Indonesian domestic workers and the (un)making of transnational livelihoods and provisional futures

Under one roof? Left‐behind children's perspectives in negotiating relationships with absent and return‐migrant parents

“…In surveying the broader political and economic context in which Southeast Asian children are growing up, scholars (see Ball, ; Battistella & Asis, ; Silvey, ; Yeoh, Platt, Khoo, Lam, & Baey, ) have highlighted the importance of transnational migration as an established economic livelihood strategy used by many families living in the Indonesian and Filipino archipelagos since the 1980s and 1970s, respectively. Although both countries' colonial heritage—Indonesia as a former Dutch colony and the Philippines as a former colony of Spain and subsequently the United States—provides a significant backcloth influencing the migratory propensity of their respective populations, deeper integration of the region into the global world order over the last two decades has led to uneven economic growth and development, which has in turn transformed contemporary migration opportunities and destinations.…”

“…Childhood experiences are notably diverse across and within both countries, but the lives of the left-behind Indonesian and Filipino children in this article are joined by a common thread of growing up within a prevalent migration context that is influenced by a host of factors including gender (of migrants, carers, and children), length of migration, and destinations. Although we are increasingly gaining insights into the mixed impact of parental migration on the citizenship (see Butt & Ball, 2018) and developmental aspects (such as behaviours, education, mental and physical health, and relationships) of Indonesian and Filipino childhoods through a growing number of studies (examples include Asis, 2006;Battistella & Conaco, 1998;Graham & Jordan, 2011;Graham et al, 2012;Parreñas, 2005 In surveying the broader political and economic context in which Southeast Asian children are growing up, scholars (see Ball, 1997;Battistella & Asis, 2013;Silvey, 2004;Yeoh, Platt, Khoo, Lam, & Baey, 2017) (Graham et al, 2012). Given the prevailing temporary migration regime in the region where individuals migrate to destination countries as contract labour on time-limited entry visas, children of migrant parents are left at source, spending part or even all of their growing years in their overseas parent(s)'-often the mother-absence.…”

Home, but not 'at home' : the reintegration of unskilled Ethiopian female return migrants from Arabian Gulf countries

“…Residing legally in the host county means abiding by the kafala labor system, which requires staying in the employer's house as a live-in maid for the duration of the contract. In this way, temporary migration schemes, such as the kafala system, operate as a 'technology of servitude' (Yeoh et al, 2017). Ethiopian female domestic workers are systematically beaten and deprived of basic needs, so as to break their resistance and make them submit.…”

“…Temporary contract migration can also be a way for women to support their families, develop skills or uphold ideals of womanhood (Parreñas, 2005). At the same time, foreign countries can leave migrant domestic workers vulnerable to multiple exploitations because of their gender, class, race, religion and nationality Silvey, 2009;Yeoh & Ramdas, 2014;Yeoh, Platt, Khoo, Lam & Baey, 2017). Such racialized, gendered and economic exploitation includes deprivation of rest and food, sexual assault including rape, and psychological abuse such as being threatened .…”

“…Both governments of supply countries and receiving countries benefit from this. Yeoh et al (2017) explain how Singapore takes advantage of the supply of Indonesian women in this 'migration industry'. In Singapore, Indonesian workers use a work permit system which grants short-term contracts and enables easy repatriation.…”