Topic - Migration - News

Costs and Benefits of European Immigration (Oct 06)

Statement by Sharan Burrow, President of the ICFTU, to the High Level Dialogue of the General Assembly on the Theme of International Migration and Development (14-15 September 2006): A Rights Based Approach to Managing Global Migration as an Essential Foundation for Both Economic and Social Development (Sep 06)

UN report on migration and development (Sep 06)
Rapport des Nations Unies sur les migrations et le développement (Sep 06)
Informe de las Naciones Unidas sobre migración y desarollo (Sep 06)

Giving a fair deal to the world's 86 million migrant workers (May 06)
Offrir un traitement équitable aux 86 millions de travailleurs migrants dans le monde (Mai 06)
Un trato justo para los 86 millones de trabajadores migrantes del mundo (Mayo 06)

Handbook on Establishing Effective Labour Migration Policies in Countries of Origin and Destination, OSCE, IOM and ILO (May 06)

Racial Discrimination Holding Back Young Workers in Canada (Oct 05)
A new study, "Racial Status and Employment Outcomes", by the Canadian Labour Congress confirms that the job market discriminates against workers of colour, and more so against young workers who are Canadian-born.
La discrimination raciale au Canada : une entrave pour les jeunes travailleurs (Oct 05)
Une nouvelle étude, "Le statut racial et les résultats sur le marché du travail", du Congrès du travail du Canada confirme que les travailleurs et les travailleuses de couleur, et particulièrement les jeunes qui sont nés au Canada, font l’objet de discrimination sur le marché du travail.

New research by the International Institute for Labour Studies
Two books published by the International Institute for Labour Studies address aspects of labour migration. The first, entitled Competing for Global Talent, looks at how talent crosses borders as countries compete to attract skilled workers. With contributions from a number of international and national experts, the book looks, among other things, at such issues as brain drain and at policies in countries such as China and India aimed at encouraging the return of successful emigrants. The second book, Merchants of Labour, analyses the present role of private recruitment agencies in the migration process as well as efforts to regulate their activities. The book includes contributions from various migration experts from trade unions as well as Luc Demaret and Verena Schmidt from the ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities.

Ten Ways to Protect Undocumented Migrants
PICUM, the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, has just published a report entitled "Ten Ways to Protect Undocumented Migrant Workers". This report presents a wide range of examples of the numerous ways in which NGOs, trade unions and other actors uphold the rights of undocumented workers in Europe and in the United States. PICUM is a network of organizations providing assistance to undocumented migrants residing in Europe. PICUM's main aim is to promote respect for the human rights of undocumented migrants.

International Migration, Remittances and the Brain Drain (Oct 05)
The World Bank Research Program has just published its first work on migration: a book entitled International Migration, Remittances and the Brain Drain. This volume contains (i) four country case studies on the impact of remittances on poverty and expenditure patterns, and (ii) four chapters on the brain drain, including a data base on the brain drain, and analyses of the brain gain, brain waste, and the impact on productivity in destination countries. This report examines the economic aspect of brain drain. It does not make reference to migrant workers' rights, the work of trade unions or the ILO.

Report of the Global Commission on International Migration
In its Report, presented to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, UN Members States and other stakeholders on 5 October 2005, the Global Commission on International Migration says the international community has failed to realize the full potential of migration and has not risen to the many opportunities and challenges it presents. The Commission stresses the need for greater coherence, cooperation and capacity to achieve a more effective governance of international migration. The 90-page report provides a comprehensive yet concise analysis of key global policy issues in the field of international migration, and presents six "Principles for Action" and thirty-three related recommendations that can serve as a guide to the formulation of migration policies at the national, regional and global levels. The report contains a number of references to the ILO and expresses support for its work. It says, among other things, that "Governments and employers must ensure that all migrants are able to benefit from decent work as defined by the ILO and are protected from exploitation and abuse. Special efforts must be made to safeguard the situation of migrant women domestic workers and migrant children".

The Global Commission on International Migration was launched by the United Nations Secretary-General and a number of governments on December 9, 2003 in Geneva. It is comprised of 19 Commissioners, is independent and was given the mandate to provide the framework for the formulation of a coherent, comprehensive and global response to the issue of international migration. Sharan Burrow, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions and of the ICFTU was one of the Commissioners. She also was the Workers' Group spokesperson during the General Discussion on Migrant Workers at the International Labour Conference in June 2004 and will again lead the group at an ILO tripartite experts meeting on October 31- November 2 which will have to finalize a draft multilateral framework on labour migration.
Rapport de la Commission mondiale sur les migrations internationales
La Commission mondiale sur les migrations internationales qui a présenté son rapport au Secrétaire général de l'ONU, M. Kofi Annan, et aux Etats Membres, le 5 octobre 2005, observe que la communauté internationale n'a pas réussi à tirer pleinement profit du potentiel des migrations internationales ni à répondre aux opportunités et aux défis qu'elles présentent. Pour une gouvernance plus efficace des migrations, aux niveaux national, régional et mondial, une plus grande cohérence, coopération et capacité sont nécessaires.

Dans son rapport, la Commission fournit une analyse, concise mais globale, des questions essentielles relatives aux migrations et souligne que les politiques sur les migrations et sur les autres questions connectées doivent être fondées sur des objectifs partagés et issus d'une vision commune. La Commission propose un cadre d'action large, cohérent et mondial, basé sur six principes d'action généraux et un certain nombre de recommandations similaires couvrant le rôle des migrants dans un marché mondial du travail, les migrations et le développement, les migrations irrégulières, les migrants au sein de la société, les droits humains des migrants et la gouvernance des migrations. Le rapport fait, à plusieurs reprises, référence au travail de l'Organisation internationale du Travail et exprime son soutien à ses activités. Il estime notamment que « les gouvernements et les employeurs doivent assurer à tous les travailleurs migrants le bénéfice du travail décent tel que défini par l'OIT et veiller à ce qu'ils soient protégés de l'exploitation et de situations abusives.»

La Commission globale sur les migrations internationales a été inaugurée à Genève le 9 décembre 2003 par le Secrétaire général des Nations Unies. Elle est indépendante et ses travaux ont débuté en janvier 2004. La Commission comprend 19 Commissaires. Parmi eux, Sharan Burrow, Présidente du Conseil des syndicats d'Australie (ACTU) et de la CISL. Sharan Burrow était également porte-parole du groupe des travailleurs lors de la discussion générale sur les travailleurs migrants qui a eu lieu lors de la Conférence internationale du Travail en juin 2004. C'est également elle qui dirigera le groupe des travailleurs lors de la réunion tripartite d'experts qui aura lieu à Genève du 31 octobre au 2 novembre 2005 et qui devra mettre une dernière main au projet de cadre multilatéral de l'OIT pour les migrations pour le travail.

Migration reports on Asia
A regional seminar on the social implications of international migration took place in Bangkok on August 24-26. It was organized by the United Nations Economic and Social commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD). The ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities was represented at the meeting by R. Raghwan from the ILO Bangkok office. The Seminar was designed to promote the incorporation of international migration in national development planning in countries of origin and countries of destination, to assist countries in developing policies and programmes to regularize desirable levels of labour migration, and to strengthen regional cooperation in the management of migration for the benefit of sending countries, receiving countries and the migrants themselves. A series of interesting documents are available on the seminar's website and its report will also soon be made available on that page.

Migration from new EU member countries boost the economy in old ones
A report published this month by the European Citizen Action Service, a European NGO, suggests that countrary to some prediction EU countries (Britain, Ireland and Sweden) that gave unrestricted access to workers from the new members of the European Union have benefitted from the migration flow. "Countries that decided to open their borders after May 2004 benefited from immigration. Most of the (migrant) workers ... took up employment in "hard-to-fill" jobs and helped to provide essential services in inter alia health care, agriculture and tourism," the 37-page report concludes. It is based on statistics from national governments and academic research. Also contrary to prediction, there was no wave of migration to old EU members after enlargement. Spain is now also considering lifting restrictions as from January 2006.

ILO Draft Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration
(Tripartite Meeting of Experts on the ILO Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration - Geneva, 31 October - 2 November 2005)
As a follow-up to the General Discussion on Migrants Workers that took place during the 2004 International Labour Conference, and in line with its conclusions, a tripartite meeting of experts will be held on 31 October - 2 November 2005 in Geneva to review the draft of an ILO Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration, prior to its submission to the ILO's Governing Body in March 2006. The Workers' Group experts team will be led by Sharan Burrow (ACTU, Australia, and ICFTU President) who was the workers' group spokesperson on migration at the 2004 ILC. The draft framework document is now available in English. The French and Spanish versions will be posted in the course of September 2005. Examples of best practices (Annex II of the Framework) will be made available on this website in September 2005. Should you have comments on the draft, please feel free to send them to Luc Demaret, ILO/ACTRAV.

Conclusions (Jul 05)
Seminar on Latin America and International Migrations which organised by the Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Committee of the OECD. The seminar took place in June 2005.
Conclusions (Jul 05)
Le séminaire sur l'Amérique latine et les Migrations Internationales organisé par le Comité de l'emploi, du travail et des affaires sociales de l'OCDE. Le séminaire a eu lieu en juin 2005.

Trade union best practices (Jul 05)
A general discussion on labour migration held during the International Labour Conference in June 2004 concluded, among other things, that the ILO should develop a non-binding multilateral framework for migrant workers in a global economy. Such a framework, now in preparation, will comprise international guidelines on best practices in a number of areas identified at the Conference. As part of preparation for the development of the framework, the Bureau for Workers' Activities of the ILO (ILO/ACTRAV) has compiled trade union best practices in those areas. This document does not pretend to be exhaustive and readers may feel free to contact Luc Demaret at ACTRAV for additional information.

The ILO Private Employment Agencies Convention (No. 181) offers better protection for temporary migrant workers and an opportunity for employers in the industry to combat unfair competition and clean its record, undermined by abuses. But will Convention 181 prevail over the liberalising spree in services such as the GATS and the proposed European Directive (Bolkestein)? Much depends on the ILO staying on course with its decent work agenda and on ongoing campaign by trade unions.

ETUC response to the Commission's Green Paper on a EU approach to managing economic migration, COM (2004) 811 final
French

A Chinese migrant labourer employed by the Compagnie Mauricienne du Textile (CMT) has died of overwork, according to the Global Union Federation for textile (ITGLWF). Some 300 Chinese migrant workers protested in the streets of the Mauritian capital Port Louis on 8 March, waving a banner that read 'too much task kill the workers'. Police fired tear gas and wielded clubs to disperse the march.

On 11 Jan 2005 the Commission adopted a Green Paper, "On an EU approach to managing economic migration". The aim is to stimulate a debate on how best to regulate the entry and residence of third-country nationals who are seeking employment in the EU.

Le 11 janvier 2005, la Commission a adopté un "Livre vert sur une approche communautaire de la gestion des migrations économiques", qui vise à amorcer la réflexion sur les meilleures façons de réguler l'entrée et le séjour des ressortissants d'Etats-tiers venus chercher un emploi au sein de l'Union européenne.

Am 11. Januar 2005 hat die Kommission ein Grünbuch zum EU-Konzept für Wirtschaftsmigration verabschiedet. Hiermit wird das Ziel verfolgt, eine Diskussion über die besten Steuerungsmöglichkeiten der Einreise und des Aufenthalts von Drittstaatsangehörigen einzuleiten, die in der EU erwerbstätig sein wollen.

ILO/ACTRAV research on freedom of movement in the Mercosur.
Buenas prácticas para el reconocimiento de derecho de los trabajadores a la libre circulación en el MERCOSUR, 2004
ILO-EU/EAC Labour Migration Project, East Africa, Launch and Stakeholders' Meeting Arusha, 13 - 16 Dec 2004, Summary, Conclusions, Recommendations and the Way Forward

Towards an IOM Strategy - Migration and Development. Conference room paper/12, 88th Session of the COUNCIL, Geneva, 30 Nov - 3 Dec 2004

Coloquio de la UGT de España sobre la prevención de los riesgos laborales de los trabajadores y trabajadoras migrantes. Ponencia de Luc Demaret, representante de la OIT. Madrid, 11 de nov 2004

Draft resolution on the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
French / Spanish / Arabic / Chinese / Russian

Who Are We? Fears and Facts in Samuel Huntington's Attack on Latino Immigration to the United States, Britta Waldschmidt-Nelson