scholarly journals The Ethics of Labor Immigration Policy

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Ruhs
Keyword(s):  
Labor Markets ◽  
Immigration Policy ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
High Income ◽  
Immigration Policies ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Temporary Migration ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
International Labor

This chapter examines the ethics of labor immigration policy, moving the discussion from a positive analysis of “what is” to the equally important normative question of “what should be.” If high-income countries' labor immigration policies are characterized by a trade-off between openness and some rights for migrant workers, the chapter asks what rights restrictions—if any—are acceptable in order to enable more workers to access labor markets in high-income countries. It proposes a pragmatic approach that takes into account existing realities in labor immigration policymaking and gives more weight to the interests of migrants and countries of origin than most high-income countries currently do when designing labor immigration policies. Based on this approach, the chapter asserts that there is a strong normative case for tolerating the selective, evidence-based, temporary restriction of a few specific migrant rights under new and expanded temporary migration programs that help liberalize international labor migration.

The Rights of Migrant Workers

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Ruhs
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Immigration Policy ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
High Income ◽  
Immigration Policies ◽  
Citizenship Rights ◽  
Policy Debates ◽  
Key Features

This book examines how and why high-income countries restrict the rights of migrant workers as part of their labor immigration policies, along with the implications for policy debates about regulating labor migration and protecting migrants. It seeks to reframe the theoretical debates about the tensions between human rights and citizenship rights, the agency and interests of migrants and states, and the determinants and ethics of labor immigration policy. The book analyzes the characteristics and key features of labor immigration policies and restrictions of migrant rights in more than forty high-income countries as well as policy drivers in major migrant-receiving and migrant-sending countries. This introductory chapter explains the aims, approach, and main arguments of the book, as well as its terminology and scope, and provides an overview of the chapters that follow.

The Price of Rights

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Ruhs
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Nongovernmental Organizations ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
Blind Spot ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Nation States ◽  
International Labor ◽  
Admission Policies

This chapter examines the implications of the analysis in this book for human rights debates and the rights-based approaches to migration advocated by many international organizations and nongovernmental organizations concerned with protecting and promoting the interests of migrant workers. It highlights the danger of a blind spot in human rights–based approaches to migration, which are often focused on protecting and promoting migrant rights without taking into account the consequences for nation-states' policies for admitting new migrant workers. The trade-off between openness and some specific migrant rights in high-income countries' labor immigration policies means that insisting on equality of rights for migrant workers can come at the price of more restrictive admission policies and, therefore, discourage the further liberalization of international labor migration.

Reforming of the State Immigration Policy in the Context of Globalization

2018 ◽  
pp. 230-248
Author(s):  
Denis Ushakov ◽  
Eteri Rubinskaya
Keyword(s):  
Immigration Policy ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
Migration Policy ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Long Run ◽  
International Labor ◽  
International Labor Migration

International labor migration in a globalized context offers alternative ways to overcome the problems of slow economic growth or identification of additional levers of economic progress along with forcing the states or the whole supranational units to urgently search for the instruments to confront new economic, humanitarian and political challenges and threats. Migration policy must become an effective tool in nationalization of economic benefits of international labor migration and combating its possible negative effects, especially critical for the Russian Federation, which at the beginning of the 21st century has become a global center of gravity and attraction for international migrant workers. This study reveals the importance and the stimulating role of migration policy in fostering national competitiveness, demonstrating the conditions of its key tools effectiveness for the implementation in economic and social globalization dynamics. In the case of Russia, the paper evaluates the historical background of migration policy reform and suggests directions of its modernization in the short and the long run. As a result of the analysis of Russian state migration policy further development trends under economy modernization have been revealed, special emphasis is put on the selective nature of immigration policy along with the need for highly skilled professionals' attraction.

The Price of Rights

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Ruhs
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
High Income ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Immigration Policies ◽  
Equal Rights ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
Trade Offs

Many low-income countries and development organizations are calling for greater liberalization of labor immigration policies in high-income countries. At the same time, human rights organizations and migrant rights advocates demand more equal rights for migrant workers. This book shows why you cannot always have both. Examining labor immigration policies in over forty countries, as well as policy drivers in major migrant-receiving and migrant-sending states, the book finds that there are trade-offs in the policies of high-income countries between openness to admitting migrant workers and some of the rights granted to migrants after admission. Insisting on greater equality of rights for migrant workers can come at the price of more restrictive admission policies, especially for lower-skilled workers. The book advocates the liberalization of international labor migration through temporary migration programs that protect a universal set of core rights and account for the interests of nation-states by restricting a few specific rights that create net costs for receiving countries. It analyzes how high-income countries restrict the rights of migrant workers as part of their labor immigration policies and discusses the implications for global debates about regulating labor migration and protecting migrants. It comprehensively looks at the tensions between human rights and citizenship rights, the agency and interests of migrants and states, and the determinants and ethics of labor immigration policy.

Labor Emigration and Rights Abroad

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Ruhs
Keyword(s):  
Human Development ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
High Income ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
Immigration Policies ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Made In

This chapter examines how high-income countries' restrictions of labor immigration and migrant rights affect the interests of migrants and their countries of origin, and how migrants and sending countries have engaged with these restrictions in practice. Labor immigration policies are “made” in receiving countries, but they have important consequences for migrants and their countries of origin. The chapter first provides an overview of the interrelationships between labor emigration, rights, and human development before discussing how migrant workers and their countries of origin respond to the trade-off between openness and rights in practice. Given that the human development of people is multidimensional and includes more considerations than just access to legal rights, it is not surprising to see migrant workers making “sacrifices” in some dimensions of development in exchange for advancing others.

Reforming of the State Immigration Policy in the Context of Globalization

2019 ◽  
pp. 625-643
Author(s):  
Denis Ushakov ◽  
Eteri Rubinskaya
Keyword(s):  
Immigration Policy ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
Migration Policy ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Long Run ◽  
International Labor ◽  
International Labor Migration

International labor migration in a globalized context offers alternative ways to overcome the problems of slow economic growth or identification of additional levers of economic progress along with forcing the states or the whole supranational units to urgently search for the instruments to confront new economic, humanitarian and political challenges and threats. Migration policy must become an effective tool in nationalization of economic benefits of international labor migration and combating its possible negative effects, especially critical for the Russian Federation, which at the beginning of the 21st century has become a global center of gravity and attraction for international migrant workers. This study reveals the importance and the stimulating role of migration policy in fostering national competitiveness, demonstrating the conditions of its key tools effectiveness for the implementation in economic and social globalization dynamics. In the case of Russia, the paper evaluates the historical background of migration policy reform and suggests directions of its modernization in the short and the long run. As a result of the analysis of Russian state migration policy further development trends under economy modernization have been revealed, special emphasis is put on the selective nature of immigration policy along with the need for highly skilled professionals' attraction.

scholarly journals Current Trends of the State Regulation of International Labor Migration

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (515) ◽  
pp. 231-237
Author(s):  
V. V. Lagodiienko ◽  
◽  
O. V. Shvets ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Labor Markets ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
The State ◽  
Active Population ◽  
Regional Labor

The problem of labor migration in Ukraine has become relevant in recent years, as it significantly affects the socio-economic development of both donor and recipient countries. As a complex economic phenomenon, labor migration changes the composition of labor resources, creates a new situation in labor markets, exacerbates the demographic situation in the country. The article is concerned with the analysis of problems of labor migration of economically active population in Ukraine and aspects of formation of the State policy of regulation of migration processes. The purpose of the article is theoretical substantiation, development of scientific and methodological bases and practical recommendations aimed at improving the system of regulation of international migration of economically active population in the context of globalization in order to obtain socio-economic benefits from the State participation in migration processes, etc. In the process of detailed analysis of the characteristics of migrants, clear trends in modern migration processes have been identified: migrants mainly are from rural areas of the west of the country; migrant workers are mostly men; younger people and rural residents predominate among migrant workers; people with higher education are less likely to migrate, while people with vocational education are overrepresented among migrant workers; migrants risk losing skills, etc. The mechanism of regulation of migration flows is substantiated – as a set of measures of influence of the State bodies on migration objects in order to ensure the optimal level of migration that meets the needs of the national / regional labor market and helps stabilize the macroeconomic situation in the country / region; tasks of the mechanism are defined. Functioning and effective development of mechanisms for regulating labor migration processes, as a special tool for the transformation of regional labor markets – combines socio-cultural, research and economic functions, necessitates an interdisciplinary approach to substantiate the increase of the competitiveness of the latter. The scientific basis of this approach is the methodology of institutional analysis – a set of concepts, principles and provisions based on the theories of human, intellectual and migratory capital, institutional economics, the theory of territorial migration systems and more.

Labor Migration Policy in Colombia

1979 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 440-454
Author(s):  
Lelio Mármora
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Immigration Policy ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
Migration Policy ◽  
Potential Impact

Awareness of the potential impact of emigration on the sending country has been increasing in Latin America during the 1970s. Colombia is the first country in Latin America with high emigration rates that has begun to develop a systematic immigration policy. The policy consists of programs aimed at retaining potential emigrants, channelling and regularizing migratory flows, and providing assistance to migrant workers and their families. This article discusses the context and application of these programs.

scholarly journals “The lottery of my life”: Migration trajectories and the production of precarity among Bangladeshi migrant workers in Singapore's construction industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Baey ◽  
Brenda S. A. Yeoh
Keyword(s):  
Labor Markets ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Host Society ◽  
Precarious Employment ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
Migration Industry

Within the scholarship on precarity, low-waged contract-based migrants are recognized as centrally implicated in precarious employment conditions at the bottom of neoliberal capitalist labor markets. Precarity as a socially corrosive condition stems from both the multiple insecurities of the workplace as disposable labor, and a sense of deportability as migrant subjects with marginal socio-legal status in the host society. Our study of Bangladeshi construction workers in Singapore contributes to refining understandings of precarity by approaching labor migration as a cumulative, intensively mediated process, whereby risks and vulnerabilities are compounded across different sites in migrants’ trajectories, even as they enact themselves as mobile, aspiring subjects. As a condition-in-the-making, precarity is experienced and compounded, through a continuum beginning in pre-migration indebtedness, multiplying through entanglements with the migration industry, and manifesting in workplace vulnerabilities at destination. It is most finely balanced when predictability and planning yield to arbitrary hope.

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