Migrants At Work

The willingness to migrate in search of employment is in itself insufficient to compel anyone to move. The dynamics of labour mobility are heavily influenced by the opportunities perceived and the imaginaries held by both employers and regulating authorities in relation to migrant labour. This volume offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the structures and imaginaries underlying various forms of mobility. Based on research conducted in different geographical contexts, including the European Union, Turkey, and South Africa, and tackling the experiences and aspirations of migrants from various parts of the globe, the chapters comprised in this volume analyse labour-related mobilities from two distinct yet intertwined vantage points: the role of structures and regimes of mobility on the one hand, and aspirations as well as migrant imaginaries on the other. Migration at Work thus aims to draw cross-contextual parallels by addressing the role played by opportunities in mobilising people, how structures enable, sustain, and change different forms of mobility, and how imaginaries fuel labour migration and vice versa. In doing so, this volume also aims to tackle the interrelationships between imaginaries driving migration and shaping “regimes of mobility”, as well as how the former play out in different contexts, shaping internal and cross-border migration. Based on empirical research in various fields, this collection provides valuable scholarship and evidence on current processes of migration and mobility.

This collection has its origins in the recognition that there is a highly significant and under-considered intersection and interaction between migration law and labour law. It is the culmination of a collaborative project on 'Migrants at Work' funded by the John Fell Fund, the Society of Legal Scholars and the Research Centre at St John's College, Oxford. The collection aims to shed light on the interactions between immigration, migration law and labour law, in particular how migration status has a bearing on labour relations and the world of work.

As the struggle against neoliberalism becomes ever more global, Just Work will be the definitive book on the growing social and political power of one its major forces: migrant labor. From trade unions in South Africa to resistance in oppressive Gulf states, migrating forest workers in the Czech Republic, and illegal workers' organizations in Hong Kong, Just Work brings together a wealth of lived experiences and frontline struggles for the first time. Highlighting developments in the wake of austerity and attacks on traditional forms of labor organizing, the contributors show how workers are finding new and innovative ways of resisting. The result is both a rich analysis of where the movement stands today and a reminder of the potentially explosive power of migrant workers in the years to come.

This book is about the people who always get taken for granted. The people who clean our offices and trains, care for our elders and change the sheets on the bed. Global Cities at Work draws on testimony collected from more than 800 foreign-born workers employed in low-paid jobs in London during the early years of the new century. Global Cities at Work breaks new ground in linking London's new migrant division of labor to the twin processes of subcontracting and increased international migration that have been central to contemporary processes of globalization. Global Cities at Work raises the level of debate about migrant labor, encouraging policy-makers, journalists and social scientists to look behind the headlines. The book calls us to take a politically-informed geographical view of our urban labor markets and to prioritize the issue of working poverty and its implications for both unemployment and community cohesion.

Public debates about the terms of membership and inclusion have intensified as developed economies increasingly rely on temporary migrant labour. While most agree that temporary migrant workers are entitled to the general protection of employment laws, temporary migrants have, by definition, restricted rights to residence, full social protections and often to occupational and geographic mobility. This book raises important ethical questions about the differential treatment of temporary and unauthorised migrant workers, and permanent residents, and where the line should be drawn between exploitation and legitimate employment. Taking the regulatory reforms of Australia as a key case study, Laurie Berg explores how the influence of immigration law extends beyond its functions in regulating admission to and exclusion from a country. Berg examines the ways in which immigration law and enforcement reconfigure the relationships between migrant workers and employers, producing uncertain and coercive working conditions. In presenting an analytical approach to issues of temporary labour migration, the book develops a unique theoretical framework, contending that the concept of precariousness is a more fruitful way than equality or vulnerability to evaluate and address issues of temporary migrant labour. The book will be of great interest to scholars and practitioners of immigration law and employment law and policy.

Globalization, the economic crisis and related policies of austerity have led to a growth in extreme exploitation at work, with migrants particularly vulnerable. This book explores the lives of the growing numbers of severely exploited labourers in the world today, questioning how we can respond to such globalized patterns of extreme inequality.

This anthology analyzes low-wage migrant workers in Europe from many perspectives, including migration policies, human rights, economics, and more. Free movement of workers and services in the EU calls into question the extent to which the labor market and its institutions are able to counteract negative consequences, such as downward wage pressures and abuse of workers. These essays flesh out the imbalances that unfairly disadvantage low-wage workers, shed light on their causes, and discuss possible solutions.

The purpose of this edited book is to look at work and migration from multiple viewpoints and illuminate challenges faced by immigrants in the labour markets around the world. It takes an approach that listens to the voices of different migrant groups in different countries, based mostly on qualitative research. In addition to the main themes of discussion centred on labour markets, this book also makes reference to a wide range of discussion topics which often intersect with employment, labour markets and the work experience of migrants. These include themes such as migrant integration, remittance transfers, relations established and maintained with home countries, legal and institutional arrangements and policy making processes in the host countries, through the concepts of employment and work. The chapters highlight immigrants’ experiences both theoretically and empirically in the contributions around the world. "This book, which includes the experiences of specific groups like qualified, unskilled, and female migrants, makes reference to a wide range of discussion topics such as migrant integration, remittance transfers, relations established and maintained with home countries, legal and institutional arrangements and policy making processes in the host countries, through the concepts of employment and work.” Contents INTRODUCTION - Elli Heikkilä and Fethiye Tilbe LABOUR MARKET PARTICIPATION OF IMMIGRANTS AND CHALLENGES IN FINLAND - Elli Heikkilä FORCED MIGRANT’S SENSE OF PLACE: THE CASE OF SYRIAN REFUGEE-WORKERS IN ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Basem Mahmud SYRIAN REFUGEE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND DIFFERENTIATED INTEGRATION IN THE DISTRICTS OF HATAY, TURKEY - Olgu Karan ETHIOPIAN-ISRAELI WOMEN IN ACADEMIA: A GENDER EQUALITY PLAN, IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE CHANGE PROJECT - Adi Binhas and Hana Himi WORK LIVES OF SKILLED FEMALE IMMIGRANTS IN THE UNITED STATES - Harika Suklun HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AND SKILLED IMMIGRANTS LABOUR MARKET EXPERIENCES IN SOUTH AFRICA: AN OVERVIEW - Sikanyiso Masuku and Sizo Nkala IMMIGRANTS IN SKILLED OCCUPATIONS IN BRAZIL: ASSESSING THE FACTORS IMPACTING WAGES - Renan Gadoni Canaan CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION, INDIVIDUAL AUTONOMY, AND SANCTION IN TARGETING BENEFITS FOR THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS’ WORK PROMOTION IN AUSTRIA, FINLAND, AND CZECH REPUBLIC - Eddy Bruno Esien CONTRIBUTORS TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS: THE CASE OF THAI MIGRANTS IN ISRAEL - Parkpoom Kuanvinit THE "UNSEEN" IN MIGRATION AND REMITTANCES: THE CASE OF SOUTH ASIAN MIGRANT WORKERS IN CAMERON HIGHLANDS, MALAYSIA - Prakash Arunasalam and Thirunaukarasu Subramaniam