This book focuses on the experiences of temporary movements between Asia and Europe from the perspective of migrants and mobile people. It raises important questions such as: Why do people migrate on a temporary basis and what does this actually mean? How are these trajectories shaped? What are the implications of temporary moves for migrants and non-migrants? And how are transnational ties and practices characterized in the context of temporary migration? By shedding light on the practices and experiences of individual migrants, the book provides useful insights into understanding the challenges arising in an increasingly interconnected and mobile world. The chapters indicate that temporary migratory movements are on the rise: on the one hand on a voluntary basis such as reflected in labour migration, lifestyle migration and international student mobility, and on the other hand in an involuntary way as expressed in different forms of forced migration. Either way, temporary migration has diverse political. legal, economic, social and cultural implications, including the emergence of novel transnational networks and practices. The book is based on the findings of the international research project Transnational Migration in Transition: Transformative Characteristics of Temporary Mobility of People (EURA-NET), funded by the European Union's 7th Framework Programme for period 2014-2017.

In a world grappling with refugee crisis, political unrest and economies on the verge of collapse, temporary migration has become an increasingly common phenomenon. This volume presents a comprehensive picture of the transformative and development potential of temporary transnational migration in political, legal, economic, social and cultural aspects. This book: analyses how temporary migration is distinct from more permanent and circular forms of migration; brings together case studies from five Asian countries (China, India, the Philippines, Thailand and Turkey) and six European countries (Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands and Ukraine); is based on exhaustive interviews of over 800 migrants, returnees and migrants' family members, along with about 300 field experts, politicians, authorities and actors in civil society; illustrates the diverse nature of temporary migration, the continuing globalisation of the labour market and the interrelated changes to immigration, integration and emigration policies on local, national and international scales. This volume will be indispensable to scholars and researchers of development studies, international politics, international relations, migration and diaspora studies, public policy, sociology and social anthropology. It will also be of importance to government think tanks and non-governmental organisations working in these areas.