Introduction to 'Mobility, Labour Migration And Border Controls In Asia'

Abstract

Migration is regarded as the earliest form of globalisation and human migrations have been a constant theme throughout history. Because there were no political boundaries, the movements of people were usually referred to as migration. According to Bohning (1984) the international migration of human beings dates back only to when the 'nation-state' took hold in Europe during the Industrial Revolution, and as a result of colonialism spread in all directions throughout the world. The nation state brought along with it a 'we-they' or 'in-out' distinction and people become identified with a particular nation. Movement from one nation to another or international migration required a change in allegiance and citizenship. In Asia and elsewhere colonial powers carved out new states with precisely delineated boundaries but kept borders open to trade, investment and labour flows in keeping with the growth of the international economy. In the post Second World War period, decolonisation and the dissolution of empires resulted in the emergence of independent nation states in the Asian region. The East Asian states embraced the 'new' globalisation via trade liberalisation strategies and export-led growth. Concurrently, a new form of the international division of labour brought opportunities for export-oriented industrialisation in East Asia. These countries' comparative advantage lay mainly in lower labour costs, and the labour market thus became one of the main channels through which globalisation impacted on the Asian economies.