Mapping Chinese Return Migration from New Zealand: A Quantitative Data Analysis from a Comparative Perspective

The People's Republic of China (PRC) has remained the second largest source for residence approvals in New Zealand since 1997. This large immigration flow also generated significant counterflow toward the homeland. Using data from Statistic New Zealand, this research analyzes the permanent and long-term (PLT) departure and arrival data of New Zealand for five migrant groups from the Asia-Pacific region (Korean, Indian, Chinese from the PRC, Chinese from Taiwan, and Pacific Islanders from Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa) in order to show some distinct features of return migration of the PRC migrants in terms of volume, age, and sex. It is suggested here that both the immigration and the return migration patterns of the PRC migrants are reflective not only of China's recent economic strength but also of New Zealand's positioning in the global migration system. The study of PRC return migration in the New Zealand context contributes to an understanding of the changing power relations between immigrant-sending and immigrant-receiving countries.