South/South migration is a relatively new phenomenon. Historically, the migration flow between Global North (developed) and Global South (developing) countries began immediately after the WWII. In recent years the demand for unskilled and semi-skilled workers has grown in emerging middle income nations in Southeast Asia, and in oil rich nations in the Middle East. This growing demand has driven an increase in migration from the developing nations in South and Southeast Asia, and parts of South America and Africa.
The issues within the framework of South/South migration, and emerging trends in international migration deserve close attention from the policy makers, researchers, national and international advisers, and practitioners. The nexus of migration, remittance, investment and development within South/Southeast Asia has implications for migrant households and communities, including impacts on poverty, changing dynamics of livelihoods, gender and household relations, and social and environmental costs at the household and community level.
According to the UN, migrants (persons working outside their country of birth) constitute more than 230 million (2013), of which 34% are moving South/South. This movement effect cash flows (remittance) as migrant workers transfer money back to families in their home country. In one count, six Asian developing countries were among the top ten remittance receiving countries in 2013. In this count Bangladesh received more than $15 billion of remittances from its migrant workers, most transfers made from countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Southeast Asia.
One can detect four waves of migration taking place over the last half a century between Global North/South and Global South/South. In the latest wave, late 20th and early 21st century, the growth in South/South migration has been phenomenal. Since 2000 the growth in the volume of international remittance has been spectacular. There were six Asian developing countries among the top ten recipients in 2013 and has been growing. These resulted in adding to increased foreign exchange reserve of these nations in turn making strong contribution to the macroeconomic stability and sustainable growth.
Having said that, time has come to address the issues such as the extent to which migration and remittances are solutions to ‘sustainable development’; the extent to and ways in which the migrants contribute to the economic growth of the sending countries through remittance and are linked to the myriad of social costs (and benefits) that migration entails; given that migration – especially South/South migration that occur under unique conditions – will sustain as a source of development financing and an important livelihood option for households and communities of sending countries and; the issues of safety, security and income of migrants in receiving countries are of paramount importance.
Despite the volume of remittance, migrant workers have little access to safe and secure environment in countries of destination. These are often seen South to South corridors of migration. It is also a time now to investigate the safety, security and legitimate income issues of migrants in destinations or receiving countries of the Global South.
Keeping all these issues in mind a major study is being conducted jointly at the University of Queensland and at Griffith University led by Dr Patricia Short, Professor M Adil Khan of the School of Social Science and Associate Professor Moazzem Hossain of the Griffith Business School respectively. An edited volume will come out published by Routledge publishing in 2016 out of the papers presented in this international gathering. Local and overseas contributors to this volume have presented papers on Nepal, Bangladesh, and Mekong sub-region in the day long symposium supported by the Griffith Asia Institute (GAI). For further information please contact: [email protected].
