ABSTRACT
With reference to the experience in East Asia, this chapter explores the civil and political space for migrants’ civil and political participation, and draws correlations with migrant rights protection. With the growing connotation of human rights as a Western concept, and the applicability of international human rights standards and protection mechanisms being challenged by Asian states, whether migrant rights could be effectively upheld is highly questionable. It is arguable that with the marginalisation of human rights obligations under the East–West discourse and a lack of democratic systems in ensuring political participation, migrant rights are highly under threat in East Asia.
