Multinational Maids: Stepwise Migration in a Global Labour Market

Research profile seminar

Migrant domestic workers are adopting stepwise international labor migration as part of long-term mobility projects for themselves and their families. How has this global phenomenon emerged, and what similar patterns of stepwise migration can you see among other migrant groups?

"Multinational" mobility is not restricted to the global elite.
Drawing upon surveys with more than 1,000 Filipino and Indonesian migrant domestic workers in Singapore and Hong Kong, and in-depth interviews with well over 200 of these workers in Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Canada, and the United States, Anju Paul documents how some migrant domestic workers are agentically adopting stepwise international labor migration as part of long-term mobility projects for themselves and their families.
In her talk, Dr Paul lays out the building blocks that have led to the emergence of this global phenomenon, highlighting similar patterns of stepwise migration among other migrant groups, including migrant nurses, IT professionals, foreign academics, and international students.