Introduction to the workshop

Introduction to the workshop

“Migration and Marriage in Asia”

Le Thi Quy Associate Prof. Ph.D

Director of the Research Center for Gender and Development

In recent years, globalization has been increasing. Together with economic development, political, scientific and cultural exchanges are increasingly promoted. The issues of international migration and marriage have become common not only in European countries, but also widely in Asian countries, where marriage is considered less open and usually thought of as reserved for traditional marriage within the nation. However, the issues of migration are not simply issues of marriage between peoples of different nations with the differences in economics, culture, language and lifestyle. The globalization and complication of migration marriage in the recent decades have raised the exciting issues for researchers, policy makers, and practical activists to study and recommend effective solutions to these phenomena.

In this context, the organization of ARENA – a network of Asian behavioral researchers – who initiated to build a Regional Research Project called “3 years of coordination among marriage groups – migration to obtain another nationality of married women – migration in Asia” in the period of January 2007 and December 2009. The Project aims to:

1. Construct an international action network combining the acts of research groups and the community’s people on married women – migration.

Coordinate internationally to prevent trading marriage and women trafficking.

Introduce the latest Migration Law of the host countries and research on altering the Immigration Law, which in the past has been restricted to married female migrants.

Research and act on protecting women from violence in the family and help women victims in either the sending or receiving countries.

2. Present initiatives to maintain the nationality of the married female migrants in the approaches of Feminism and to enhance the actual citizen’s rights.

3. Provide the full understanding to the community on the issues of migration marriage in Asia at all levels and promote the issue of migration marriage to be an important issue in the program of Human Rights in Asia.

4. Perfect the recommendations to establish the best policies of the governments for married female migrants and link them with the formation of new regulations in the international agreements on Migration and Women.

Vietnam is a sending country. Since the 1990s, hundreds of thousands of women have married and migrate abroad both legal and illegally Many marriages have happened as part of larger women and children trafficking schemes.

The phenomenon of Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese men flocking into poorer countries including Vietnam to look for wives has shown legitimate needs of people to find happiness, which corresponds with the trend of linking and co - operating in the region. However, in fact, there are many cases that the couples do not have enough time and opportunities to grow love. Before married, both sides do not understand the traditions, languages, family situations and laws of the partner’s side. They are simply trading marriage The middle person takes money from both sides. Apparently, time for growing love and marriage are given increasingly shorter times in the context of market economics. People accept the action of calculating money, situation of the family and the partner country rather than considering the characters, lifestyle and love, which formerly were the basics for a healthy marriage. Being a man from a richer country has given him better advantages and even more affirmation of his position as boss. Meanwhile, the laws of either the sending or receiving countries fail to protect the women who enter such contractual relationships. For instance, there are too many easy regulations in the foreign marriage procedures, especially the problem of time and other fundamental conditions. The women traffickers often take advantage on this situation. Lately, on April the 9, 2007, the policemen of Tan Binh district, Ho Chi Minh City discovered an illegal marriage intermediary network that has successfully enticed 118 girls in 10 communes. When the policemen entered the house, they witnessed 118 young girls standing in lines for 8 Korean men choosing their wives. There are at least 20 pimps providing Vietnamese girls to this house. (Youth Newspaper, April 10, 2007).

Many opinions believe that marriage migration is caused by financial reasons. This is a manifestation of the rich – poor gap all over the world that the human race is still dealing with. The sending countries are usually poor while the receiving countries are usually richer. This comment is perfectly true, however, in our view, looking into the issue of migration and marriage in Asia is not simply from the economic approach, but likely putting together political, cultural, social factors and the people themselves. Therefore, to understand this problem, we can not just pay attention to economic issues, but need to create comprehensive policies within and between governments and the people of both sending and receiving countries, especially emphasizing the responsibility of each family and individual who has participated and are participating in these marriages. For instance, besides allowing marriage between people of different nations, the government of the receiving countries must facilitate the changing nationality process and give migrants their citizen’s rights and other fundamental human rights while living in the country. The government of the sending countries must be responsible in following and protecting the rights of their people after marriage migration. Management mechanism and comprehensive laws are needed for a healthy and legitimate marriage and for preventing women trafficking. For instance, foreigners must have time to understand their partners’ traditions, language, family situation and especially love must grow between them with a serious consideration of marrying in order to minimize the problem of trading marriages. Young girls and their families must investigate carefully information about the future husband and self- supplement knowledge about migration marriage and information of the rights protection agencies in order to self-protect as well as to ask for support when problems happen.

Becoming global problems and the current situation of many Vietnamese brides living overseas have encouraged Vietnam to participate in the international network of researching and acting on the issues. Thus, RCGAD, an Vietnamese NGO under the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in corporation with ARENA has organized this workshop on “Migration and Marriage in Asia.”

In this workshop, we will discuss and examine a number of issue as below:

1. Introduce research of the national and international organizations on the issues of migration and marriage, women and children trafficking for wives or prostitutes in Asia.

2. Establish an international research and acting network on the issues of migration and marriage in Asia in order to improve the legal system, protect the married female migrants and prevent women trafficking.

3. Give possible recommendations to increase the responsibility of either the giving and receiving countries. Counsel on appropriate policies for each country, build positive international agreements to ensure healthy marriage and prevent women and children trafficking.

Although a day long workshop will not able to cover all the problems, this is still an opportunity for national and international experts to exchange information, opinions, experiences and initiatives to establish a common research and action network between giving and receiving countries. We hope that the workshop will be the beginning of long-lasting research collaboration between our organizaitons and countries.

On the behalf of the organizing committee, I pronounce the workshop “ Migration and Marriage in Asia“ officially open. May our workshop be a great success.