The recent story of a tourist who missed her flight due to a lengthy interview with a Bureau of Immigration (BI) officer has been the subject of much mainstream coverage. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated case, as a Filipino seafarer also met the same predicament even after showing all his employment documents.
These stories encouraged more travelers to share similar experiences that resulted in offloading or missed flights, even if pertinent data and documents for their work or travel abroad have been provided. Such stories raise eyebrows because the Filipino migrants in the country are viewed by their families as hope for a better life.
While there is no consensus on a single definition of “migrant,” the International Office of Migration (IOM) defines a “migrant” as a person who relocates from his regular abode for various reasons, whether temporarily or permanently, within a nation or across an international border. Demographers typically define migration as a move that crosses a specified political boundary, such as a county, or moves into a different labor market to establish a new place of residence.
Piché (2013) defines migration in terms of three key factors: a change in location, a change in job, and a change in social relationships. A change in location is often the principal indicator among the prevailing definitions of migration. In terms of scale, migration can be interregional (among countries), intracontinental (between countries on the same continent), intercontinental (between continents), and rural-to-urban migration.
International labor migration is one of the most critical migratory trends in today’s global society. This has been increasingly observed, especially in the third quarter of the 20th century, where both domestic and international migration have been prevalent because of rapid and persistent economic expansion, rising internationalization of economic activities, decolonization, and emerging processes of economic development in the Third World (Arango, 2018).
The Philippines continues to have one of the fastest expanding economies in Asia and is a significant country that sends migrants, with more than two million migrants sent abroad in 2017 alone (Development Bank and World Bank 2018). According to the Department of Tourism, the total number of foreign tourists entering the Philippines from February to December 2022 was 2,025,413. By contrast, from April to September 2021, 1,830,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were thought to have been employed abroad (PSA, 2021). However, the Department of Migrant Workers estimates a higher figure, as they reported that about 800,000 were deployed in 2022.
When people migrate, they move from one geographic area to another, from one administrative region to another, or when they leave their country of origin for a foreign country or territory, permanently or temporarily. They seek a different way of life, i.e., establishing a new household along with a job opportunity or a unique professional experience and career development. On whatever scale, the movement transforms the place of origin and the place of destination’s demographic composition, economy, services, policies, and environment.
The benefits of international migration are numerous. It aids in the growth and development of their countries of destination through their labor. The remittances and skills migrants pick up are beneficial to their home countries and themselves. The advantage of migration to the world is realized mainly by migrants themselves, who then remit these benefits to their families back home. According to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), since 2010, the percentage of remittances to the Philippines has been largely steady, ranging between 9 percent and 10 percent. Last February 15, 2023, BSP said personal cash remittances increased by 3.6 percent to $36.14 billion in 2022. This accounted for 8.9 percent of the Philippine GDP.
However, the migration process also presents significant difficulties. Numerous migrant workers, particularly unskilled ones, experience exploitation. Some countries have few labor and human rights protection for migrant workers. Some have poor working conditions. Externalities from the international labor migration trend have become a significant worldwide issue affecting international, regional, and national policy.The National Migration Survey 2018 finding states that every migration event is unique in terms of time, decision-making, and motivation, making it more complicated to study and categorize different types of migration. The phenomenon of migration has traditional or widely accepted determinants used by different agencies, governments, institutions, and individuals to curb its impact on households, cities, countries, and continents in different areas of the globe. It is worthwhile asking if the demographic mix and migration patterns have changed enough to warrant reassessing the variables that motivate people to relocate despite risks. While there can be similar migratory patterns found in the past migrants that are still evident in many modern societies today, there could also be emerging factors that prompt individuals to migrate.
Ms. Mildred M. Estanda is a graduate student at the Department of Economics of Ateneo de Manila University.