Top 10 Emerging Challenges for 2010: Issue 4

Protecting Migrant Workers

Migration of labour is a complex global phenomenon characterised by opportunity and risk for governments, business and the individuals involved. As the 2009 UN Development report "Overcoming barriers: human mobility and development", points out, well-managed migration offers the potential for substantial economic and social benefits to sending and recipient countries, employers and employees alike. It allows workers to find jobs, business and host governments to overcome labour shortages and skills deficits, while home countries benefit from remittances and upgraded skills of returning migrants.

However, abuses of migrant workers and their families remain widespread and legal protection is often inadequate. Reports by organizations such as Human Rights Human Rights Watch on migrant worker exploitation in China and Saudi Arabia highlight the scale of the problem.

The ongoing economic and financial crisis has accentuated the economic, social and political challenges associated with migration, resulting in a rise of anti-immigrant sentiment and wide-scale loss of jobs among migrants who often lack the protection of a welfare safety net, as well as significant decreases in income for poor home communities dependent on remittances.

As reports by leading organizations including BSR, Oxfam and the Ethical Trading Initiative point out, business has an important role to play in debates surrounding the management of migration at policy level as well as protection of migrants in the workplace. The management of migration lends itself to collective action. Yet no UN body exists explicitly to oversee migration at a global level and while NGOs campaign actively on the plight of migrants they have little sanction.

Several international agencies do have a vested interest in matters concerning migration and persons trafficked as migrant labourers, and bilateral trade and investment agreements have the scope to address the issue in a meaningful way. If key stakeholders with real leverage from the private, state and voluntary sectors can join forces to address common concerns, there is real potential to effect positive change.

In 2010, the Institute for Human Rights and Business and the International Business Leaders Forum will launch a series of roundtables bringing companies together with government and civil society organisations to address the role of business working collectively towards improving the management of migration and protection of migrant workers in key areas of risk.

This joint initiative will focus on key industry sectors where migrant labour is integral to business and where abuses can arise in the absence of appropriate policy and practice: the hospitality sector (with particular focus on recruitment of agency workers) and manufacturing sector (worker protection in supply chains). Addressing challenges relating to migration – and engaging business as a key actor in finding solutions – is sure to be a growing issue of importance in 2010 and beyond.