Lausanne World Pulse – Perspectives Articles – Migrant Workers: The Responsive Wave

By Bryan Galloway and Jessie Rushing This increasingly enables migrant workers who have become Christians to serve as ambassadors simultaneously in distant places. With this in mind, how can the church-mission respond?

  1. Identify migrant workers in your locale. Sometimes migrant workers are at our doorsteps, we just fail to notice them.
  2. Voice opposition when migrant workers are abused. We can stand in the gap to alleviate social injustices and express faith to the real circumstances of today’s world. We can also speak up when people stereotype migrant workers by making innuendoes or prejudicial statements against migrant workers.
  3. Set strategic priorities to reach out to migrant workers. Prioritization results in funds, manpower and committing time by visiting places where migrant workers assemble and befriending them.
  4. Show love and compassion in action. Love may come in providing food or answering cultural adjustment questions.
  5. Point them to hope in Jesus Christ. No matter how difficult the ethno-linguistic challenge may be, share the message of hope in Jesus Christ.

Conclusion
 The wave of migrant workers is a challenge ethno-linguistically. However, the greater challenge comes from within: a challenge of changing attitudes within the Church toward different peoples and different cultures. But reaching out to the wave can bring life to the Church—a renewed missionary vision and vigor—right to its doorsteps.

Endnotes

1. Taran, Patrick A. 2003. “International standards and temporary migration in the 21st century: Rights Based Law or Market Law.” Paper presented for International Institute for Labour Studies in cooperation with the ILO International Migration Programme Workshop, 18-19 September 2003.

2. Hugo, G. J. 2004. “International Migration in the Asia-Pacific Region: Emerging Trends and Issues.” In International Migration: Prospects and Policies in a Global Market. D.S Massey and J.E. Taylor, eds. 77-103. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

3. Castles, S. 2003. “Migrant Settlement, Transnational Communities and State Region.” In Migration in the Asia Pacific: Population, Settlement and Citizenship Issues. R. Iredale, C. Hawksley and S. Castles, eds. 3-26. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.

4. Martin, Philip. 1996. “Migrants on the Move.” Asia Pacific. no. 29, December.

5. All references not noted in the endnotes list can be found in the below Additional References list.

6. Martin, Philip. 1996.

7. Piper, Nicola. 2005. “Migrant Labour in Southeast Asia, Country Study: Singapore.” Paper prepared for Freidrich Ebert Stiftung Project on Migrant Labour in Southeast Asia. Singapore: Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore; Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2004. “Labour Force Statistics and other Characteristics of Migrants.” Published Report 6250.0, November 2004. Melbourne, Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics; and Statistics New Zealand. 2005. “Labour Market Statistics 2004.” Wellington, New Zealand: Statistics New Zealand, Te Tari Tatau.

8. The Star Online. 2007. “Employment Rises Slightly.” The Star Online. 22 March. 

9. Debrah, Yaw R. 2002. Migrant Workers in Pacific Asia. London: Frank Cass Publishers.

10. Asian Workers News. 2001. Asian Workers News. no. 119. 16 December.

11. Park, Chung-a. 2006. “EPS Increases Illegal Migrant Workers.” Korea Times. 17 October.

12. Southeast Asia. 2007. Migration News. 14(1), January. 

13. Turner, Victor. 1969. The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. New York: Aldine De Gruyter.

Additional References

Asian Labor Migration 2006. 2007. Migration News. 14(1), January. 

Battistella, G. 2002. “Unauthorized Migrants as Global Workers in the ASEAN Region.” Southeast Asian Studies. 40(3): 350-371.

Chalamwong, Y. 2005. “Recent Trends and Policy Initiatives of International Migration and Labor Market in Thailand, 2004.” Paper prepared for the Workshop on International Migration and Labour Market in Asia organized by the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training. Japan Institute of Labour, Tokyo, 20-21 January.

Department of Immigration, Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA). 2003. “APEC Business Travel Card: Operating Framework.” Unpublished Document. Canberra, Australia: DIMIA.

Kim, Hailey. 2007. “Human Rights of Workers in Korea.” Korea Herald. 28 March.

Kuar, A. and I. Metcalf, eds. 2006. Mobility, Labor Migration & Border Controls in Asia. London: Pan-Macmillan.

New Straits Times. 2006. “Indonesians form Bulk of Workers.” New Straits Times. 19 July.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). 2004. “Annual Report 2003.” Manila, Philippines: POEA.

Soeprobo, T.B. 2005. “Recent Trends in International Migration in Indonesia.” Paper prepared for Workshop on International Migration and Labour Market in Asia organized by the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training, Japan Institute of Labour, Tokyo, 20-21 January.

Tigno, J.V. 1997. “ASEAN Labor Migration: Strategic Implications for Japan in Southeast Asia.” Asian Migrant. 10(3):86-89.

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Bryan Galloway (left) has served in roles such as church planter and regional administrator in cross-cultural missions for twenty years with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Church. For the past eight years, he has served as the regional research coordinator for the IMB-SBC Pacific Rim region.

Jessie Rushing (right) has been a missionary associate in the Pacific Rim region since 2000. He is involved in ethnographic research on unreached people groups of the region. He is also part of a church planting/evangelization team working among ethnic Chinese.

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