Original Language
English
Number of Pages
49
Reference Number
ENG0308
Year of Publication
2012
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South-South labour Mobility in the Pacific: An assessment

Labour migration within the Pacific region has not been studied in depth despite the existing arrangements promoting the temporal movement of workers. Evidence suggests that there is a shortage of skilled and semi-skilled labour force in the region in particular professional areas, which has led to the development of international labour mobility schemes.



This report identifies key strengths and weaknesses of these processes in order to improve the circulation of skills to promote human development. In particular, labour mobility arrangements should rely on a more accurate analysis of the situation to match shortages with labour surpluses and encourage a more balanced approach for the movement of natural persons.

  • List of acronyms and abbreviations
  • List of figures
  • Executive summary
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Methodology
  • 3. Literature review
    • 3.1 International migration: advantages and drawbacks
      • 3.1.1 Advantages of migration
      • 3.1.2 Risks and costs of migration and proposals to reduce them
    • 3.2 Labour
      • 3.2.1 Supply-and-demand for labour in the Pacific Islands region
      • 3.2.2 Impact of youth bulge on labour supply-and-demand
      • 3.2.3 Skilled labour within the region
      • 3.2.4 Recruiting agencies
    • 3.3 Brain Drain: what happens when skilled workers leave?
    • 3.4 Migration policies and benefits of South-South labour mobility
    • 3.5 Trade agreements
      • 3.5.1 The proposed PICTA TMNP scheme
      • 3.5.2 The MSG’s Skilled Movement Scheme (SMS)
      • 3.5.3 The Fiji Government’s employment schemes
  • 4. Findings and analysis: labour market needs and skilled migration
    • 4.1 Labour market needs in the Pacific Islands region
    • 4.2 Skilled and semi-skilled migration in the Pacific Islands region
      • 4.2.1 Access to job availability in the region
      • 4.2.2 Characteristics and motivations of skilled migrants
  • 5. Assessment of mobility policies and practices among the FICs
    • 5.1 Forum Islands Countries (FIC) immigration laws relative to foreign workers
    • 5.2 FIC governments’ domestic skills training capacities
      • 5.2.1 Lack of data to support mobility policies
      • 5.2.2 Skills training: current practices and recommendations
    • 5.3. Practices relative to the protection of migrant workers
  • 6. Evaluation of the PICTA TIS-TMNP scheme and comparison with other skilled mobility schemes
    • 6.1 Relative benefits (or disadvantages) under the PICTA TIS-TMNP scheme
    • 6.2 Comparison with other skilled mobility schemes
      • 6.2.1 Caribbean Community Skilled Migration Scheme (CARICOM)
      • 6.2.2 Asian labour schemes
  • 7. Conclusions
  • 8. References
  • Annexes