The Social Integration Policy for Foreigners in Korea and its Effects on Migrant Women’s Networks: An Observational Study

Abstract

In the past, women migrated as part of a family and for family reunification, but recently they have been migrating according to their own independent purposes. As the quantity of women’s immigration increases, the feminization of migration has emerged as one prominent feature in international migration. In international migration, the migrant network is a major resource, and it is one major factor that greatly influences migrants’ settlement, stabilization, and successful migration in the host country. Therefore, the present study investigated the role of migrant networks in international migration and examined how migrant network policies are implemented in Korea’s social integration policy for foreigners. The researcher analyzed the status of migrant women’s networks in Korea, which have been neglected in Korea’s policy implementation. The results showed that migrant women in Korea have been excluded from the formation of a network that could enable them to acquire resources in their settlement due to their vulnerable social status. The policy was mostly focused on marriage migrant women and their families due to Koreans’ putting emphasis on the bloodline based on patriarchal thinking. It was also found that women who migrated with the purpose of securing a job by joining the formal market area had more difficulties in accessing the migrant network because of the lack of time and economic burden. More practical policies need to be established to facilitate network formation and access for all migrant women, through which they can acquire resources.