Turning points in labor migration: the case of Hong Kong

"The Hong Kong experience of emigration and immigration does not fit neatly into models of migration transition. As a city-state with a small rural population, it has exhibited different developmental characteristics from the larger Asian newly industrialized economies. Geopolitical factors have also played a key role in 'patterns' of migration, such as restrictive immigration policies in receiving countries. Also significant are individual considerations of political and economic risk, as evidenced by the current rise in the emigration of skilled and professional workers prior to the return of Hong Kong to China. The author concludes that, rather than a simple turning point in labor migration, there may be multiple turning points in a complex sequence of change."