The ‘circulation of Care’ in Global Migration: A Systematic Review and Implications for East and Southeast Asian Social Policy

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic and the acceleration of digital transformation, global societies relied heavily on the labor of migrant care workers, particularly women, to address their care needs. However, amidst the contemporary polycrises, migrant care workers are not exempted from experiencing personal crises while providing care to both home and destination countries. It is crucial to ask, who provides them with care? Thus, it is essential to examine the flow of care, as sending nations face socio-economic crises fundamentally similar to those in receiving nations. This paper systematically reviews the sources and types of care available to migrant care workers. Using databases such as Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, ProQuest, and PubMed, the review identifies important key actors in the networks of care of migrants. In addition to their family members back home, they receive care from a variety of social actors, including their employers, non-governmental organizations, religious communities, and peer networks. The analysis reveals the participation of migrant care workers in a complex transnational care loop: providing care to their employers and engaging in transnational caregiving for their families in their home countries, while simultaneously receiving care in their destination and home countries. The findings also highlight the need for gender-responsive social welfare and healthcare policy frameworks to better support the circulation of care among migrant care workers. Finally, the paper discusses policy implications specific to the Southeast and East Asian experience. While the systematic review is global in scope, it offers insights into the dynamics between Southeast Asia as a labor-sending country and East Asia as a labor-destination country. The review concludes with the need to strengthen labor migration policy frameworks to protect the interests of migrant care workers.