Labor Migration in Asia: Building Effective Institutions

Abstract

This report analyzes the institutions and structures that govern labor migration in Asia. It considers the important role of governments and other stakeholders in both labor-destination countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore, and labor-sending countries such as India, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Key issues are the extent to which these structures provide an orderly process for the movement of people between countries and whether the rights and the welfare of workers are protected. The four chapters capture the ideas, insights, and discussions from the “Fifth Roundtable on Labor Migration in Asia: Building Eff ective Structures and Institutions for Migration Governance ” that was hosted by the Asia-Pacifi c Finance and Development Institute in Shanghai in January 2015. The event brought together regional experts and policy makers and was co-organized by the Asian Development Bank Institute, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the International Labour Organization. The report’s introductory chapter reviews recent regional trends, and two statistical annexes offer detailed coverage of migration fl ows within Asia and between Asia and other regions.