Japanese Labour Migrants in Germany: The Role of Migration Industries

This paper examines how and when Japanese labour migrants use the offers of various migration industry actors in their migration to Germany. The ways in which Japanese university-educated migrants utilise services vary considerably depending on their entry channel, point in the migratory trajectory, migrant capital, and migratory goals. This paper places the individual and their interaction with migration infrastructure and industries at the centre of the analysis. It therefore addresses a gap in the literature by focusing on an empirically under-researched case, while simultaneously expanding the perspective to move beyond the role of migration industries in the early stages of migration to their role throughout the migratory trajectory. Based on qualitative data collected from migrants, migration industry actors, and experts on Japanese migrants in Germany, this explorative study sheds light on the interplay between agency and structure, as well as on the role of migration infrastructure and industry throughout the trajectories of different types of migrants. Disclaimer: This article is part of AspirE’s forthcoming collection of empirical papers in International Migration journal (Volume 64, Issue 3). These papers draw from policy content analysis and semi-structured interviews with migration experts (Work Package 2 data collection).