DESCRIPTIONS
OF WORKING PAPERS - No 12
5th
International APMRM Conference, Fiji 2002
Richard
Bedford, Raelyn Lolohea 'Esau, Bernard Guerin, Pauline Guerin, Shogo
Hirai, Binod Khadria, Hye-kyung Lee, Vijay Naidu, Manoranjan Mohanty,
Markus Pangerl, Mahendra Reddy, Avelina Rokoduru, Riwanto Tirtosudarmo,
Ching-lung Tsay, Carmen Voigt-Graf
Edited by Kerry Lyon and Carmen Voigt-Graf
Executive Summary
This volume contains papers presented at the Pacific Migration Research
Network (PACMRN) Workshop and the Fifth International Conference of the
Asia Pacific Migration Research Network (APMRN) held in the Fiji
Islands in September 2002.
The APMRN
was established in 1995 as a research project of the Management of
Social Transformations (MOST) Programme of UNESCO. It is a
collaborative organisation of researchers and scholars interested in
all aspects of migration in the Asia Pacific region. Each regional
network of the APMRN is autonomous and there are regional coordinators
in Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, New Zealand, the Pacific (based in Fiji), the Philippines,
Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
While the
APMRN Secretariat is located at the University of Wollongong with Robyn
Iredale being the Secretariat Director, the chair of the network is a
rotating position which was most recently held by Vijay Naidu of the
University of the South Pacific in Fiji who also convened the workshop
and conference in the Fiji Islands.
The APMRN
provides a forum for migration scholars to engage in debates on
migration trends and patterns, concepts and policy relevant issues with
an emphasis on the Asia Pacific region. The region contains almost half
of the world's population and witnesses increasingly diverse and
complex migration patterns. Growing numbers of international migrants
are only one characteristic of contemporary times. At least as
important is the increasing complexity of migration patterns that is
very evident in the Asia Pacific region. The region contains countries
that are predominantly migrant receiving countries and others that are
predominantly sending countries. Some newly industrialised countries in
Southeast and East Asia have undergone a transition from being migrant
sending to being migrant receiving countries. Migration occurs within
the Asian region such as from China and the Philippines to Taiwan and
Korea or from Asian and Pacific Island countries to Australia and New
Zealand. Migration also occurs to destinations outside the region such
as to North America and the Middle East and from outside the region to
some Asia Pacific countries. Migration in the region is complex not
only in direction but also in terms of the composition of the flows.
Highly skilled migrants and labour migrants circle around the region
alongside irregular migrants and refugees. While some stay permanently
at their destination, the global trend of increasing temporary and
circular migration is also evident in the Asia Pacific region as is the
increasing feminisation of migration flows.
The papers
in this volume address a diverse range of issues, underlining the
complexity of migration patterns and streams. While individuals and
families have to find ways of coping with issues of separation and
disruption, governments in the region are also challenged to deal with
migration related issues in manifold ways, depending on the country's
position in the complex migration networks. Many sending country
governments attempt to put in place policies to benefit from their non
resident citizens. Destination countries are concerned with keeping
unwanted migrants out while opening their doors to migrant workers
regarded as bringing economic benefits.
