Immigration controls, life-course coordination, and livelihood strategies: A study of families living across the mainland-Hong Kong border

Hon Chu Leung*, Kim Ming Lee

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

    12 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    In-depth studies of families living across the mainland Chinese-Hong Kong border indicate how immigration controls can adversely affect the ability of families to synchronize members' life-courses to provide for their own livelihoods. By disrupting family timetables, the immigration quota system that governs migration from the mainland to Hong Kong hampers the attempts of families to secure their long-term viability and arrange for inter-generational caring. Circumventing immigration laws through illegal migration is costly, and family care-givers are often forced to stay in Hong Kong without being recognized as residents. Mainland-Hong Kong families have a unique opportunity to live on one side of the border while members commute to work or study on the other side, but this strategy affects long-term social participation and is available only to families with the requisite social and economic assets.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)487-507
    Number of pages21
    JournalJournal of Family and Economic Issues
    Volume26
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Dec 2005

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • Social Psychology
    • Economics and Econometrics

    User-Defined Keywords

    • Cross-border families
    • Immigration control
    • Life-course
    • Livelihood strategies

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