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Labour Migration: a brief overview

Migration in Europe © Fòrum Barcelona 2004

Over the past decade, international migration has been growing as a consequence of the increasing integration of world economies and the changing needs in both the countries of destination and the countries of origin. According to the U.N. Population Division, there are now almost 200 million international migrants.

In October 2005, the Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM) released its final report Migration in an interconnected world: New directions for action. The commissioners write that: “the international community has failed to realize the full potential of international migration and has not risen to the many opportunities and challenges it presents.” In response, the UN held its first ever high level plenary on migration in September 2006, focusing on a report by Kofi Annan titled "International Migration and Development". The outcome is a new policy advisory group, The Global Forum on Migration and Development, which will hold its first meeting in Brussels in July 2007.

Fair deal for migrant workers ©ILO

Migration policies are increasingly seen as inherent to a global approach to the monitoring and management of migratory flows, both irregular and regular. In its World Migration Report 2005, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) writes that many concerns that surround migration, such as loss of jobs, lower wages, increased welfare costs and the belief that migration is spiralling out of control, are not only exaggerated or unfounded but contrary to evidence.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) argues that a rights-based international regime for migration management must rest on a framework of principles of good governance, developed and implemented by the international community and acceptable to all. A similar position is taken by UNESCO, which states that human rights should be at the core of any approach to human mobility.

The situation today in the European Union shows the complexity of migration issues. There is the danger of the debate becoming phrased in terms of cultural conflicts and growing fundamentalism versus the increasing need to bring in both low-skilled as well as high-skilled workers. Furthermore, there is the realisation that in the not so distant future Europe’s own work force will most likely be insufficient to support existing social protection mechanisms, primarily the result of an ageing population. The European Commission – and especially the Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security – is developing a whole range of interventions that should lead to a new common migration policy covering integration, economic migration, and family reunification.
Global Trends

Major Asian countries of destination are Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, India and the Arab countries in the Middle East. In the latter, the labour force comprises up to 80% migrant workers. The major sending countries are Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. The Scalabrini Migration Center publishes Asian Migration News providing updates on the situation in Asia.

Pro-immigration demonstrations in US; May 2006 © Independent Media Center

While many Latin Americans used to migrate to Argentina, today many Argentineans and Ecuadorians leave for Spain or Italy and other destinations. Whereas in the 1980s most workers in the south of the US came from Mexico, today they come from all over Latin America. This change transformed Mexico into both a transit country and a country of destination, whilst it also remains a sending country. Other Central American countries also follow this trend, such as Guatemala. The American Friends Services Committee has warned about the negative impact of free trade agreements which drive down labour standards and undermine support for the basic rights and dignity of both documented and undocumented migrant workers. For example, rural workers in Mexico have been forced to migrate in search of employment as small farm agriculture could not compete with the large US corporations. At the same time, the US government is contemplating controversial legislation to prevent undocumented migrants from crossing the border.

In Africa, temporary labour migration, brain drain and unauthorized migration are increasing in scope with large numbers of African workers moving to either South Africa or to the European Union. The Mediterranean Migration 2005 report looks at patterns of migration from and to 10 countries on the Middle East and North African rim of the Mediterranean. It confirms that emigration from these areas is growing, although it points out that fewer than half first-generation migrants go to Europe.

All this makes the protection of documented and undocumented migrants a priority in order to ensure respect for their rights at every stage of their journey, and strengthen social cohesion in the receiving countries.
Feminisation

Immigrant Domestic Worker in US © Institute for Policy Studies

Half of all international migrants are women, often leaving their children and families behind, and mostly engaged as domestic labour. Since the beginning of the 1980s, there has been a change in trend; women are in greater demand in certain sectors in their countries of destination meaning that they are pushed to go abroad to find a job. A significant number of these women are undocumented migrants, a group to which the trade unions are increasingly giving a voice. The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) writes that feminisation of migration essentially means that more women are migrating alone whereas previously they would accompany their spouses or join them later. Often hidden within private households, these migrants are even more vulnerable. Sexual abuse, rape, slavery-like labour conditions, and discrimination of all kinds are very common.
Remittances, Development and Brain Drain

Arab immigrants © Alternatives

More and more, researchers as well as migrant rights activists point to the development potential of international migration. Remittances are probably the most visible aspect, with the World Bank in its Global Economic Prospects 2006 stating that the officially recorded remittances worldwide have reached US$ 232 billion in 2005, more than double the amount of foreign aid to developing countries for that year. Despite the emphasis on remittances sent from developed countries to developing countries, there is also a significant South-South transfer. – the 2006 Kofi Annan report suggests that about one third of global migrants have moved from one developing country to another. The report advocates policies which stimulate the potential for migration to benefit all parties involved – receiving and sending countries and the migrant families themselves. The linkages established between migrants living abroad and the communities back home open up opportunities for trade, investment, and transfer of skills. In the US, for example, migrants’ organisations such as the so-called Home Town Associations pool funds from members to send home for financing community development projects.

There is nevertheless a negative impact from the steady flow of skilled workers from developing countries to North America, Europe and Japan. This is especially the case in the health sector, which is highlighted by ID21 in a study on the effects of the brain drain on health systems in Africa.
Legal Protection

The absence of legal routes for migration has led to a significant expansion in human trafficking and smuggling networks which are both dangerous and exploitative in nature. For the majority of would-be migrants, these routes represent the only way to enter an industrialised state.

Protest against UK Immigration and Asylum bill © STAR, Student Action for Refugees

Although the protection of migrant workers is first of all the duty of both the state of origin and the receiving state, limits of jurisdiction severely curtail the possibility for the state of origin to ensure that its nationals are protected while working abroad. The receiving state, on the other hand, often extends only minimum protection to allow for a flexible labour supply and to avoid social costs. Too often, no labour protection legislation exists for non-nationals and unions are prohibited.

The 2006 Kofi Annan report has been criticised by Human Rights Watch for its focus on development rather than the lack of enforceable rights of migrants. But the international community has not ignored migration completely. The ILO has established a series of standards for the protection of migrants. In addition, the United Nations adopted in 1990 the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, also known as the Migrant Workers’ Convention, which entered into force in June 2003.

One of the major challenges for the coming years is to have the Convention ratified by more countries backed by relevant adaptation of their legislation. In April 2005, a coalition of NGOs launched the International Platform on the Migrant Worker’s Convention (IPMWC), with the aim to facilitate the promotion, implementation and monitoring of the Convention.

Since none of the EU member states has signed or ratified the Convention, a number of organisations have established a new European Platform to campaign for ratification and to advocate for a rights-based European migration policy. International Migrants' Day

In 2000, the United Nations proclaimed 18th December as International Migrants’ Day (IMD). This is another important step, offering a rallying point for everyone across the world who is concerned with the protection of migrants. The UN invited all of its member states, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to observe this day by disseminating information on human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants, sharing experiences, and undertaking action to ensure the protection of migrants.



The Migration Guide has been compiled for OneWorld UK by December 18, the multilingual portal for the promotion and protection of the rights of migrants.

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