Chapter 1 - Demographic Change and International Labour Mobility in Asia-Pacific – Implications for Business and Regional Economic Integration: Synthesis

Summary

Introduction

Over the last two decades there has been a massive increase in the flows of goods, finance and information between APEC nations and although movements of people have also increased there remain substantial barriers. Some in the region argue that it is paradoxical that whereas a freeing up of regulations has facilitated flows of capital and goods between economies there has not been a similar liberalization of the other factor of production-labour.

Undoubtedly increasing migration between economies has contributed to Asia-Pacific integration and had benefits for origins, destinations and the migrants themselves. Yet there remains widespread misunderstanding of international labour migration in the region and its impacts, both current and potential. However migration in this region, as is the case elsewhere in the world, remains a highly sensitive issue and the movement of workers in the region, especially the low skilled, remains highly restricted. It must be the sovereign right of every nation to regulate immigration but too often restrictive migration policy is not based on empirical evidence but on misinformation and the pressures of interest groups. In such contexts undocumented migration and exploitation of and discrimination against migrants thrives.

There is, however, an increasing awareness in the region of the complex relationship between labour movement on the one hand and economic and social development on the other. This awareness has been sharpened by the steepening of the demographic and economic gradients between countries which has seen labour shortage-surplus differences, widen. Moreover, while there is an appreciation that ‘brain drain’ losses of human capital caused by emigration of skilled people can impinge negatively on low income countries, there is increasing evidence that in some countries migration can and does have positive impacts on origin areas. As the former Secretary General of the United Nations put it:

‘The potential for migrants to help transform their native countries has captured the imaginations of national and local authorities, international institutions and the private sector. There is an emerging consensus that countries can co-operate to create triple wins, for migrants, for their countries of origin and for the societies that receive them’ (United Nations 2006a, 5).