The Development Policy Centre’s annual Pacific Migration Workshop is an important forum for discussion of Pacific migration issues and their economic, social, political, and environmental dimensions.
Presentations and events recordings for the 2024 event held at the Australian National University are below.
In past years, the workshop was held at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, in conjunction with the Pacific Update conference.
Check our Events page for details of the 2025 event, to be held mid-year in Fiji.
2024 Pacific Migration Workshop
In 2024, the workshop was held on 3 September at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University in Canberra.
The theme was Expanding Opportunities for Pacific Migration.
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Panel 1: Pacific climate (im)mobilities and resilience
Chair: Dr Charlotte Bedford, Research Fellow, Development Policy Centre, ANU
» watch recording
A typology of climate (im)mobilities
Dr Henrietta McNeill, ANU and Dr Liam Moore, James Cook University
Navigating the nexus: Aotearoa New Zealand’s support for Pacific climate migration and climate crisis resilience
Ms Lauren Bland, PhD candidate, University of Canterbury
» view presentation
Expanding opportunities for mobility in a warming Pacific world
Dr Christina Newport, University of Auckland
» view presentation
The Pacific regional framework on climate mobility: Future directions and next steps
Mr Christopher Richter, Regional Migration, Environment and Climate Change Specialist, IOM
» view presentation
Panel 2: Economic analyses
Chair: Mr Viliame Bovoro, Assistant Director, Pacific Fusion Centre
» watch recording
Female Micronesian migration to Guam, Hawaii and the U.S. mainland for better opportunities
Dr Michael J Levin, Pacific Web LLC, Honolulu (online)
» view presentation
The financial lives of Pacific migrants
Ms Estelle Stambolie and Dr Ryan Edwards, Development Policy Centre, ANU
» view presentation
Profiling Pacific diaspora communities in Australia
Dr Toan Nguyen, Development Policy Centre, ANU
» view presentation
Fiji’s emigration boom
Ms Huiyuan Liu, Development Policy Centre, ANU
» view presentation
Panel 3: Social dimensions
Chair: Ms Natasha Turia, Department of Pacific Affairs, ANU
» watch recording
Reproductive (in)justice and the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme
Ms Lindy Kanan, ANU and Ms Sarai Tafa, True Relationships and Reproductive Health and Vice President, Pacific Islands Council Queensland.
» view presentation
Safe and secure accommodation solutions for seasonal workers in regional industries
Professor Joseph Cheer, University of Western Sydney, and Dr Sara Niner, Monash University
» view presentation
The impacts of the labour mobility programs in the nation of Vanuatu
Ms Christina Thyna, Nambawan Family Association, Vanuatu
» view presentation
Family centred assistance to migrants across the circular labour mobility journey
Mr Dinesh Munasinha, Labour Mobility Programme Manager, IOM
» view presentation
Panel 4: Recent developments
Chair: Professor Alan Gamlen, Director of The Migration Hub, School of Regulation and Global Governance, ANU
» watch recording
Enhancing Pacific labour mobility: A pilot for family accompaniment
Dr Anne Stephens, Pacific Labour Facility and Ms Carli Shillito, Assistant Secretary, Pacific Labour Policy and Engagement Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
» view presentation
Lessons from the UK’s new seasonal work scheme and Spain’s recent changes to its seasonal work program
Dr Richard Curtain, Development Policy Centre, ANU
» view presentation
Farm guest workers: recent developments in U.S. and Canada
Professor Emeritus Philip Martin, University of California, Davis
» view presentation
2023
Suva, Fiji
The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Japan-Pacific ICT Centre
Thursday 15 June – Pacific Migration Research Workshop
8.30am Registration
» watch livestream replay
9.00am Keynote address
Michael Clemens, Centre for Global Development
» view presentation
9:35am Keynote address
Leasiolagi Malama Meleisea, National University of Samoa
10:10am Morning Tea
10:30am Panel 7: Economic impacts at home and abroad
» watch livestream replay
Chair: Neelesh Gounder, University of the South Pacific
The Pacific Labour Mobility Survey: key findings from the first wave
Ryan Edwards, Australian National University, and Dung Doan, World Bank
» view presentation
The labour market impacts of low-skilled temporary migration: evidence from the Seasonal Worker Program
Toan Nguyen, Australian National University, and Ryan Edwards, Australian National University
» view presentation
Temporary migration and household spending in the Pacific
Hiroshi Maeda, Australian National University and Ryan Edwards, Australian National University
» view presentation
12pm Lunch
1pm Panel 8: Reflections on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme
» watch livestream replay
Chair: Carolyn Jalal, Australia Pacific Training Coalition
Reflections and insights from the Pacific Labour Facility: 2018-2023
Lewis Brimblecombe, Pacific Labour Facility
» view presentation
Is Australia doing enough to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Pacific workers in Australia?
Lindy Kanan, University of the Sunshine Coast, and Judy Putt, Australian National University
» view presentation
Migrant-Diaspora Connections and Pacific Food Worker Wellbeing in Australia
Victoria Stead, Deakin University, Kirstie Petrou, Griffith University, and Makiko Nishitani, La Trobe University
» view presentation
2:30pm Afternoon tea
2:45pm Panel 9: Australia’s Pacific Engagement Visa: Can it be strengthened to meet the Blue Pacific needs?
» watch livestream replay
Chair: Stephen Howes, Australian National University
Akka Rimon, Australian National University
Natasha Turia-Moka, Australian National University
Michael Kabuni, Australian National University
Jope Tarai, Australian National University
» view presentation
3:30pm Panel 10: Regional perspectives on labour mobility in the Pacific
» watch livestream replay
Chair: Alisi Holani, PACER Plus Implementation Unit
Emmanuel Murwisi, International Organization for Migration
Angelica Neville, International Labour Organization and Sabira Coelho, International Organization for Migration
Noah Kouback, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
» view presentation
» view presentation
» view presentation
5pm Workshop close
5pm Red Wave Retrospective Exhibition (optional), Oceania Centre for the Arts
2022
Suva, Fiji
The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Japan-Pacific ICT Centre
Thursday 30 June – Pacific Migration Research Workshop
8.30am Registration
9.00am Opening plenary
Chair: Professor Stephen Howes, Director, Development Policy Centre, Australian National University
Future directions of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme
Carli Shillito, Assistance Secretary, Pacific Labour Policy and Engagement Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government
» view presentation
Mobile bodies in warming waters: climate futures for labour mobility in the Pacific
Associate Professor Yvonne Te Ruki-Rangi-O-Tangaroa Underhill-Sem, The University of Auckland
» view presentation
The future of labour mobility schemes in Vanuatu
Murielle Metsan Meltenoven, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Vanuatu (online), Gareth Priday, Action Foresight, and Anne-Sofie Gerhard and Marine Destrez, United Nations Development Programme Pacific
» view presentation
10.30am Morning tea
11.00am Panel 7: Labour mobility in a changing region
Chair: Yvonne Te Ruki-Rangi-O-Tangaroa Underhill-Sem, The University of Auckland
Seasonal worker schemes in the Pacific through the lens of international human rights and labour standards
Angelica Neville, Sanushka Mudaliar and Carmen Voigt-Graf, International Labour Organization
» view presentation
Climate change and labour mobility in the Pacific Islands – A Policy Brief
Carmen Voigt-Graf and Sabira Coelho, International Organization for Migration, and Angelica Neville, International Labour Organization
» view presentation
The role of youth migration in transforming food systems in the Pacific: current knowledge and critical gaps
Marisa Mitchell (1), Patrick Smallhorn-West (1, 2, 3), Jacqueline Lau (1, 2), Philippa Cohen (1, 2), Andrew Song (4), Tiffany Morrison (1) 1. James Cook University, 2. WorldFish, 3. Wildlife Conservation Society, 4. University of Technology Sydney
» view presentation
12.30pm Lunch
1.30pm Panel 8: Maximising development impacts
Chair: Rochelle Bailey, Australian National University
The place premium: Evidence from three Pacific labour mobility schemes
Ryan Edwards (online) and Nguyen Truong Toan, Australian National University
» view presentation
The role of remittance sending in connection to culture for the diaspora community
Vaoiva Ponton and Nicola Fa’avale, MANA Pasifika
» view presentation
Constraints and opportunities of decentralisation in labour mobility: Reflections on Papua New Guinea
Natasha Turia-Moka, Australian National University
» view presentation
3.00pm Afternoon tea
3.30pm Panel 9: Understanding social impacts
Chair: Mereseini Cawaru, Pacific Labour Facility
What happens to the learning outcomes of children left behind when parents work overseas? Evidence from Tonga
Vu Thu Trang and Daniel Suryadarma, Asian Development Bank Institute
» view presentation
Lost in space (and time): Transnational family life in the PALM Scheme
Matt Withers, Australian National University
» view presentation
The gendered and social impacts of labour mobility in PICs
Kirstie Petrou, Ursula Casabonne, Matthew Dornan, and Dung Doan, The World Bank
» view presentation
5.00pm Conference close
2021
Online
The Pacific Migration Workshop was integrated into the online program for the Pacific Update in 2021.
» download PDF program
» view abstracts
Presentations
Day 1 – Wednesday 22 September
Welcome
Pal Ahluwalia, Vice-Chancellor, The University of the South Pacific
» watch livestream replay
Politics and regionalism
Chair: Terence Wood, Research Fellow, Development Policy Centre, ANU
2022 PNG elections: Expectations, predictions, and concerns from participants
Michael Kabuni, Russel Kitau Jr, and Minetta Daniella Kakarere, The University of Papua New Guinea
» view presentation
Fault lines for unrest in the Pacific: Youth, livelihoods and land rights in driving and mitigating conflict
Aidan Craney, La Trobe University
» view presentation
Declaration on preserving maritime zones in the face of climate change-related sea-level rise
Henry Puna, Secretary General and Filimon Manoni, Deputy Secretary General, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
» read speech
Arts Presentation from The University of the South Pacific’s Oceania Centre of Arts and Culture
Cultural industries : Contemporary art in small island nations
Lingikoni Vaka’uta, followed by a virtual exhibition
» watch livestream replay
Food security and supply chains
Chair: Vijay Naidu, The University of the South Pacific
Understanding changing land use patterns in response to disaster on the peri-urban fringe of Port Vila
Andrew MacKenzie, The University of the South Pacific – Vanuatu Campusa
» view presentation
Factors affecting food choice and food environment during COVID-19 – A cross sectional study in Samoa
Ramona Boodoosingh, National University of Samoa, Sarah Burkhart and Dana Craven, Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research at University of the Sunshine Coast, Leslie Panapa, National University of Samoa
» view presentation
COVID-19, domestic agricultural supply chain and food security: The case of Fiji
Salesh Kumar, Fiji National University and Neelesh Gounder, The University of the South Pacific
» view presentation
Day 2 – Thursday 23 September
Welcome and keynote
Stephen Howes, Director, Development Policy Centre
Building a secure, inclusive Pacific – addressing gender inequality in COVID-19 times
Fiona Hukula, Gender Specialist, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
» read speech
Gender
Chair: Sandra Tarte, Acting Head, School of Law and Social Sciences, The University of the South Pacific
Voters’ perceptions of women as leaders in leadership in Tonga
Ungatea Kata, Tupou Tertiary Institute, Vanessa Lolohea, Tonga National Youth Congress, and Mereani Rokotuibau, Balance of Power
» view presentation
Leadership Matters: Benchmarking women’s business leadership in the Pacific
Sarah Boxall, Asian Development Bank, Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative
» view presentation
» download PDF report
Factors that instigate intimate partner violence in the National Capital District, PNG
Minetta Daniella Kakarere, The University of Papua New Guinea
» view presentation
Arts Presentation from The University of the South Pacific’s Oceania Centre of Arts and Culture
Representations of artists from the islands versus Pacific artists in the diaspora
Lingikoni Vaka’uta, followed by a virtual exhibition
» watch livestream replay
Economics
Chair: Ryan Edwards, Deputy Director and Fellow, Development Policy Centre, ANU
The private sector in a pandemic – a Vanuatu case study
Liz Pechan, International Finance Corporation
» view presentation
Reducing poverty through cash transfers in the Pacific
Christopher Hoy, World Bank
Fiji economy: Challenges and path to recovery
Janesh Sami, The University of the South Pacific
» view presentation
Day 3 – Friday 24 September
Welcome and keynote
» watch livestream replay (0:20–34:20)
Charlotte Blundell, Acting First Assistant Secretary, Pacific Economic and Development Division, Office of the Pacific, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
COVID-19 in the Pacific: where to from here?
Meru Sheel, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University
» view presentation
Agriculture
» watch livestream replay (34:55–1:39:05)
Chair: Charlotte Bedford, Research Fellow, Development Policy Centre, ANU
Agri-food systems knowledge and skills exchange between Australia and the Pacific through circular migration: Experiences from Seasonal Worker Programme participants
Federico Davila, Institute for Sustainable Futures at University of Technology Sydney, Olivia Dun, The University of Melbourne, Carol Farbotko, CSIRO, Brent Jacobs, Institute for Sustainable Futures at University of Technology Sydney, and Natascha Klocker, University of Wollongong
» view presentation
Impact of COVID-19 on production and trade direction of high value ‘niche’ crop products in small Island countries: A case study of Fiji
Nandakumar M. Desai, Abdul Kader, Sonny Lameta, The University of the South Pacific – Samoa Campus, Vinod Naik, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, India, Leslie T. Ubaub and Irene R. Chand, The University of the South Pacific – Samoa Campus
» view presentation
Local coalitions for economic recovery and food security – experiences from Vanuatu
Ellis Silas and Jilda Shem, Vanuatu Skills Partnership
» view presentation
Arts Presentation from The University of the South Pacific’s Oceania Centre of Arts and Culture
What is the inspiration of creativity in the islands and the notion of quality
Lingikoni Vaka’uta, followed by a virtual exhibition
» watch livestream replay (1:39:05–1:55:45)
Health systems
Chair: Colin Wiltshire, Research Fellow, Department of Pacific Affairs, College of Asia and the Pacific, ANU
Strengthening fragile health systems: The case of Fiji
Neil Sharma, Medical Practitioner, Suva
» view presentation
COVID-19 in PNG
Shane Stockil and Natalie Gray, International SOS
» view presentation
Reversing the NCD trend in the Pacific: Promising results from a three-year pilot, testing behaviour science applications and ‘edutainment’ to address Pacific’s most intractable problem
Simona Achitei, DT Global, and Aya Vang, Busara Centre for Behaviour Economics
» view presentation
2020
The 2020 Pacific Update was cancelled.
Given the spread of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), the risk to public health, and uncertainty around the timeframe for government restrictions on international travel and public gatherings, we cancelled the 2020 Pacific Update.
The following series of seminars were held.
Governance of the Seasonal Worker Programme in Australia and sending countries
9 December 2020
Professor Stephen Howes, Director, Development Policy Centre, ANU and Dr Richard Curtain, Research Fellow, Development Policy Centre, ANU
» watch livestream replay
» view presentation
» download PDF report
» download PDF executive summary
Abundance from abroad: migrant income and long-run economic development
11 November 2020
Professor Dean Yang, Department of Economics and Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan
» watch the recording
» view presentation
Pacific labour mobility and remittances in times of COVID-19
21 October 2020
Dr Dung Doan, Economist, World Bank, Dr Kenia Parsons, Social Protection and Jobs Specialist, World Bank, Dr Kirstie Petrou, Social Protection and Jobs Consultant, World Bank, Dr Matthew Dornan, Senior Economist, World Bank
» watch the recording
» view presentation
» read the interim report
Medical worker migration and origin-country human capital: evidence from U.S. visa policy
23 September 2020
Dr Caroline Theoharides, Assistant Professor of Economics, Amherst College
» watch the recording
» view presentation
Gender differences in social learning among Vanuatu cocoa growers
26 August 2020
Dr Alexandra Peralta, Lecturer in Agricultural and Food Economics, Centre for Global Food and Resources, University of Adelaide
» watch the recording
» view presentation
COVID-19: economic costs and responses in the Pacific
19 August 2020
Professor Stephen Howes, Director, Development Policy Centre, ANU, Dr Jenny Gordon, Chief Economist, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Dr Neelesh Gounder, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of the South Pacific, and Mr Maholopa Laveil, Lecturer in Economics, University of Papua New Guinea
» watch the recording
» listen to the podcast
» view presentation by Stephen Howes
» view presentation by Jenny Gordon
» view presentation by Maholopa Laveil
How to meet Australian demand for Pacific foreign vocational workers
12 August 2020
Dr Michael Clemens, Director of Migration, Displacement, and Humanitarian Policy and Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development, and Professor Satish Chand, Non-Resident Fellow, Center for Global Development; Professor of Finance, School of Business, University of New South Wales; Adjunct Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU
» watch the recording
» listen to the podcast
» view presentation by Satish Chand
Is mobile money changing rural Africa? Evidence from a field experiment
15 July 2020
Associate Professor Cátia Batista, Associate Professor of Economics, Nova School of Business and Economics
» watch the recording
» view presentation
Migration and household finances: how a different framing can improve thinking about migration
10 June 2020
Mr Timothy N. Ogden, Managing Director, Financial Access Initiative
» view presentation
» listen to the podcast
Migrant health workers are on the COVID-19 frontline: we need more of them
28 April 2020
Ms Helen Dempster, Assistant Director and Senior Associate for Policy Outreach for the Migration, Displacement, and Humanitarian Policy Program, Center for Global Development, and Ms Rebekah Smith, Non-Resident Fellow, Center for Global Development; Founder and Interim Director, Labor Mobility Partnerships (LaMP)
» view presentation
» watch the recording
Presentations
Pacific Labour Mobility Research Workshop
Pacific labour mobility – impacts and futures
John Connell, Professor, The University of Sydney, and Kirstie Petrou, Research Associate, The University of Adelaide »view presentation
Plenary: Sending-country governance
Sending country governance of labour mobility
Stephen Howes, Director, and Richard Curtain, Research Fellow, Development Policy Centre, ANU
»view presentation
Matthew Gibbs, Labour Mobility Advisor, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Murielle Metsan Meltenoven, Vanuatu Labour Commissioner »view presentation
Panel 7A: Skills
Identifying opportunities for APTC graduates from recent Australian immigration data
Richard Curtain, Research Fellow, Development Policy Centre, ANU »view presentation
APTC and achieving a net skills gain for Pacific economies
Andie Fong Toy, Labour Mobility Adviser, APTC »view presentation
Can Fiji’s skill shortage be addressed through a more receptive labour immigration policy?
Sunil Kumar, Senior Lecturer, USP, and Sothea Oum, Asian Development Bank »view presentation
Brain drain and/or brain gain: what have we learnt thus far?
Satish Chand, Professor, University of New South Wales »view presentation
Panel 7B: Social impacts and dimensions
Longitudinal study of ni-Vanuatu seasonal workers participating in New Zealand’s RSE scheme
Rochelle Bailey, Research Fellow, Department of Pacific Affairs, ANU »view presentation
A comparative analysis of media coverage on labour mobility in the Pacific and Australia
Prashanth Pillay, Research Analyst and Vipul Khosla, Design and Evaluation Lead, ABC International Development »view presentation
‘There will also be bad sides’: Community Perspectives on Labour Mobility
Rachel Smith, Research Associate, Max Planck – Cambridge Centre for Ethics, Economy and Social Change »view presentation
Plenary: Research agenda brainstorming
Pacific Labour Mobility: Research and Analytical Work
Matthew Dornan, Senior Social Protection and Jobs Specialist, World Bank »view presentation
Pacific Labour Mobility: Research Program
Rochelle Ball, Senior Research Manager, Pacific Labour Facility »view presentation
Vilimone Baledrokadroka, Deputy Secretary Technical, Fijian Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations
Research Agenda Brainstorming
Meleoni Uera, Director, Matala Limited and former Head of Tonga Labour Sending Unit »view presentation