Marriage Immigration and Multicultural Families: Public Policies and Their Implications for the Philippines and South Korea

This article surveys marriage immigration from the P hilippines to S outh K orea, the public policies of both governments, and ongoing developments, challenges, and their implications for future policy. Policies in both countries provide the context in which international marriages occur and impact the sociocultural, political, economic life of marriage immigrants and their “multicultural families.” Philippine policies are still generally limited to a ban on commercial brokerage and provision of predeparture orientation programs for migrant brides. The K orean government has adopted policies to support these groups and to transform S outh K orea into a “more mature, multicultural society,” but the results have so far been mixed. Sociodemographic, economic, and political trends suggest that marriage immigration will persist with the following implications: continued emphasis on rights and welfare in future policies; more stringent regulation of marriage agencies; an increasingly important role for marriage immigrants in policymaking and implementation; and the necessity of policy adjustments and international cooperation among stakeholders.