International contract labour migration : the experience of returned Vietnamese migrants from Taiwan | |
| Author | Nguyen Quynh Phuong |
| Call Number | AIT Diss no.RD-19-03 |
| Subject(s) | Emigration and immigration--Taiwan Contract labor--Taiwan Migrant labor--Taiwan |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Regional and Rural Development Planning, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation ; no. RD-19-03 |
| Abstract | International contract labour migration (ICLM) research in the context of Asia has paid relatively less attention to Vietnam as a relatively new entrant into the list of labour exporting countries in Asia. This dissertation is an attempt to enhance our understanding of migration as a phenomenon, by focusing on one specific type of migration, i.e. ICLM specifically from Vietnam to Taiwan. The introductory chapter sets the stage, with a discussion of the economic and social context that explains Vietnam's labour export programme and the Vietnam-Taiwan migration corridor. Extensive data was collected through interviews and documents, such as salary slips, recruitment brochures and employment contracts provided by the return migrants. These return migrants had worked as domestic workers or factory workers for varying lengths of time in Taiwan and returned home to settle in Phu Tho, one of the top five migrant sending provinces in Vietnam. The data collected included various decrees and regulations related to the policies and procedures underlying ICLM from Vietnam. The aim of this data collection was broadly to understand the nature of the migration experience. Patterns identified in the data were analysed using appropriate theoretical lenses. A recurrent theme in the data was the exploitation of the migrants by the brokers. The analysis of the data has revealed that the brokers engage in at least four different types of exploitation. Williamson's analysis of contracts was used as the theoretical frame to identify asymmetry in the information and contract negotiation abilities between the brokers and the migrants as important reasons for the persistence of such exploitative practices. Female migrants were found to migrate for a shorter duration compared to their counterparts from other countries, such as the Philippines. Using Gidden's and O'Reilly's theoretical exposition of agency and structure it was found that some elements of the external structures are supportive, while others inhibited the duration of migration. In negotiating the flexible internal structures, Vietnamese women prefer to return home and fulfil the demands of their gender's role rather than extend the duration of migration. Adapting King and Skeldon's conceptualisation of the migration pathways to ICLM, it was found that a majority of the interviewees chose to stop at the U-turn pathway, i.e. return and settle in their home town rather than do a J-turn, i.e. return and relocate to settle in another other town which is not their hometown. An in-depth analysis of the data uncovered several reasons why the U-turn was preferred by the migrants, and why they found the J -turn more difficult. Given the risks of exploitation by the brokers, early return, and return to their home town with few employment opportunities, "Does ICLM makes financial sense?" remains an open question. There is much that the Vietnamese government can do to mitigate these risks by improving the protection level for the migrants, investing in post-return skill development and job placement programs, and by educating potential migrants on the migration experience. More broadly, there is a need for economic development in rural Vietnam, so that the return migrants have better opportunities in reintegration. This dissertation contributes to existing literature about ICLM and Vietnam. The analysis of the how the migrants contracted with the brokers within the transaction cost framework is the first. The analysis of the migrant's duration of migration using structuration and agency frameworks is an original contribution. Vietnam offers a unique context in which the pathways that migrants chose were not paid enough attention in prior research. Lastly, the synthesis conclusion see the migration experience as tradeoff between risk and reward, both financial and "psychic". This is also an original contribution. |
| Year | 2019 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. RD-19-03 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Rural Development, Gender and Resources (RD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Ahmad, Mokbul Morshed; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Vilas Nitivattananon;Badir, Yuosre F.M.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Government of Japan; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph. D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2019 |