E.g., 04/24/2024
E.g., 04/24/2024
Asia and the Pacific

Asia and the Pacific

Asia has a disproportionate share of the world’s young, working-age population—which represents the most mobile cohort—with resulting major immigration flows to other regions, and increasing intraregional migration as demographic transitions occur at different levels within Asia. The research here focuses on how the labor-sending countries of the region, notably the Philippines and other Colombo Process countries, manage these migration flows and the recruitment process. It also examines other conditions affecting the region, including humanitarian protection challenges, climate migration, diaspora relations, and remittances.

Three migrant men wearing masks in Thailand
Reports

Mobility Shutdown: The Impacts of COVID-19 on Migration in Asia and the Pacific

Some of the strictest COVID-19 pandemic-era limits on human mobility occurred in the Asia Pacific region. Border closures started in East and Southeast Asia in early 2020 and quickly spread through the entire region, in some cases remaining in place for more than two years. This report examines the approaches countries took and reflects on the immense costs and benefits of using border measures to tackle public-health risks.

A woman in Nigeria smiles while using her mobile phone
Reports

Leaving No One Behind: Inclusive Fintech for Remittances

Remittances are a vital lifeline for migrants’ families around the world and an important source of revenue for many low- and middle-income countries, especially in times of crisis. As more people turn to digital financial technologies for these money transfers, this shift holds the potential to shake up the rigid remittance industry and boost development benefits. But it also brings new challenges, as this report explores.

Photo of returning Filipino migrant workers.
Articles

The Philippines’ Landmark Labor Export and Development Policy Enters the Next Generation

Fifty years after the birth of the Philippines' strategy to use emigration as a tool for development, the government is doubling down on labor migration. While deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) slumped during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the government and civil society pivoting to assist with return migration and reintegration for hundreds of thousands of Filipinos, emigration has since rebounded, as this article details.

Recent Activity

Nigerian Ministry of interior launched IOM’s Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) in Abuja airport.
Multimedia
May 10, 2022
The State of Global Human Mobility More than Two Years into the Pandemic
Cover image for COVID-19 and the State of Global Mobility in 2021
Reports
May 2022
COVID-19 and the State of Global Mobility in 2021
By  Meghan Benton, Samuel Davidoff-Gore, Jeanne Batalova, Lawrence Huang and Jie Zong
Report cover, From Fear to Solidarity
Reports
May 2022
From Fear to Solidarity: The Difficulty in Shifting Public Narratives about Refugees
By  Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan
Cover image for Digital Health Credentials and COVID-19: Can Vaccine and Testing Requirements Restar
Reports
April 2022
Digital Health Credentials and COVID-19: Can Vaccine and Testing Requirements Restart Global Mobility?
By  Lawrence Huang
An Afghan refugee receives a COVID-19 vaccination in Pakistan.
Articles
April 19, 2022
Persistent COVID-19 Vaccine Inequity Has Significant Implications for Refugees and Other Vulnerable Migrants
By Jhinuk Mukhopadhyay and Gauri Thampi
A teacher leads a lesson on the Korean alphabet in a U.S. dual-language immersion class
Articles
April 14, 2022
Korean Immigrants in the United States
By Cecilia Esterline and Jeanne Batalova
A woman in Italy is vaccinated before travel in 1951.
Articles
April 6, 2022
Vaccine Requirements Predate the COVID-19 Pandemic by More than a Century
By Chi Chi Huang and Alison Bashford
Multimedia
March 29, 2022
Are Climate Migrants Treated Differently than Other Migrants?

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coverthumb Dryden Peterson
Reports
October 2015
The Educational Experiences of Refugee Children in Countries of First Asylum
By  Sarah Dryden-Peterson
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Policy Briefs
September 2015
Promoting the Health of Left-Behind Children of Asian Labour Migrants: Evidence for Policy and Action
By  Kolitha Wickramage, Chesmal Siriwardhana and Sharika Peiris
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Policy Briefs
July 2015
Irregular Maritime Migration in the Bay of Bengal: The Challenges of Protection, Management, and Cooperation
By  Kathleen Newland
coverthumb TCM Protection Syrians
Reports
April 2015
Syrian Refugees in Turkey: The Long Road Ahead
By  Ahmet İçduygu
coverthumb MPI IOM Issue 12
Policy Briefs
March 2015
Women’s Labour Migration from Asia and the Pacific: Opportunities and Challenges
By  Bandita Sijapati
coverthumb IOM Brief 11
Policy Briefs
December 2014
A ‘Freer’ Flow of Skilled Labour within ASEAN: Aspirations, Opportunities, and Challenges in 2015 and Beyond
By  Guntur Sugiyarto and Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza
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Policy Briefs
September 2014
Integrating Migration into the Post-2015 United Nations Development Agenda
By  Lars Johan Lönnback
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Reports
July 2014
Giving Cities and Regions a Voice in Immigration Policy: Can National Policies Meet Local Demand?
By  Madeleine Sumption

Pages

A teacher leads a lesson on the Korean alphabet in a U.S. dual-language immersion class
Spotlight
April 14, 2022
Korean Immigrants in the United States

Immigrants from the Korean peninsula are one of the ten largest foreign-born groups in the United States, but their numbers have actually shrunk in recent years. Immigrants from Korea tend to be older, better educated, and earn higher incomes than the overall immigrant and native-born populations.

A woman in Italy is vaccinated before travel in 1951.
Feature
April 6, 2022
Vaccine Requirements Predate the COVID-19 Pandemic by More than a Century

Requirements that international travelers and migrants prove vaccination against certain diseases are about as old as vaccines themselves. In some cases, vaccine certificates predated the existence of government-issued passports. This article explores the history of these requirements, which began with smallpox and have since been applied for diseases including cholera, polio, yellow fever, and, recently, COVID-19.

A tuk tuk driver in India.
Profile
March 9, 2022
Origin of World’s Largest Migrant Population, India Seeks to Leverage Immigration

With nearly 18 million nationals abroad, India is the origin of more international migrants than any other country and claims the world's largest diaspora. Indian emigration can be traced back to the colonial era, with the British empire dispatching Indian workers across the globe, and has evolved for more than a century in response to global labor demands and geopolitical events. This article offers a comprehensive profile of migration from and to India.

Image of man on steps in front of China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, China
Profile
January 28, 2022
China’s Rapid Development Has Transformed Its Migration Trends

China has a long history of international migration. Movement was sharply interrupted following the 1949 revolution but has rebounded in recent decades. Since 1979, the country has developed from one of mostly limited migration into one that is in many ways defined through its global interactions, although it continues to treat migration warily, as this country profile explains.

A woman stands onboard the U.S. Navy vessel on which she was born.
Spotlight
October 15, 2021
Vietnamese Immigrants in the United States

Vietnamese immigrants are among the largest foreign-born groups from Asia in the United States. The first significant arrivals came at the end of the Vietnam War; more recent immigrants from Vietnam have been more likely to come through family sponsorship programs. This article examines different dimensions of this immigrant population.

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EVENTPH 2014.12.16 Flow of Skilled Labour within ASEAN
Audio
December 16, 2014

A ‘Freer’ Flow of Skilled Labour within ASEAN: Aspirations, Opportunities, and Challenges in 2015 and Beyond

This Bangkok launch of the MPI-IOM Issue in Brief "A ‘Freer’ Flow of Skilled Labour within ASEAN: Aspirations, Opportunities and Challenges in 2015 and Beyond" explored the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community and its vision of a freer flow of skilled labor, as well as other migration issues affecting the region.

EVENTPH 2014.10.28 The Global Boom in Investor Immigration (youtube E.Collett)v.3
Video
October 28, 2014

The Global Boom in Investor Immigration: What Are the Lessons For Policymakers?

A discussion on the extraordinary boom in investor immigration, including the rapidly expanding EB-5 visa in the United States, Malta’s controversial “cash for citizenship” policy and a host of programs across Europe and the Caribbean.

EVENTPH 2014.9.18 IOM MPI Integration Migration into Development Goals
Audio
September 18, 2014

Integrating Migration into the Post-2015 United Nations Development Agenda

A discussion and release in Bangkok of an MPI-IOM issue brief examining the role of migration as a driver for development in Asia and how to integrate migration-related targets and indicators into the post-2015 development agenda.

EVENTPH 2014.5.8 A Discussion on the Global Forum on Migration and Development Perspectives from Asia and the Pacific2
Audio
May 8, 2014

A Discussion on the Global Forum on Migration and Development: Perspectives from Asia and the Pacific

Offering insights on migration issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region today, this event launches an issue brief that explores Asia-Pacific priorities for the 2014 Global Forum on Migration and Development and examines ways the GMFD can be a results-oriented forum.

EventPH 2014.03.20 Human Rights, Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Migration A New Paradigm
Audio
March 20, 2014

Human Rights, Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Migration: A New Paradigm

This MPI event, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), discusses the critical issue of climate-related displacement in the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on the vulnerability of environmental migrants and how the international legal framework can better ensure their protection.

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Recent Activity

Books
October, 2016

All at Sea: The Policy Challenges of Rescue, Interception, and Long-Term Response to Maritime Migration

With maritime migration the subject of significant policy and public focus in Europe, Australia, and beyond, this timely volume reviews the policy responses to irregular maritime arrivals at regional, national, and international levels. The book includes case studies of the major global hotspots—the Mediterranean, Gulf of Aden, Bay of Bengal/Andaman Sea, Australia, and the Caribbean—and examines trends and policy responses.

Reports
September 2016

Resolving Policy Conundrums: Enhancing Humanitarian Protection in Southeast Asia

Human displacement, asylum movements, refugee and stateless populations, and irregular labor migration flows have long posed challenges for Southeast Asia. This report analyzes migration flows in and through the region and the policy challenges and responses to these flows, particularly the May 2015 humanitarian crisis resulting from the maritime migration of Rohingya and Bengalis in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.

Articles
September 21, 2016

The Australia-Cambodia Refugee Relocation Agreement Is Unique, But Does Little to Improve Protection

Two years on, the Australia-Cambodia refugee relocation agreement—the first of its kind involving a traditional resettlement country relocating refugees to a country with no resettlement track record—has proven to be underwhelming in its outcomes. Only five refugees have been voluntarily relocated under the deal, of whom just one remains in Cambodia. This article explores where the deal went wrong and what lies ahead for Australia’s detained asylum seekers.

Articles
March 23, 2016

Development through Diversity: Engaging Armenia’s New and Old Diaspora

The Armenian diaspora, which significantly exceeds the country's resident population, has played an instrumental role in Armenia's political and economic development since independence in 1991. Yet a picture emerges of divergent currents within the diaspora, often seen from above as a unified entity. Delve into differences in engagement among Armenia's "old" and "new" diasporas with this feature article.

Articles
March 9, 2016

India and Bangladesh Swap Territory, Citizens in Landmark Enclave Exchange

In August 2015, India and Bangladesh officially exchanged 162 enclaves, marking the end of a 300-year old anomaly that saw the fragmented territory of one sovereign power located inside another sovereign territory. Enclave residents have lived in virtual statelessness since partition in 1947, without identity documents or access to essential services. As part of the deal, India and Bangladesh allowed residents to choose their country of citizenship.

Articles
February 25, 2016

Seeking Safety, Jobs, and More: Afghanistan’s Mixed Flows Test Migration Policies

Afghanistan, once the world's largest origin of refugees, is increasingly experiencing mixed migration, including seasonal and permanent outflows for both economic and humanitarian reasons, internal displacement, and refugee returns. This feature article examines the current trends with a focus on return migration and the development impacts at the intersection of displacement and urbanization.

Reports
February 2016

Achieving Skill Mobility in the ASEAN Economic Community: Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Implications

This report by MPI and the Asian Development Bank lays out a realistic roadmap toward freer movement among skilled professionals within the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), encouraging cooperation among ASEAN Member States in recognizing foreign qualifications and making government investments in training and educations systems that prepare workers in accordance with common standards.

Reports
February 2016

Emigration Trends and Policies in China: Movement of the Wealthy and Highly Skilled

This report analyzes the evolution of Chinese emigration from the 1970s, when market-oriented reforms began reducing barriers to movement beyond the country's borders, to the present day. High-skilled and high-value emigration is rising fast. Despite liberalized exit controls, low-skilled labor migration is stagnant as a result of complicated and expensive recruitment procedures.

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