Cross-border Migration Research Articles

ASEAN Integration in the Context of Disaster Management

The COVID-19 pandemic, a globally unprecedented disease outbreak, has alarmed all governments to reconsider the importance of disaster management policies at the domestic level. At the same time, handling transboundary disasters was another challenge faced by regional organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As a result of this pandemic, all member states tended to act more independently by closing their territories and isolating their citizens from cross-border migration. This paper aimed to examine ASEAN's existing measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic, following the importance of considering domestic policies taken by its member states to portray the possible action at the regional level. In practice, each ASEAN member state had various approaches, from strict lockdowns such as those implemented in Singapore to Indonesian policies that were far from being prepared. While COVID-19 is a non-natural disaster but has had a devastating impact on Southeast Asia, the future of regional integration is at stake. This paper showed that each member state's different social, economic, and political situations influenced the absence of early common practices at the domestic level to overcome this pandemic. Simultaneously, market stability in Southeast Asia was the key to regional development, whereas this pandemic harmed ASEAN's aim to meet economic integration. This paper suggested that ASEAN should establish guidelines regarding disaster management as experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic for member states' domestic policies to anticipate possible adverse episodes in the future that may hamper the integration progress.

TRAUMA OF DISPLACEMENT IN RITA CHOWDHURY'S CHINATOWN DAYS

Human history is a history of migration. The history of human migration dates back to the beginning of civilization. This movement is ancient; what is interesting is its different theorizations and different deconstructions of it. Migration is an important part of the history of many countries. People have migrated to various countries under different and compelling circumstances. Imperialism and colonial rule are the most common causes of migration in the modern period. Migration as a movement is both voluntary and involuntary. Postcolonial phenomena of migration mostly involved forced or involuntary migration. Reasons for this ranged from war and famine to social, political, and religious conflicts. Voluntary migration involved the search for better livelihood and economic pursuits. Whether voluntary or involuntary, migration often leads to displacement in the host country. Displacement further led to experiences of trauma, nostalgia, anguish, and alienation. Thus, the sense of alienation and displacement became a prevalent existential experience of migrants, particularly in a postcolonial world. This paper will engage with one such experience of trauma and displacement of the Indian Chinese or Assamese Chinese. They faced expulsion and forced displacement during the 1962 Indo-China war. They were attacked, vilified, and targeted due to their ethnicity though many of them had lived in Makum, Assam, for generations. The paper will engage with trauma theories to understand the effects of trauma on the psychology of the Indian Chinese as individuals and study the cultural trauma of the entire community.

Combatting the Trafficking of Vietnamese Nationals to Britain: Cooperative Challenges for Vietnam and the UK

The issue of Vietnamese nationals consistently having some of the highest numbers of referrals into the UK’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is increasingly apparent. However, this did not gather nationwide attention until the Essex tragedy of October 2019 which saw 39 Vietnamese nationals found lifeless in a lorry after they were brought into the country by a criminal network of human traffickers and smugglers. This paper seeks to understand the circumstances of these Vietnamese victims of human trafficking to the Britain by reviewing the situation in both countries—Vietnam and the UK. Three instances of Vietnamese nationals trafficked to the UK have been chosen as case studies. Through semi-structured interviews, issues regarding how voluntary migration led these vulnerable people into slavery will be explored and this will be analysed alongside a review of literature in the field. This paper reveals the complexity of the matter, which is primarily derived from the multinational nature of trafficking and the different attitudes and approaches of the various countries involved, as well as the difficulty facing the authorities when combating this particular crime involving this specific group of vulnerable people, especially in terms of victim support. The ultimate goal of this paper is to offer authorities and practitioners in both countries a fresh review of the challenges in supporting these victims, and to redirect their focus on the obstacles to addressing Vietnamese trafficking. These obstacles include the prevalence of—often illicit—labour-exporting companies in Vietnam, instances of initial voluntary engagement in labour migration relationships which later become coercive, and the failure of the UK and Vietnam to agree what constitutes a genuine trafficking victim.

Migration of skilled professionals across the border: Brain drain or brain gain?

The foundation of organizations and knowledge-based economies is widely considered to be human capital and knowledge workers. This review synthesizes prior research on skilled migration, brain gain, and brain drain, occurring because of the cross-border migration of skilled professionals. The review comprises 75 studies, synthesizes findings, and develops a conceptual framework for enablers of skilled migration across the border, resulting in brain drain and brain gain. We support previous theories on international migration, stating wage differentials, employment, better earning, and family life as reasons for migration, as well as we provide the basis of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory and Herzberg's two-factor theory to explain the phenomenon of skilled migration. The conceptual model proposed elucidates the brain drain and brain gain outcomes, thereby surfacing a formative base for future research agenda.

Forensic age estimation in males by MRI based on the medial epiphysis of the clavicle

Increasing cross-border migration has brought forensic age assessment into focus in recent decades. Forensic age estimation is based on the three pillars: physical and medical constitution, bone age, and tooth age. Part of the bone age examination includes the assessment of the medial end of the clavicles when the hand bones are already fully developed and a minority must be excluded. Recent research has brought MRI to the forefront as a radiation-free alternative for age assessment. However, there exits only a few studies with large sample size regarding the clavicles and with controversies about staging, motion artifacts, and exclusion based on anatomic norm variants. In the current prospective study, 338 central European male individuals between 13 and 24 years of age underwent MRI examination of the sternoclavicular region. Development was assessed by three blinded raters according to the staging system described by Schmeling et al. and Kellinghaus et al. and related to age by descriptive statistics and transition analyses with a cumulative probit model. In addition, reliability calculations were performed. No statistically significant developmental difference was found between the left and right clavicles. Inter-rater agreement was only moderate, but intra-rater agreement, on the other hand, was good. Stage 3c had a minimum age of 19.36 years and appears to be a good indicator of proof of majority. The minimum age of stage 4 was lower compared with other studies, 20.18 years, and therefore seems not to be an indicator of age of 21 years. In conclusion, we confirmed the value of clavicular MRI in the age estimation process. The transition analysis model is a good approach to circumvent the problems of age mimicry and samples that are not fully equilibrated. Given the moderate agreement between raters, a consensus reading is recommended.

African Diaspora in the USA: History and Modernity

In the context of the intensification of migration processes, the study of diasporas is becoming more relevant. Historically, Africa has been assigned the status of one of the main providers of human resources. As a result of forced and voluntary migrations of Africans, a global community has been formed. It is called the African diaspora. The geography of African migrations is vast. However, in some countries, African presence and influence on the cultural landscape are more prominent. The United States has become one of the largest recipients of migrants from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The article is devoted to the history of the formation and specifics of the development of African communities in the United States. The author focuses on the meaning and the application of the term “African diaspora.” The sociocultural experience of migrants is not uniform, which necessitated the distinguishing and examination of specific groups within the global African diaspora. The main emphasis is placed on the study of such concepts as “Old African diaspora” and “New African diaspora” in relation to the problem of identity. After analyzing several different definitions, the author comes to the conclusion that the concept of the “African diaspora” is fluid (constantly in progress) and inextricably linked with cultural identity, its preservation, and transformation.

The Result of the Meeting of Voluntary Migrants with Forced Migrants at the Volunteering Background – Research Report

Abstract The aim of the paper is to present the specificity of voluntary work of Erasmus+ Spanish students (voluntary migrants) in aid of children in Polish primary schools attended by foreigners (often forced migrants). The first – theoretical part of the text presents the outline of migration issues, including forced and educational migration as well as voluntary work. The second part of the text shows methodological assumptions of qualitative research, which was conducted using the method of individual cases in June 2022 among Spanish volunteers working on behalf of the Dialog Foundation in Bialystok, Poland. Chosen research results concerning the activities undertaken by the volunteers, their motivation to act and the multilateral benefits from their work have been shown. In the light of the results of the research, Spanish volunteers contributed to the integration of pupils in the primary schools, in which they conducted workshops. The results of the research may hopefully be useful to develop further educational research concerning volunteering in aid of children in an intercultural environment.

Carnival and the Theme of Migration

Carnival and the Theme of Migration

Ethnic Groups on the Move: Acculturation Dance Strategies of the Greek Gagauz

The field of this research is the area of Thrace in Greece, in which people from various ethnic groups coexist for almost a century. Most of these ethnic groups moved to the area, after voluntary migrations in 1923. The newcomers were classified as "refugees" and were treated hostilely by the locals. One of these ethnic groups that was treated hostilely was the Gagauz, a Turkish-speaking ethnic group. The aim of this research is to study the acculturation strategies of the Gagauz in their attempt to be accepted in Greek society. This study attempts to investigate the way in which the Gagauz construct and reconstruct their ethnic identity through dance. Data was gathered through the ethnographic method as this is applied to the study of dance. The interpretation of the research data in order to approach the ethnic identity of the Gagauz was based on the theoretical perspective of cultural and social construction or constructivism. This theory, in order to highlight the ethnic identity of the Gagauz, is used under the analytical terms of "acculturation" according to the multicultural model proposed by Berry. From the analysis and interpretation of the ethnographic data, it was found that the construction of the ethnic identity of the Gagauz in Greece is a fluid process, in the reconstruction of which an important factor is the degree of its acculturation. The Gagauz, experiencing a social reality that seeks to have multiple identities at the same time, change the meanings of their actions always in relation to their social environment. Thus, on the one hand, they choose to have a Greek Thracian ethnic identity, on the other Gagauz ethnic identity, and on a third level they self-identify as Greek Gagauz. So, depending on their circumstances and feelings, they choose a different ethnic identity.

The Restoration of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia After Exile

The Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia played an important role in the life of the Armenians of Cilicia. The history of the Catholicosate is divided into two historical periods: “Cilician” and “Diasporian”. This article focuses on the “Diasporian” period of one of the Hierarchical Sees of the Armenian Church in the 1920s–1930s. The historiography of Armenia has never given serious attention to the investigation of the History of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, particularly with respect to the issue of the forced exile of the Catholicosate and the process of its diasporization in the 1920s–1930s. This article focuses on those issues, analyzing the process of diasporization of the Cilician See, its reconstruction under the new circumstances, and its establishment in Antelias (Lebanon). Not all refugees or migrants create a diaspora community, in fact, the most likely result of both voluntary and forced dispersions is assimilation into the host country’s culture. From the analytical perspective of Diaspora Studies, refugees or migrants transform their dispersion into a diaspora only when they insist on sustaining a community and maintaining a national identity. Theorists of modern Diaspora Studies suggest several factors under which dispersed people become an organized diaspora. For this, the role of national institutions is very important, for instance, spiritual-religious organizations. Thus, it is a very acute problem to understand the process of diasporization of a Church organization and its role in the reconstruction of Armenian communities. Different kinds of forced or voluntary migrations are still very common and active in the modern world. Thus, the case discussed in the present article could be useful for understanding many similar processes and historical examples. This research is based on archival documents (including those from the National Archive of Armenia and archival documents of the Catholicosate of Cilicia), the official journal of the Holy See of Cilicia, and existing studies connected to the subject. The analysis of these sources utilizes a comparative-historical methodology. Analyzing the collected data and using the mentioned research method the following problems are discussed and summarized in the article: the forced migration of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia and the process of the reconstruction of it under new circumstances; Antelias as a new spiritual and religious center of the Diaspora after the Armenian Genocide; the role of the Cilician See in the process of the diasporization of Armenian refugees in Syria-Lebanon; the activities of the Catholicosate in their attempts to preserve the national identity of Armenian communities in the Near East after the Genocide.

Міграційна політика України в контексті безпеки та збалансованості економічного і соціального розвитку держави

Розглянуто основні тенденції, які існують у міграційній сфері України. Доведено, що ефективна міграційна політика має прямий вплив на забезпечення збалансованого економічного та соціального розвитку держави. Визначено основні напрями удосконалення державної міграційної політики України з врахуванням впливу загроз національній і соціальній безпеці на сучасному етапі.

Climate Change Cross-Border Migration and the Biden Administration: What the Future Holds?

This article comments on the “Report on the Impact of Climate Change Migration, 2021” in the context of cross-border migration induced by climate change and existing domestic laws to protect immigrants fleeing climate change and environmental disasters in their country of origin. The Report will guide future domestic mechanisms to protect immigrants fleeing climate change under Executive Order (EO) 14013. The Biden Administration, through its EO 14013 in January 2021, had directed the National Security Advisor to prepare a report on the intersection of climate change and migration. The Report was released in October 2021 and consisted of cross-cutting themes that can guide future action plans built on principles of justice and equity, gender equality, and inclusion of marginalized communities. There is compelling evidence that disparate treatment exists in the United States on the basis of nationality, origin, race, and so on against migrants fleeing environmental disasters and climate change in their countries of origin. For example, historically, the United States has protected people disproportionately affected by disasters and ecological crises under domestic laws such as the Azorean Refugees Act 1958. However, the Azorean Refugees Act only covered the Europeans, and ever since, no domestic law has not been extended to protect people fleeing environmental disasters from non-European countries. Today, U.S. domestic laws fail to protect people of all nationalities fleeing environmental difficulties. The existing U.S. Immigration Law sets forth Temporary Protected Status and humanitarian visas that may be applied to protect such cross-border migrants. However, these laws have not been applied equally to vulnerable global communities.

Policy Change, Threat Perception, and Mobility Catalysts: The Trump Administration as Driver of Asylum Migration to Canada

Almost 60,000 people claimed asylum at Canada's border with the United States between 2017 and 2020, marking Canada's first sustained cross-border asylum migration since the 1990s. Virtually, all entered irregularly via a rural road on the New York/Québec border. The “Roxham Road route” was partly owing to the 2004 Canada/US Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), which allows both states to refuse asylum-seekers on the grounds that the other offers commensurate protection standards yet only applies to official ports of entry. Roughly, 40 percent of the 60,000 who claimed asylum were US residents with precarious immigration status. This article examines the route's emergence and contributes a novel case on decision-making and destination choices for asylum migration. Data are derived from interviews with over 300 asylum-seekers, two dozen experts, and monthly asylum statistics. The central finding is that Trump-administration immigration policies were the major driver for asylum migration yet do not entirely explain the new route, since a relatively small number of US residents departed for Canada. Interviews revealed that while Trump-era policies fostered a climate of fear, individual experiences with immigration enforcement, loss of temporary protected status, or deferred asylum cases were catalysts for migration. Welcoming Canadian rhetoric and liberal asylum policies were only considered in light of risk in the United States, challenging research findings that asylum-seekers are primarily motivated by destination-state policies. The article also offers qualitative methods for connecting asylum data with migrant decision-making and problematizes the STCA's ethics and effectiveness for managing asylum.

Fostering the Return of Compatriots (Concerning Rehabilitation of Ethno-Cultural Principle)

To ignore the ethno-cultural principle in defining the notion of ‘compatriot’ means recognition of too wide circle of people as such. Today the risk of turning the State program on fostering voluntary migration of compatriots from the repatriation project (the initial idea) into foreign labour recruiting is obvious. For instance, opportunities are limited for elderly and people with moderate means, who know Russian, belong to peoples of Russia and are ready to integrate into Russian society; representatives of title nations of some post-soviet states are recognized as compatriots though they do not possess the mentioned-above socio-cultural features; the same corruption costs typical of labour migration are formed; the quality of human capital provided at the expense of the State program does not comply with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and needs of Russian society development. To fill state policy with the adequate repatriation content it is necessary to revise its goals, bring them into line with the Constitution; to concretize the legal basis of the repatriation institution (return to the homeland) of compatriots, primary importance should be assigned to cultural-morale categories but not to economic ones. The key sociocultural features are mastering the Russian language, belonging to peoples of Russia and readiness to integrate into Russian society. Ideology of the State program should proceed from repatriation aims but not from recruiting ones. The author points out that it is necessary to reform the system of the State program implementation by providing it with the adequate way of selecting candidates in accordance with their socio-cultural features; opportunities to support elderly and those with moderate means for returning them to the historic homeland; elimination of commercial element in work with compatriots (both in countries of departure and on the territory of Russia); infrastructure for initial adaptation and further integration in Russian society. The article analyzes certain aspects of the State program and aims at identification of system problems of this repatriation project, as well as formulation of suggestions for their settlement and optimization of state policy in the field of migration.

Whither the ECOWAS free movement protocols? Pandemic nationalism, borders, and migration in West Africa

The Covid-19 pandemic border closure policy and other anti-migrant policies in 2020 have become another basis for flaunting the ECOWAS free movement protocols by member states now referred to as pandemic nationalism. Although not limited to (West) Africa, pandemic nationalism reinforces the inability of ECOWAS to demonstrate supranationalism and ensure harmonization of Covid-19 trans-border policies among its members. Consequently, member states were unilaterally imposing conflicting or uncoordinated Coronavirus border closure policy without recourse to the protocols. Thus, the pandemic border closure policy has only exacerbated pre-existing trajectories which have serious implications for visa-free, border-free, and borderless West Africa as well as cross-border migration. These challenges are often attributed to colonial borders. This article has been able to adequately demonstrate that the Covid-19 pandemic has deepened nationalism which has, in turn, increased violation of ECOWAS free movement protocols through uncoordinated and reprisal border closure in which nationalism has trumped regionalism. The study is essentially qualitative, descriptive, analytical, and empirical.

Introduction: Agrarian Change, Food Security, Migration and Sustainable Development in Senegal and Zimbabwe

Background African countries face multiple developmental, economic, social and industrial transformation hurdles, especially in the era of sustainable development and sensitivity to environmental damage. As late-comer industrialisers, there is some catching up to do, but they need to navigate complex, international, legal and institutional agreements that early industrialisers did not face. Given the environmental concerns, it is not surprising that the development thrusts encouraged are in agriculture and not in heavy industry. At the same time, many African countries are grappling food security, rural–urban and cross-border migration, and social, economic with industrial transformation challenges (Mkandawire 2001; Bruijn, Van Dijk and Foeken 2001; Diop 2008; Tsikata 2009; Patnaik, Moyo and Shivji 2011; Sall et al. 2011; Cheru and Modi 2013; Hall, Scoones and Tsikata 2015; Cross and Cliffe 2017; Bredeloup 2015; Jha, Chambati and Ossome 2021; Adesina 2021). This special issue brings together a broad range of papers exploring some of the myriad complexities faced by African countries. It focuses on Senegal and Zimbabwe, a western and a southern Africa country. The choice of countries was purposive as the editors had active networks in Zimbabwe and Senegal, and bringing together two...

Human migration and Water

Background: Historically, nomads and pastoralists seeking water and food for their cattle were frequently associated with the concept of water migration. Whereas the largest refugee flows since the Second World War is currently occurring because of water scarcity. One of the most critical worldwide concerns nowadays is water-related issues and their associated migration. Methodology: The research is supported by secondary materials that are found in reputable journals and web pages. Results: Due to the ongoing climate change brought on by environmental migration factors such as water contamination or land degradation, millions of people are now facing various water emergencies. Ten percent of the increase in global migration is attributed to water shortages. Global water stress is already at extremely high levels in 17 countries, which are home to 25% of the world's population. Climate change is hastening this issue. Migration is more affected by a lack of water than by an abundance of it. Conclusion: Around 2040, the threat to humanity from increased water risk will be at its highest. The crisis could turn violent, triggering both forced and voluntary migration. In deduction, the study focuses on pertinent socio-economic and migratory issues while also examining well-known cases of water degradation.

Factors Affecting Migration Decision and Choice of Destinations in India: Evidence from National Sample Survey

The present study attempted to bring out the factors that determine the migration decision of the individuals and the choice of destinations for internal labour migration. Standard ultivariate ogistic egression odels were used. The M L R M study found that factors such as residence of origin, household size, religion, age, education, economic class and land possessed by the household were the important predictors of the migration decision. Further, the statistical association of different explanatory variables with the choice of destinations revealed that the voluntary migrants had preferred to migrate to long-distance destinations to get higher incomes and better occupations.

How academic performance influences social integration: The moderation effect of cultural distance among Chinese cross-borderers.

BackgroundInternal migration or cross‐border migration differs from traditional migration. The influence of academic performance on social integration among migration or cross‐border student groups has drawn attention.MethodA survey collected data from cross‐border students in Mainland China.The sample included 616 university students (bachelor's, master's, and doctoral students) coming from Hong Kong studying in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.ResultsThe moderating effect of cultural distance in the relationship between academic performance and social integration was significantly negative (β = –0.081, p < 0.05). The effect of academic performance on social integration was significantly positive (β = .104, p < .05). Length of time studying in the Mainland, social status, entrance exam score (which might affect the current academic performance), and acquiescence are as the control variable in examining the role of cultural distance in the effect of academic performance on social integration. This result embodies the functionalist theory.ConclusionThe host society is the structural whole requiring the function of social integration, whereas education is the structural component fulfilling the function. When cultural distance is large, the function of education for social integration decreases. The practical implication for enhancing social integration is relieving or bridging the distance.

Least Protected, Most Affected: Looking through Lens of Cross-border Migration in COVID Period

The major thrust of the present article is to explore the gruesome sufferings of migrants with respect to detention and deportation, social stigma, income and livelihoods, lack of health services and digital divide by establishing the fact that an inclusive global migration governance supported with a prudent and forward-looking migration policy and a human rights dimension is the way forward to address the consequences of COVID-19. An inclusive approach to migrant health leaving no one behind during the COVID-19 pandemic deserves cynosure of attention to direct our public health efforts since there can be no public health without migrant health.