Asian Migration Governance

Abstract

Migration has historically taken place at a regional level, which had resulted in countries increasingly working together at the sub-regional, regional and inter-regional level on topics related to the management of migration. Such formal and informal gatherings provide opportunities for states to understand each others’ perspectives and identify common problems and solutions. This chapter explores the current migration governance mechanisms within Asia as the migration boom within and beyond Asia makes it timely to study regional governance of migration in Asia. Migration governance in Asia is intriguing as on the one hand, many Asian states have refused to be a part of international migration conventions or to create a regional legal body, but on the other hand, they have made several efforts towards cooperation at a regional or sub-regional level. The chapter takes an in-depth look at the various trans-regional governance networks at play in Asia, with a focus on labor migration between South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle-East. The magnitude of migration within Asia, especially for labor migration, has meant that there are various state-led and non-state-led cooperation efforts unique to the region, which is presented in this chapter.