Labour mobility in Pacific Island countries

The Pacific Islands region has long been characterized by large migration flows. Tens of thousands of Pacific Islanders have permanently resettled in the Pacific Rim, and sizeable Pacific diasporas are found in New Zealand, the United States and Australia. New Zealand and the United States grant permanent residence rights to the residents of selected Pacific Island countries (PICs). Labour migration has brought considerable development benefits to PICs in the form of employment; remittances that support households and services provided in communities; and increased education and skills development, to name just a few. At the same time, there are concerns about the social impacts of temporary labour mobility wherein one family member is absent for considerable amounts of time, and concerns about violations of the rights at work and general human rights of labour migrants in destination countries. At the International Labour Organization (ILO) High Level Tripartite Forum on Climate Change and Decent Work in the Pacific Islands Countries in Papua New Guinea on 24–26 July 2019, the current state, challenges, and future strategies for labour mobility in the Pacific will be discussed. This working paper will serve as a starting point for discussion at the Forum on labour mobility.