This book examines the overall trends and labour patterns of migrants, their relationship with the state, and the impacts they have on the societies in which they work and sometimes settle. The book adopts a multidisciplinary perspective which encompasses economics, history, politics, geography, and sociology, and presents a unique body of new empirical research that forms the basis of many of the chapters. The book emphasises the growing importance and value of transnational communities and multiple identities. It covers many of the diverse migration patterns that have recently emerged - from rural out-migration in China, to international labour movements in the Asia Pacific region as a whole. The conditions of many migrant workers are far from satisfactory and this is highlighted in a number of the chapters. Settlement outcomes, when and where they occur, have major policy and social implications and are changing the ethnic composition of many countries in the region. The growth of civil society in Singapore, increased ethnic diversity in Japan and the emergence of New Zealand's multicultural population are all examples of some of the developments that host nations are having to come to terms with. This extensive book presents state-of-the-art research on migration in the Asia Pacific, specifically focusing on the economic, political and social identities of migrants, and the responses of different states to this complex issue. It will be extremely worthwhile reading for students, scholars and researchers in the social sciences, especially those with an interest in geography, demography and the theory and policy of international migration.

Hawksley and Georgeou bring together scholars and practitioners from across the region to analyse the main effects of the first two years of the COVID pandemic in a range of case studies from Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia and Oceania. The book provides a broad survey of how Indonesia, Bangladesh, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Nepal, Australia, Cambodia, Taiwan and New Zealand attempted to manage the COVID pandemic, the challenges they faced and how they fared. Drawing on insights from politics, economics, sociology, law, public health, education and geography, most authors are nationals of the cases they discuss. Written in non-specialist language, ten case studies are examined, providing a useful analysis of the first two years of COVID in the Asia-Pacific from the emergence of COVID in January 2020 to the lifting of restrictions in December 2021. Chapters focus on different issues according to the scholar’s academic expertise, and a wide diversity of national pandemic experiences, challenges and responses are showcased. An essential read for scholars and students interested in the areas of Asia-Pacific politics, sociology and public health.