Engaging the Asian Diaspora

This brief explores how governments in Asia are facilitating diaspora contributions. Diaspora populations bring value to development efforts at home by sending remittances and providing human capital and direct and indirect investments. Governments are increasingly assisting these contributions, from the creation of conducive legal frameworks and diaspora-centered institutions to initiation of programs that specifically target diasporas as development actors.

However, such mechanisms of diaspora engagement remain insufficient if not integrated into a broad-based strategy that receives sustained attention over time. Factors to consider when determining appropriate policy include the diaspora's size, skill levels, culture, and home bias and the socioeconomic and political conditions at both origin and destination.

The authors detail a number of legislative proposals geared at diasporas, including flexible citizenship laws and visa arrangements, political and property rights, and reduced income tax rates.