For decades Asian migrants have set out in search of new opportunities in North America and Europe and to this day that flow continues. But as Asian economies grow more prosperous and traditionally xenophobic societies lower their barriers warily countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are becoming destinations for migrants in their own right.

The FT’s Asia immigration series examines how governments across the region learn to cope with a rise in the flow of migrants and the often perplexing social policy riddles that migrants bring with them.