Volume 13, 2004

Issue N. 2

Carmen Voigt-Graf and Siew-Ean Khoo

"Temporary Migration of Indian ICT Workers to Australia, " Vol. 13 (2), pp.137-154 , 2004

This article examines the temporary migration of information and communications technology (ICT) workers from India to Australia under the 457 temporary business entry visa category that was introduced in 1996. The number of Indians arriving in Australia under this visa class has risen more rapidly than that of any major source country, suggesting the competitiveness of Indian ICT workers in the Australian labor market. The article examines the main characteristics of Indian ICT workers migrating temporarily to Australia, analyzes the underlying causes for the considerable increase in numbers and points to some concerns connected to their temporary migration to Australia.

John Connell
"The Migration of Skilled Health Professionals: From the Pacific Islands to the World"" Vol. 13 (2), pp. 155-177, 2004
 

This article deals with the migration of skilled health professionals (SHPs) in and from eight Pacific island countries (PICs) in the context of the globalization of the health workforce. Although the migration of SHPs is not new, current trends speak of a global migration chain which includes developing and poor countries as a source of SHPs to developed countries. Recent experiences with the migration of SHPs in and from the PICs are elaborated in this article based on a survey undertaken in the PICs in 2000-2002. Income differentials, poor working conditions and the presence of kin in other countries are some of the factors that drive the emigration of SHPs. The operation of these factors, along with the active recruitment of SHPs by the developed countries, suggests that the PICs are likely to continue losing their SHPs, implying difficulties in responding to national health needs.

 

Dharma Chandra
"International Migration from Fiji: Gender and Human Development Issues," Vol. 13 (2), pp. 179-204, 2004

Fiji Islanders have emigrated to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States of America since Fiji became independent in 1970. Emigration has continued since then with peaks during times of political crises, such as national elections. It has experienced troughs during periods of political stability and economic growth. The trends in Fiji suggest that deficits in huamn development, especially in relation to human security, underlie the emigration of Fiji citizens, particularly the Fiji Indians. The gender dimensions of emigration and its implications for human development are explored in this article.

Bal Kumar KC
"Migration, Poverty and Development in Nepal," Vol. 13 (2), pp. 205-232, 2004
 

A high fertility rate of 4.1 children per woman and a huge population of women in the reproductive ages will exasperate poverty and increase migration pressures in Nepal. Those with resources are likely to emigrate for foreign employment while those without will engage in internal migration, which could add to the present level of poverty in the destination areas. A correlational analysis of migration and development indicators found a high incidence of poverty in the regions associated with net out-migration. The articles concludes that a consideration of migration dynamics needs to be integrated in poverty reduction strategies in Nepal.

William Keng Mun Lee
"Ethnic and Gender Relations in Hong Kong: The Work Experiences of Recent Mainland Chinese Immigrant Women," Vol. 13 (2), pp. 233-253, 2004
 

This article examines the experiences of paid work and unpaid work of recent Mainland Chinese immigrant women in Hong Kong by looking at how institutional and social organizational processes in Hong Kong affect immigrant women. Using information derived from in-depth interviews of 20 recent Mainland Chinese immigrant women and selected family members, the paper investigates how these women’s lives have been transformed due to differences in the social organization of paid and unpaid work, as well as discriminatory policies and practices that underline their experiences.

Wako Asato
Negotiating Spaces in the Labor Market: Foreign and Local Domestic Workers in Hong Kong," Vol. 13 (2), pp. 255-274, 2004

This article aims to clarify how foreign domestic workers (FDWs) and local domestic workers (LDWs) compete and at the same time co-exist with each other within Hong Kong’s domestic work sector. FDWs had dominated the domestic work sector since the 1970s but LDWs began offering competition in the late 1990s when the Hong Kong government instituted programs to rechannel displaced and unemployed local women into this sector. To promote the interest of these potential LDWs as well as to make them more competitive with the FDWs, the government provided them with skills training to enhance their employability. However the FDWs, with the aid of migrant-support NGOs and various FDW-organizations, endeavored to keep their space in the labor market by countering such initiatives. In time, the government had come to recognize that FDWs and LDWs respond to different clients and that both can be accommodated in the labor market.