Editorial
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12225 |
| Author | Howard Duncan |
| Published date | 01 February 2016 |
| Date | 01 February 2016 |
Editorial
While the flow of refugees and asylum seekers from the Middle East and North Africa continues
into Europe unabated, the war of words within their intended destination countries escalates. Practi-
cal concerns about the ability of European destinations to manage the large numbers of arrivals are
being supplanted by concerns over social cohesion and, especially since the attacks on Paris, secu-
rity. Public figures and members of the public alike have voiced worries over who is coming,
whether they are refugees, economic migrants, or potential terrorists. The term ‘refugee’itself has
taken on widely differing connotations, invoking deep sympathy from some, scepticism from
others, fear from others. It is rarely acknowledged that ‘refugee’serves as a label to be attached to
individuals, and that this label is not value-neutral. In this first issue of 2016, Bernadette Ludwig
asks us to pay more attention to the labelling of persons as refugees, noting that for some the label
confers advantages but that others wear it as a burden that they would prefer to shed.
Much of this issue is devoted to the different modes of migration to which our authors devote
their attention. The flight of refugees and asylum seekers from danger is covered by Ludwig and
by Francesco Vecchio who looks at how asylum seekers in Hong Kong take advantage of that
city’s status as a global city. Living there, even as an undocumented migrant, offers the advantages
of global interconnections that support economic activity across borders, resulting in asylum seek-
ers making net contributions to Hong Kong’s already vibrant economy. We learn from Kyungran
Roh and Romee Lee that being a defector, although potentially a symbol of political advantage for
the receiving society, brings with it liabilities in the labour market of South Korea whose modern
economy requires skills that few defectors possess. South Korea is urged to take the unique needs
of North Korean defectors into account in the services that they provide. Staying in Asia, Rezaul
Islam and Stefan Cojocaru help us to understand the contemporary challenges of migrating as a
domestic worker, particularly challenges that the ILO’s Domestic Workers Convention of 2011 was
to guide receiving states through. But the goal of decent work for all domestic workers is yet to be
realized owing to uneven adherence to its principles across Asia.
Spain, like some other European countries, has experienced a reversal of fortunes, now as a
receiving society whereas it previously was a net emigration country. Perhaps better known as a
destination for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, Mar
ıa Hierro shows us it has become a major
draw for Latin Americans aspiring to a better life in a country that shares their language. The Uni-
ted States, now the world’s second largest country after Mexico of those who speak Spanish,
attracts large numbers of undocumented Honduran migrants. Jana Sladkova describes the challenges
of their journeys as well as of their lives as undocumented migrants in a society increasingly
uneasy with their presence.
Blessing Uchenna Mberu and Roland Pongou take us to Cameroon to explore the many facets of
the highly dynamic migration, both internal and international, in this under-studied country.
Timothy Mechlinski offers a theoretical advance in our understanding of migration by looking at
the important role of transportation workers in Burkina Faso, C^
ote d’Ivoire, Mali, and Ghana.
Mechlinski, who covered thousands of miles of travel in those countries, brings us a rich account
Dr. Howard Duncan, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
doi: 10.1111/imig.12225
©2016 The Author
International Migration ©2016 IOM
International Migration Vol. 54 (1) 2016
ISSN 0020-7985Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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