Routledge Handbook of Migration and Development

Abstract

This chapter explores the migration corridor between the Philippines and Hong Kong. A long-established destination for largely female migrants taking up domestic work, Hong Kong offers Filipino workers proximity to home and public space in which to socialise. Despite exploitative working conditions, opportunities to take on additional informal work can make migrants’ Hong Kong sojourns worthwhile. Hong Kong’s social space gives NGOs a platform for political organising and training. Combined with comparatively stronger earning power, the strength of migrant civil society in Hong Kong makes migrants here a key target for development initiatives. These initiatives include programmes to enhance remittance-led development and sustainable returns which seek to offer migrants’ long-term economic security and social mobility back home. The Philippines–Hong Kong corridor is thus a key exemplar of migration-led development.