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The Securitization of Transnational Labor Migration: The Case of Malaysia and Indonesia
Author(s) -
Arifianto Alexander R.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
asian politics and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.193
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1943-0787
pISSN - 1943-0779
DOI - 10.1111/j.1943-0787.2009.01145.x
Subject(s) - securitization , indonesian , southeast asia , human rights , migrant workers , political science , perspective (graphical) , human security , human migration , development economics , economics , economic growth , sociology , population , law , linguistics , ethnology , philosophy , demography , artificial intelligence , computer science , financial system
Existing studies on transnational migration in Southeast Asia tend to view it primarily from labor, human rights, or gender perspectives. Few of these studies have viewed labor migration as a security problem between the countries involved. This article attempts to close this gap in the literature by looking at the case study of labor migration from Indonesia and Malaysia from a security perspective and how it affects the relationship between migrants, citizens, and governments of these two countries. The article utilizes securitization theory introduced by the Copenhagen School to explain why, within the last two decades, Malaysian politicians have shifted their treatment of Indonesian migrants from a policy of toleration to one that considers them a security threat against Malaysian society.