Contemporary Migration Within the Pacific Islands: The case of Fijian skilled workers in Kiribati and Marshall Islands

There were 49 Fijian labour migrants who were interviewed in the Marshalls and Kiribati. Of these, 37 per cent were males and 63 per cent were females. By ethnic division, 77 per cent were native Fijians, 15 per cent were Indo-Fijians, 4 per cent were Rotumans and the remaining 4 per cent included Rabians (Fiji-born Gilbertese) and a naturalised Filipino resident. The Fijian migrants in this study have lived a minimum of one to a maximum of 37 years in their Pacific Island destination. The ages of the migrants ranged from 22 to 65 years with 22 per cent of the migrants in their 20s, 32 per cent in their thirties, 28 per cent in their forties and about 18 per cent in their fifties and sixties. The average age was 26 years; therefore, the majority of the migrants were well within the active working-age group of 20 to 50. Finally, their religious affiliation varied between Christian denominations (92 per cent), Hinduism (6 per cent), and the remaining two per cent were Buddhists.

The number of years of work experience for the Fijian migrants in the Marshall Islands ranged from three to 40 years in Fiji before their departure. On the other hand, the Fijian workers on Tarawa, Kiribati, had accumulated one to 19 years of work experience in Fiji before their migration. On the whole, the Fijian migrants are indeed experienced and skilled in their various professions.

The migrants worked in various occupational categories ranging from civil servants in Kiribati to government physicians in the Marshalls. Other types of jobs taken up by Fijian migrants included bartender, dental therapist, dentist, domestic worker, hotel worker, kindergarten teacher, lawyer, physician and shipping officer. The majority of these job categories required a specific level of academic competence, which was fulfilled by the migrants in this study.

Note: The Fijian migrants worked at various places in their host countries. The percentages are calculated to the nearest whole number.

Source: Fieldwork data from Kiribati and Marshall Islands, June–August, 2002.

About 90 per cent of the migrants indicated tertiary education as the highest level of education they had attained, and worked in the civil service, or as bartenders, kindergarten teachers, primary and secondary schoolteachers, nurses, doctors and dental therapists, lawyers and shipping officers. The remaining 10 per cent of the workers stated reaching only secondary school-level education. These migrants worked as mechanics and hotel workers in Kiribati and Marshall Islands, respectively.

Note: Only the highest academic qualification was considered for this question.

Source: Fieldwork data, Kiribati and Marshall Islands. June–August 2002.

This group of Fijian labour migrants to Kiribati and the Marshalls was mostly female, mostly ethnic Fijians, young, skilled and experienced in their fields of occupation.