The word security has a military connotation and refers to the activities involved in protecting or defending a country, in which the State has a central role. This book argues that the State provides as well as threatens security, and that by broadening the concept of security to include both military and non-military threats such as those related to ecological, social, economic and political causes, a system of checks and balances can be introduced to regulate the State.

"Migration and security have been widely studied in international relations and political science. Migration is often presented as a threat to national sovereignty, state security as well as to the economic, social and cultural well-being. On security, all of the attention has been on national security, terrorism, extremism and crime. Hence, there is an alternative concept, human security, which emphasizes that the government's responsibility is not only to protect the territorial security and sovereign integrity of the state, but also the freedom and rights of its citizens. Thus, the notion of human security provides an opportunity to broaden our understanding of the economic, social and political challenges associated with migration, from the place of origin to transit, arrival and (re)settlement in a new location. South Asia homes about one-fourth of the world's population, making it both the most populous and the most densely populated geographical region in the world. This region has witnessed mass migration as many of the countries have emerged through the partition. Millions migrated between India and Pakistan and thousands during the formation of Bangladesh, ethnic conflict of Sri Lanka, Maoist Movement in Nepal and ethnic conflict of Bhutan. The book consists of 11 chapters by scholars from India, Nepal and US on different aspects of migration and human security of South Asia such as impact of remittance on livelihood of Dalits of Nepal, illegal migration of Assam and Bangladesh, impact of climate change in migration, rise of anti-immigrant sentiments and internal migration in South Asia."--Back cover

This book delves into the theory and praxis of human security in South Asia. Home to almost a quarter of the world’s population and fast emerging markets, South Asia holds social, geopolitical and economic significance in the current global context. The chapters in the volume: examine the challenges to human security through an exploration of environmental issues including water availability, electric waste, environmental governance and climate change; explore key themes such as development, displacement and migration, the role of civil society, sustainable development and poverty; and discuss developmental issues in South Asia and provide a holistic picture of non-military security issues. Bringing together scholars from varied disciplines, this comprehensive volume will be useful for researchers, teachers and students of international relations, human rights, political science, development studies, human geography and demography, defense and strategic studies, migration and diaspora studies, and South Asian studies.

This book makes an interdisciplinary in-depth study of refugees, migration, conflicts, and development in the South Asian region. By depicting the socio-economic and security aspects of migration along with human security, this book has projected the vulnerability of this region.

Across East Asia, intra-regional migration is more prevalent than inter-regional movements, and the region’s diverse histories, geopolitics, economic development, ethnic communities, and natural environments make it an excellent case study for examining the relationship between irregular migration and human security. Irregular migration can be broadly defined as people’s mobility that is unauthorised or forced, and this book expands on the existing migration-security nexus by moving away from the traditional state security lens, and instead, shifting the focus to human security. With in-depth empirical country case studies from the region, including China, Japan, North Korea, the Philippines, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Singapore, the contributors to this book develop a human security approach to the study of irregular migration. In cases of irregular migration, such as undocumented labour migrants, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, trafficked persons, and smuggled people, human security is the cause and/or effect of migration in both sending and receiving countries. By adopting a human security lens, the chapters provide striking insights into the motivations, vulnerabilities and insecurities of migrants; the risks, dangers and illegality they are exposed to during their journeys; as well as the potential or imagined threats they pose to the new host countries. This multidisciplinary book is based on extensive fieldwork and interviews with migrants, aid workers, NGO activists and immigration officers. As such, it will appeal to students and scholars of Asian politics and security, as well as those with interests in international relations, social policy, law, geography and migration.

Contains papers presented at a seminar.