of migration are underdeveloped. However, some regional initiatives, including regional trade agreements, are increasingly including provisions on migration. This paper reviews recent labour migration trends in the Asia-Pacific region. This is followed by a discussion of the main channels which link labour migration and development combined with analysis of policies that can enhance the developmental impact of migration. Finally, regional co-operation initiatives in the area of migration are summarized and proposals for reform at the regional and bilateral level are advanced.

Focusing on the issues associated with migrating for work both in and from the Asian region, this book sheds light on the debate over migration and trafficking. With contributions from an international team of well-known scholars, the book sets labour migration firmly within the context of globalization, providing a focused, contemporary discussion of what is undoubtedly a major twenty-first century concern. Transnational Migration and Work in Asia analyzes workers motivations and rationalities, highlighting the similarities of migration experiences throughout Asia. Presenting in-depth case studies of the real-life experiences and problems faced by migrant workers, the book discusses migrants’ relations with the state and their vulnerability to exploitation, as well as the major policy issues now facing governments, employers, NGOs and international agencies.

This book offers a critical examination of the way in which the nature and governance of international labour migration is changing within a globalizing environment. It examines how labour mobility and the governance of labour migration are changing by exploring the links between political economy and differentiated forms of labour migration. Additionally, it considers the effects of new social models of inclusion and exclusion on labour migration. Therefore, the book troubles the conventional dichotomies and categorizations – permanent vs. temporary; skilled vs. unskilled; legal vs. illegal -- that have informed migration studies and regulatory frameworks. Theoretically, this volume contributes to an ongoing project of reframing the study of migration within politics and international relations. Bringing together an interdisciplinary group of scholars, drawing on examples from the European Union, North America and Asia, Governing International Labour Migration will be of interest to students and scholars of migration studies, IPE, international relations, and economics.

The movement of people in Southeast Asia is an issue of increasing importance. Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are now the origin of 8 percent of the world's migrants. These countries host only 4 percent of the world's migrants but intra-regional migration has turned Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand into regional migration hubs that are home to 6.5 million ASEAN migrants. However, significant international and domestic labor mobility costs limit the ability of workers to change firms, sectors, and geographies in ASEAN. This report takes an innovative approach to estimate the costs for workers to migrate internationally. Singapore and Malaysia have the lowest international labor mobility costs in ASEAN while workers migrating to Myanmar and Vietnam have the highest costs. Singapore and Malaysia's more developed migration systems are a key reason for their lower labor mobility costs. How easily workers can move to take advantage of new opportunities is important in determining how they fare under the increased economic integration planned for ASEAN. To study this question, the report simulates how worker welfare is affected by enhanced trade integration under different scenarios of labor mobility costs. Region-wide, worker welfare would be 14 percent higher if barriers to mobility were reduced for skilled workers, and an additional 29 percent if barriers to mobility were lowered for all workers. Weaknesses in migration systems increase international labor mobility costs, but policy reforms can help. Destination countries should work toward systems that are responsive to economic needs and consistent with domestic policies. Sending countries should balance protections for migrant workers with the needs of economic development.