The labor issue is one of the factors that most encourages migration because it is one of the large windows that are analyzed with the aim of developing both personal and academic projects.
And this labor migration not only ends up being relevant for those who exercise it but also for the places that receive migrants since they contribute to the increase and progress of the destination countries. This type of migration in turn has a strong impact due to the loss of workforce at points of origin, which is detrimental and a significant loss of capabilities.
On the other hand, when international employment is carried out in a serious, safe and socially protected manner, it is a great experience because it allows people to connect and learn other processes, forms and mechanisms that will be an important part of the professional development of the companies. people in addition to contributing to growth and structuring in many aspects of life. This type of experience allows you to acquire certain strengths not only on a professional level but also emotionally and mentally to learn to assume and face obstacles that arise throughout your life.
However, there are many people who migrate out of necessity rather than choice due to high unemployment and growing poverty in their countries of origin. Therefore, “in developed countries, the demand for workers has increased, especially for unskilled workers” (ILO, 2022) all of the above would only pose a problem if one migrates illegally since it does not matter why I do it but rather how I do it. I already do that when the person exposes themselves under necessity the risks are very high, among them; that of falling into networks of exploitation and subjugation markets, in payment abuses that often end up further deteriorating people and their possibilities of building a life in better conditions.
Whether you migrate out of necessity or by choice, it is important to understand that migration contributes in two ways to both the receiving and destination countries. Being analyzed from how, it contributes “to the economy of the host countries and the money remittances they send to homes or family members help develop the economies of their countries of origin” (ILO, 2022). This last aspect is one of the most delicate and deserves a deep analysis so that these remittances do not constitute false economies.
Considering new experiences, especially work experiences abroad, is a right to which every human being should have access freely and being seen from what mobility has been through time in the construction of the world. Since it allows you to learn, other ways of seeing and assuming life, getting to know other contexts, learning other languages, other ways of understanding the planet and its diversities. It is also about acquiring skills in a multiplicity of factors, opening a range of possibilities that could be applied to places of origin in processes of positive returns.
Since we insist that migration be as responsible as possible, it is important to know that: “ILO standards on migration offer mechanisms, both to the countries of origin of migrant workers and to the receiving countries, that allow the flows to be managed. "This is something that almost no one knows and that is extremely important to know what the rights are and what duties to fulfill within the mechanisms that the ILO has implemented so that the worker is valued and respected comprehensively.
Labor protection agreements for migrants:
- “Migrant Workers Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97) - [ratifications] This Convention provides that States that have ratified it shall facilitate international migration for employment purposes by establishing and maintaining a free assistance service and information for migrant workers, by adopting measures against misleading propaganda about emigration and immigration.” (ILO,2022).
- Applied without exception to “legal” migrants who, through their correct actions, do not harm the destination country.
- Illegal migration has negative effects, including:
- Problem of integration and adaptation, labor competence.
- New pockets of poverty affecting the country's economic indices.
- Increase in discrimination and xenophobia.
- Decrease in the wages of native workers due to competition with illegal migrants since they would reduce the workforce, making it poorly paid and harming the country's economy.
- Selection of labor in an irregular manner causing labor discrimination, that is, poor payments, no social security, among others.
- Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143) - “This Convention provides for measures to combat clandestine and illegal migration, while establishing for States that have ratified it the obligation to respect the fundamental rights of all migrant workers. It also extends the scope of equal treatment between migrant workers with legal residence in a country and national workers that transcends the provisions of the 1949 Convention, in order to guarantee equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation, social security, union and cultural rights, and the individual and collective freedoms of people” (ILO, 2022).
- It will be respected as long as the migrant is legal.
It is important to clarify that the decision that every person makes when migrating is respected, but we always encourage the protection of life and rights beyond the effects that illegal migration produces such as the impact on the destination. Therefore, it is important that every migrant inform themselves to know what entities, organizations or rights exist in the country of destination so that, once in the territory, they can access all legal processes that prevent abuses of any kind.
Sources
Migración laboral. (2022). Obtenido de OIT Organización Internacional del trabajo: https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/labour-migration/lang--es/index.htm
Trabajadores migrantes. (2022). Obtenido de OIT Organización internacional del trabajo: https://www.ilo.org/global/standards/subjects-covered-by-international-labour-standards/migrant-workers/lang--es/index.htm
Nota 1 – OIT, Migración laboral: nuevo contexto y desafíos de gobernanza , informe IV, Conferencia Internacional del Trabajo, 106.a reunión, Ginebra, 2017.