Presentation at a EURA-NET meeting in Budapest 16 October 2015.

1. EURA-NET PROJECT MEETING
BUDAPEST, 16-17 OCTOBER 2015
MARUJA M.B. ASIS & KAREN ANNE LIAO
SCALABRINI MIGRATION CENTER
INTERVIEWS WITH MIGRANTS: THE PHILIPPINES

2. DATA COLLECTION
• Interviews took place between Sept 2014 and Sept 2015
• Interviewees were identified through
• Referrals by colleagues
• Interviewees providing referrals (snowball sampling)
• Other strategies played a minor role
• Interviewees were conducted in 11 sites– 40 were done in
Metro Manila; the rest were done in 10 provinces

4. DATA COLLECTION
• Four types of interviewees
• European migrants (n=36)
• European migrants with a Filipino background (n=2)
• Filipino returnees (n=33)
• Non-migrants who have a family member in Europe (n=9)
• Gender & age profile
• 45 women, 35 men
• Age range was from 22 to77 years old

5. HIGHLIGHTS: MIGRATION PROCESSES
• Transnational mobility is common among the interviewees (inc. some non-migrants)
• International migration to the Philippines is much easier for Europeans than it is for
Filipinos to migrate to Europe
• Migration for work was common for both Europeans & Filipinos; other reasons are
more associated with Europeans (e.g., retirement) and Filipinos (e.g., for studies)
• Due to entry requirements, some Filipinos resorted to the use of intermediaries to
enter Europe
• Unauthorized entry has changed: before it was being smuggled across the
border; more recently, it is legal entry with the intention to secure a work permit
• Migration plans are changeable
• Return migration – not necessarily for good (frequent visits to the Philippines by
Filipino workers)
• Temporary migration can turn into permanent migration (e.g., with marriage to a
national)
• Temporary migration is not just about time; it is also a state of mind

6. HIGHLIGHTS: POLITICAL-LEGAL ASPECT
• In general, interviewees were not active political actors in the
destination countries
• Engagement with destination country institutions was minimal, mostly
with immigration agencies
• Overall, interviewees did not experience discrimination
• European interviewees experienced undue attention due to their
“foreign” appearance; atypical cases (European women with
Filipino partners/spouses) invited many queries
• More European interviewees followed political events in their home
countries and the region (occupations may be a factor); Filipinos were
less likely to keep up with political events in the home country
(students more likely to be interested than workers)

7. HIGHLIGHTS: SOCIO-CULTURAL ASPECT
• The socio-cultural aspect is the arena where transnational migration is most
felt by interviewees
• Migration as enriching, horizon-expanding experience, appreciation of
different cultures
• Overall, interviewees mostly moved in their own circles (although some
Europeans in the Philippines had a wider circle due to their work)
• “Integration” in Europe facilitated by social networks in the case of
Filipinos; the church is an important institution for Filipinos
• A highly transnational way of life has some costs in terms of personal
relationships, despite ease of maintaining contacts with significant others
through various ICT mechanisms
• Different and expansive notions of home; for many, home is linked to deeply
personal relationships and the primordial place of origin or family

8. HIGHLIGHTS: SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASPECT
• The search for work is a shared reason for migration by
Filipinos and Europeans
• Divergence in employment patterns: Europeans in
professional work; Filipinos mostly in domestic work (de-
skilling in the case of some; an opportunity for those with
less education and older women)
• Remitting practices more evident among Filipinos; high
remitting behavior to families in the Philippines
• Some Filipino migrants contribute to community projects
• Some European retirees and permanent residents are engaged
in business – school, bar, pension house, coffee shop

9. CONCLUSION
• The Philippines as a destination country and Europe as a
source region of international migrants suggest research and
policy issues for further consideration.