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TRANSIT MIGRATION IN ASIA

This paper explores the concept of transit migration in Asia, focusing on forced migrants and the South-North movement. It highlights the role of the migration industry and the lack of data on transit migration. The paper also examines case studies from countries such as China and Indonesia, and explores the implications of transit migration in the region.

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TRANSIT MIGRATION IN ASIA

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  1. TRANSIT MIGRATION IN ASIA by Graeme Hugo, Federation Fellow Professor of Geography and Director of the National Centre for Social Applications of GIS, The University of Adelaide Paper presented to Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics, Mita Conference Hall, Tokyo, Japan 29-30 May 2006

  2. Outline of Presentation • Introduction • Conceptualising Transit Migration in Asia • Forced Migrants as Transit Migrants in Asia • South-North Movement and Transit Migration in Asia • The Chinese as Transit Migrants • Conclusion

  3. Reasons for Neglect • Lack of migration data generally • Much involves undocumented migration • Focus on economic and labour migrants

  4. “Internal” Transit Migration • False dichotomy • Link with international labour migration • Indonesian case studies

  5. Features of Transit Migration in Asia • Part of growth of temporary migration • Transit point distinguished by its “way station” character rather than as a destination • It’s “midway to nowhere character” • Key role played by the migration industry • Often involves movement without documentation

  6. Forced Migration and Transit Migration in AsiaAsia: Refugees by Countries of Asylum and Origin, 1980 to 2004Source: UNHCR Statistics Countries of Origin Countries of Asylum

  7. Migrants from Vietnam, Afghanistan, Cambodia and Laos living in OECD Countries, 2000Source: OECD data base

  8. Afghanistan Families in Pakistan – Source of Livelihood 2005Source: UNHCR 2005, 24

  9. 2005 Census of Afghans in Pakistan 3,049,268 individuals 548,106 families Total population of Pakistan 143,500,000

  10. Pakistan: Location of Self Employed Afghans (%), 2005 Source: UNHCR 2005, 55

  11. Burmese (Myanmar) Refugees in Thailand 2006 • 120,000 in border camps • 1 million elsewhere

  12. Occupational Segregation of Burmese Migrants • Low skilled – domestic services, agriculture, factory work, rice mills, fishing • Labour shortages • Occupational segregation • Labour market segmentation

  13. Labour Immigration and Labour Market Segmentation in Thailand

  14. Corollaries of Labour Market Segmentation(Massey, et al. 1993) • Migration is demand driven • Migration is structurally entrenched • Wages held down • Government intervention limited • Demand independent of economic vicissitudes

  15. Some Involvement of High Skill e.g. Exodus of intelligensia from Burma in 1988

  16. South African Refugees(Weiner 1993) • The exodus of Tamils from Sri Lanka to Southern India • Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh after Bangladesh was created from East Pakistan • Burmese Muslims moving to Bangladesh • Hill Tribe Groups moving from Bangladesh to India • Other Bangladeshis moving to India • Tibetans moving to India • Bengalis moving to Assam • Nepalis moving to India • Nepalis moving to Bhutan

  17. Australia: Unauthorised Arrivals, 1989-90 to 2004-05 Source: DIMIA 2002 and 2005a

  18. Onshore Unauthorised Boat Arrivals by Country of Citizenship, 2000-01 to 2004-05 Source: DIMIA 2005a, p. 31, 25 Onshore Unauthorised Boat Arrivals by Country of Citizenship Note: No boat arrivals in 2002-03 and 2004-05

  19. Onshore Unauthorised Boat Arrivals by Country of Citizenship, 2000-01 to 2004-05 Source: DIMIA 2005a, p. 31, 25 Protection Visas Claims By Countries or Territories of Citizenship

  20. Staging Points for People Smuggling to Australia 1998-99 Source: DIMIA 1999

  21. Routes Taken by Iraqi and Sudanese Settlers Coming to Australia Source: Hinsliff 2006

  22. South-North Migration and Transit Migration in AsiaStocks of Asia-Born Persons in OECD Nations Around 2000Source: Dumont and Lemaitre 2005, 31

  23. The Key Role of the Migration Industry • In both documented and undocumented migration • Channels migration into selected transit points • Stepping off points to OECD countries • Complex linkages between Asylum Seekers and economic migration

  24. Asians Using Central and Eastern Europe As Transit Points “constitute the only land neighbour to the European Union directly accessible from the South. As a consequence, they are, and will continue to be, a transit point for migrants from less developed parts of the world (mainly Asia and Africa) heading for countries of the “old” European Union. Having in mind the growing migratory potential of developing countries we can expect a rise in the scale of transit migration in CEE.” Kaczmarczyk and Okólski (2005)

  25. Why CEE and Russia? • A weakening of the CEE migration infrastructure (see also Rybakovski and Ryazantsev 2005) which has made it easier for Asians to enter (usually as tourists or students) and then overstay. • The demographic pressures in the CEE countries which have been exacerbated by emigration and created job opportunities for Asian migrants in these countries to earn the funds to pay for their entry into the European Union. • The expanding activities of the migration industry in the region which is developing cities in the region as transit points for eventual migration into the European Union Countries. • The growing communities of Asians in these countries who facilitate transit migration and provide the migrants with assistance during their period of transit.

  26. “Thailand has become a major transit country for Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and Nepalese headed to the United States, Canada, Europe, Korea and Japan. Many of those migrants wind up as illegal workers in Thailand and Malaysia. Police estimate that about 1,000 illegal migrants move through Thailand each month with fake passports and visas arranged in Bangkok and that 50,000 are in Bangkok at any one time”.Bangkok Post, 22 July 1997

  27. The Nexus between Transit Migration and the Sex Industry • Key role of Thailand • Bangkok as the transit point for Thailand and neighbouring countries • Role of migration industry • Link with people smuggling and trafficking • Link between transit and sex-work

  28. Bangkok as a Transit Point in the International Sex Industry • Europe – often involving links with sex tourism and with former migrants and tourists getting commissions and playing a role. • Malaysia and Singapore – often are transit points where Thai women work as prostitutes while waiting to go to Japan, Taiwan, Australia and Europe. • Hong Kong and Taiwan • Japan and China • USA and Canada • Australia and New Zealand

  29. Types of Agents(Skrobanek, et al. 1997) • Local people, often either influential community leaders or women who have already experienced migration for sex work. They are involved in initial recruitment. • Agents who work for an employment agency and located close to major transit points like railway stations and bus stations in Bangkok. They send girls to work in night clubs and bars in return for their first three months wages. • Agents involved in actually sending women abroad, often also former sex workers • Companies with links to overseas employers of sex workers.

  30. Legal Transitting : New Zealand - Australia • Trans Tasman Agreement • Substantial migration of New Zealand citizens to Australia • Substantial migration from Asia-Pacific to New Zealand • Differences in Points Assessment Test • Qualifying as New Zealand Citizen • 25.4 percent of New Zealand Citizens in Australia foreign-born

  31. New Zealand Citizens(a) Present in Australia by Country of Birth at 30th June 2005 Source: DIMIA 2005b, p. 40

  32. The Chinese as Transit Migrants Number of Chinese Travelling Abroad for Business and Tourism 1981-2003 and Total Number of Outbound Trips from China, 1997-2004Source: Far Eastern Economic Review, 24 June 2004, p. 30; Asia Times Online, 9 February 2006

  33. One sixth of world population • 100 million floating workers • 40 million overseas Chinese • Yakuza (snakeheads) • The role of Fujian province

  34. The Golden Venture Incident 1993 • Public realisation in US of scale of Chinese people smuggling • Crackdown produced proliferation of routes and increase in places of transit • Transit points both within and outside Asia • Growing significance of Canada, Caribbean and Latin America

  35. Conclusion • Data issues • Need to be considered as a distinct phenomenon • Increasing focus since 9/11 because of security dimension (Bali Process)

  36. Transit Migration is Likely to Increase in Significance • Scale of migration is increasing • The proliferating migration industry • The involvement of a wider range of people • Network extension • Increasing barriers to migration to OECD and Asian high income nations

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