The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and leading Western and East Asian politicians demand coherent global management of migration and flight. This article wants to explore whether global management on refugees is feasible. It attempts to make these very different regions and regional mechanisms comparable aiming to contribute to a better intraregional understanding to raise common awareness. It compares the data on refugees and migration of the recent years to or within both regions, looking for interconnections. Then, it compares the structure, namely the legal framework in Europe and in Asia. This analysis will be followed by an agency analysis, under consideration of identity politics and discourse. The politicization of identity politics in both regions frames, and is framed by, decision makers towards global management options.
This paper concludes that global management of flight and migration has become more probable in recent years since the awareness has risen in both regions about this issue. The legal foundations in many Asian states are strengthened and orientate towards the UN refugee conventions, while the restrictive rich East Asian economies have begun to realise their responsibilities.
