Transnational migration and the involuntary return of undocumented migrants across the Cambodian–Thai border

Transnational families negotiating migration and care life cycles across nation-state borders

“…Much has been written about the nature of remittance flows that depend on the migrant's earnings and ability to save and send remittances (Osella and Osella 2000;Riccio 2001;Goldin and Reinert 2012). Nurick and Hak (2019) observe remittance-recipient Cambodian families generally view women migrants as more reliable and generous remitters.…”

“…In economic boom times, this category may reflect blurred border circumstances in which the government is lax about enforcing the full letter of its immigration laws. This is illustrated by the case studies of Cambodian migrants in Thailand (Nurick and Hak, 2019) and Bolivian migrants in Spain prior to the 2009 global economic crisis (Martínez-Buján, 2019).…”

“…Such ventures align with bifurcated outcomes: (1) either the migrant returns after a fixed contractual period and resumes in situ membership in the family within the source country, while the legacy of the out-migration is considered to be a net benefit or loss to the family (Åkesson and Baaz 2015); or (2) the migrant stays in the destination country and becomes part of an on-going process of material and emotional exchange between source and destination branches of an evolving transnational family engaged in greater or lesser degrees of remittance-sending, cross-border care circulation and bridged welfare provisioning. In the event of fluctuating national economic booms and recessions, economic migrants struggle with the unpredictability of labour opportunities and hazards, and may be compelled to make unplanned returns to their home country where they are likely to face lower economic returns and labour market uncertainty (Martínez-Buján, 2019; Nurick and Hak, 2019).…”

Transnational Families and Neo-Liberal Globalisation: Past, Present and Future

“…Single and married women migrate from poor to affluent countries in large numbers to act as domestic servants. Men are likely to be earning more than women in higher-paid work, nonetheless it is often observed that women tend to send more money home than men and their payments are more regularised (Abrego 2009;Nurick & Hak 2019;Sørenson 2005). Baldassar and Merla's (2014: 25) Cautious mothers make various backup arrangements for the sake of their children's welfare.…”

Multiple Facets of Migration Research: Key Questions, Topics, and Avenues yet to Be Explored

“…On the positive side, prestigious journals brim with contributions elaborating on the complexities and implications of migration worldwide [8][9][10][11][12], thus not only opening several avenues of research, but also delivering in-depth insights into the phenomenon of migration. This notwithstanding, certain topics still require greater attention of the research community.…”