Simbu and New Ireland migration

Abstract

Migration processes, in particular circular, chain and step migration, are assumed to be important in many Third World countries. Such assumptions, derived largely from the results from micro-studies, may not be valid for all sectors of the population, and are often based on in-direct evidence rather than direct evidence from longitudinal data. Current assumptions on the operation of migration processes in Papua New Guinea are similarly based, and thus their validity must be open to question. This study investigates these processes using longitudinal data from micro-studies which vary in scale and in the location of respondent populations. They describe the previous migration experiences of a sample of both rural and urban dwellers in two contrasting provinces, Simbu and New Ireland. Data from the national population censuses proved a more general macro-framework within which to assess the findings.