Enhancing opportunities for regional migration in the Pacific

The history of the Pacific is a history of migration, yet modern barriers to migration impede development in the Pacific island countries facing degraded resources and high rates of population increase. This paper examines international migration in the Pacific, and argues that there should be greater opportunities for the people of Pacific countries to migrate between their home states and the developed states of the Pacific rim.

The author indicates that migration from Pacific islands to the Pacific rim can be a powerful tool for promoting human development in the region, which suffers from limited land and marine resources and high rates of population growth. In this context, both the US and New Zealand have been reasonably generous in facilitating migration from two Pacific islands. However, Australia stands out as the Pacific neighbour with the greatest possibility to develop new migration streams.

Conclusions are as follows:

• developed states (particularly Australia) should assist developing states of the Pacific by promoting controlled migration because it is an effective means of giving development assistance and fostering stronger regional relations
• preferential visa quotas and seasonal worker schemes go some way towards satisfying the needs of Pacific islanders but other options should also be addressed
• the arguments for more permeable borders do not affect all Pacific countries equally - the greatest priority should be to enhance labour mobility for countries facing very challenging circumstances

Still, the paper emphasises that migration is one avenue for improving the position of Pacific islanders, but must be considered alongside other policy initiatives.