Publications

ILSI's publications translate frontline casework and corridor data into reports that governments, employers, researchers and the public can use directly. Each publication states clearly what evidence it draws on and where its findings are limited to the corridors ILSI currently operates in.

What you will find in the library

• Corridor-level reports on recruitment practices, worker protection gaps, and reintegration outcomes.
• Thematic studies on issues such as recruitment fee structures, consular capacity, and responsible investment of remittances.
• Joint publications with academic and multilateral research partners — see research partnerships.

For shorter, decision-focused summaries aimed at policymakers, see our policy briefs. For the underlying aggregate data behind many of these publications, see our data hub. Publications are listed and searchable below.

Our standard for evidence

Every ILSI publication states plainly what it is based on — casework across which corridors, over what period, alongside any external data used — and is explicit about the limits of that evidence. Where a finding applies clearly to the Nepal to Malaysia corridor but is untested elsewhere, the publication says so, rather than generalising beyond what the underlying evidence supports. We would rather publish a narrower, defensible finding than a broader claim that cannot be substantiated.

Who publications are written for

Publications range from technical reports intended for specialist policy audiences to shorter, accessible studies intended for a general public interested in labour migration. Each publication states its intended audience so readers can quickly find material at the right level of detail for their needs, whether they are a doctoral researcher or a member of the public who read about ILSI's work in the news.

Accessing publications

All ILSI publications are available to download without charge, reflecting our view that evidence about labour migration should be available to the workers, communities and policymakers it concerns, not restricted behind a paywall that limits it to institutions able to pay for access. Where a publication is available in more than one language, translations are linked from the same page rather than requiring a separate search across the library, since the languages spoken by our members matter as much as the languages spoken by policymakers.