Temporary migrant workers, globalization, 20th century to present

Abstract

Temporary labor migration is the phenomenon of workers migrating on the basis of temporary work authorizations, which attach the legal status of workers to particular employers and/or particular positions of employment. Temporary labor migration schemes take on various forms: from bilateral and regional agreements for the exchange of labor between states, to changes in national legislation allowing employers easy and accelerated access to temporary migrant workers for varying time periods, to provisions in multilateral trade agreements such as Mode IV of the World Trade Organization's General Agreement on Trade in Services. While labor migration has been a recurring phenomenon in human history (Potts 1990; King 1996), what is new in the post‐1970 period of restructuring in the world capitalist economy is the increased use of temporary migrant labor by employers around the world and state facilitation of this shift.

The effects of climate change on the geography and timing of human mobility

“…Trade reforms, decreasing transport costs, and economic globalisation have resulted in an increase in the number of people moving under the auspices of temporary migrant worker programs since the early 1980's (Holgate 2013, Valiani 2013. There are now more temporary migrant workers in developed countries than there are permanent labour migrants (Valiani 2013).…”

“…Trade reforms, decreasing transport costs, and economic globalisation have resulted in an increase in the number of people moving under the auspices of temporary migrant worker programs since the early 1980's (Holgate 2013, Valiani 2013. There are now more temporary migrant workers in developed countries than there are permanent labour migrants (Valiani 2013). This is true in Australia, where there are nearly twice as many migrants on temporary work visas as there are permanent migrants (DIBP 2016), and in New Zealand where there are nearly three times as many people arriving on temporary work visas as there are permanent migrants (MBIE 2016).…”

“…They typically transfer a significant proportion of their wages back to their places of origin, and so contribute to and link the economies of both host and source countries. Governments favour temporary work arrangements: host countries benefit from the effects of migrant workers on production and wages and consumption without incurring the costs of settlement and citizenship rights, while source countries benefit from increased flows of foreign exchange and skills (Hennebry and Preibisch 2012, Valiani 2013, Tham et al 2016. Temporary migrant workers principally benefit from higher incomes for themselves and their families, but there are often few other benefits: while working they are removed from their families and communities and social protections at home, and most often they do not enjoy the same economic, legal and social protections afforded citizens (Holgate 2013, Reilly 2011, Valiani 2013.…”

“…Governments favour temporary work arrangements: host countries benefit from the effects of migrant workers on production and wages and consumption without incurring the costs of settlement and citizenship rights, while source countries benefit from increased flows of foreign exchange and skills (Hennebry and Preibisch 2012, Valiani 2013, Tham et al 2016. Temporary migrant workers principally benefit from higher incomes for themselves and their families, but there are often few other benefits: while working they are removed from their families and communities and social protections at home, and most often they do not enjoy the same economic, legal and social protections afforded citizens (Holgate 2013, Reilly 2011, Valiani 2013. Temporary migrant workers are prone to exploitation, and can become trapped in a cycle of temporary work; thus temporary migrant worker programs are contentious, particularly from a rights perspective (Martin 2006, Ruhrs andMartin 2008).…”