About MIGRANT

Current dynamics of international labour migration:
Globalisation and regional integration

The rate of growth of the world's migrant population more than doubled between the 1960s and the 1990s, reaching 2.6 percent in 1985-1990. Much of the growth has been observed in developing regions where figures rose markedly from a low of 0.3 percent a year in 1965-1975 to 2.7 percent annually in 1985-1990. There is every indication that this is just the beginning of a trend that will most likely accelerate in the 21st Century, driven by rapid declines in fertility in the more advanced regions, higher rates of urbanisation, technological change, and the forces of economic integration and globalisation. Indeed, today, ILO estimates, there are roughly 20 million migrant workers, immigrants and members of their families across Africa, 18 million in North America, 12 million in Central and South America, 7 million in South and East Asia, 9 million in the Middle East and 30 million across all of Europe. Western Europe alone counts approximately 9 million economically active foreigners along with 13 million dependents.

The benefits of international labour migration

International migration has contributed to growth and prosperity in both host and source countries. Migrant worker remittances represent the second largest international monetary trade flow, exceeded only by petroleum. Migrants also provide a valuable source of semi-skilled and unskilled labour to many industrialising countries and provide a source of highly skilled labour to advanced countries, thereby assisting the latter in maintaining economic competitiveness.

On a regional level, labour mobility has the potential to yield substantial benefits. The evolution of economic integration and experience in Europe and in emerging regional economic integration processes in the Americas, the Caribbean and Southern Africa demonstrate that flexible or free movement of labour within areas of economic integration is essential to ensuring progress towards integration, as well as to accelerating rates of economic development.

Migration concerns

Irregular migration and exploitation of labour

Perhaps the greatest global concern in the area of international labour migration is the unprecedented rise in irregular forms of migration that has occurred in recent years. The numbers of unauthorised migrant workers are increasing in virtually every part of the world. Of the 80 to 97 million migrant workers and their dependents now in countries other than their own, it is estimated that perhaps no less than 15 percent are working on an irregular basis. This development may, in part, be attributed to the increasing commercialisation of the private recruitment process and the growing practice among developed countries of applying unduly restrictive immigration policies.

In addition to fostering irregularity this climate has contributed to the opening up of a lucrative market for the smuggling and trafficking of migrant workers. Women and children are especially victimized; many are trafficked into conditions of slave labour and/or forced prostitution. The human suffering, maltreatment and exploitation that ensue as a result require little explanation and have been the focus of much media, governmental and NGO attention.

Indeed, it is clear that all categories of migrant workers are regularly subject to abusive, exploitative and discriminatory treatment in host countries. Application of human and labour rights norms to non-citizens is often inadequate in many countries, particularly as regards irregular migrants who have no authorization to enter or remain in the country.

Loss of highly skilled workers

While the emigration of labour has reduced unemployment and increased remittances to many developing countries, alarms are again being sounded over the potential damage that the emigration of the highly skilled can cause to their development aspirations. A significant number of immigrants with professional qualifications are increasingly recruited for employment in more developed countries where skilled labour is needed in order to sustain the rapid growth of the new knowledge industries. A regional approach to migration must enhance the beneficial aspects and at the same time develop mechanisms to encourage the retention or return of talent.

Negative forces of globalisation

Developing countries have yet to yield the benefits of the globalisation process in terms of narrowing the gap between per capita incomes of the North and the South. Indeed the gap in per capita GDP between the developed countries and the less developed countries has in fact quadrupled over the past two decades. Recent research in the ILO and elsewhere finds that processes integral to globalisation have, in certain cases intensified the disruptive effects of modernization and capitalist development, with sometimes severe consequences on human displacement.

Response Strategy

Managing migration

From 1970 to 1990 the number of countries employing foreign labour has more than doubled from 42 to 90. More and more governments are recognizing the need to establish, modernize, and improve their laws, policies, practices and administrative structures for ensuring orderly
migration. This has to be done in full awareness of the need to go beyond measures of control, to ensuring respect for human rights, and enhancing cooperation between origin and destination countries through bilateral treaties or regional agreements.
Labour migration considerations are central components of international migration and thus fundamental elements in the elaboration of migration policy and practices in all countries.

Standard Setting

ILO and UN international Conventions relating to migrant workers provide a wealth of information and guidelines on how to manage migration. Experience in various countries has demonstrated that enforcement of minimum labour and workplace standards serves as an effective deterrent to irregular migration and employment by discouraging sub-standard exploitative conditions that make utilization of unauthorized foreign workers attractive to certain employers and that render such employment uncompetitive for national workers.