New immigrant destinations and the role of the migration industry: Moving Filipino domestic workers to Mainland China

Abstract

In recent years, while scholarly work on new immigrant destinations (NIDs) within the United States and Europe has increased, little attention has been given the role and significance of the migration industry in promoting the emergence of NIDs. This is a particularly significant lacuna as some Asian nations are undergoing dramatic migration transition despite the lack of immigration regulatory infrastructure. In this context, focusing on the role of commercial intermediaries play in the formation of NIDs is an important perspective in understanding migration transition in Asia. Drawing on qualitative interviews with Filipino domestic workers and intermediaries, this paper analyzes how intermediaries promote Mainland China as a new destination for the Filipino domestic workers by creating a new promising market, border-crossing tactics, as well as managing migrant workers using training and control strategies at ground level.