Refugees and asylum seekers in East Asia: Perspectives from Japan and Taiwan

The moral and humanitarian obligation to provide protection to people fleeing persecution, conflict, and human rights violations is crucial for democracies around the world. 

As democracies in a region with rising refugee and migration issues, Japan and Taiwan have taken a proactive approach to refugee management, though this has not been without challenges. In this talk, given Japan's and Taiwan's geopolitical contexts, legal and judicial frameworks, as well as recent cultural and social developments, the presenters will discuss the contradictions and tensions that have emerged in both countries between the ambitions to adhere to international norms and the challenges that this would pose to the countries. 

About the speakers 

Dr Lara Momesso is Associate Research Fellow of the Institute for Area and Migration Studies at the University of Central Lancashire. Lara founded and Co-Directed the Northern Institute of Taiwan Studies (2018-2025) and the Centre for Migration, Diaspora and Exile (2019-2025) at the University of Central Lancashire. 

Dr. Bonny Ling is the Executive Director of Work Better Innovations, Research Fellow at the Institute for Human Rights and Business, Senior Non-Resident Fellow with the University of Nottingham Taiwan Research Hub. She sits on the Advisory Board of the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS). 

Dr Ling is an established expert in international labour rights and human rights, with extensive experience across academic, public, non-profit and consultancy sectors. With strong technical expertise in international labour standards, she has worked on high-profile reports on workers’ rights, with a focus on the precarious employment situation of migrant workers.