Migration theories and organizations Flashcards
Neo-classical economics theory
Macro level: migration between two countries is explained by the differences in the features of their labour markets. Countries with high demand of labour vs countries with exceeding supply
of labour. High demand = higher wages vs High supply = lower wages. This difference provokes the migration of workers towards countries with higher labour demand.
Micro level: the individual will choose to migrate to find more employment opportunities and better payments.
To achieve this, migrants have to overcome economic and psychological obstacles: pay for the travel, learn a new language, adapt to a new environment, cut ties with family and friends, etc.
The decision to migrate is based on a calculation of the benefits and the costs of the ‘migration
project’: this takes into account migrants’ profile (education, work, language skills, etc.).
This make the costs-benefit analysis different from person to person.
New Economics of migration
Migrants are not isolated individuals, but members of a household. The household as a whole decides which members will remain and which ones will migrate and send remittances. Migration supports households in times of sickness, unemployment, natural calamity, or to make an investment in the local economy. A member abroad is like an insurance against possible risks.
Dual-labour market theory
Capitalist labour markets are divided in upper and lower levels.
Workers in the upper level are the highly skilled, with high wages and stable jobs - those at the bottom are the low skilled, work for low wages and in bad and precarious conditions.
This segmentation corresponds to a social hierarchy: people in top positions have a higher social
status, while people in lower positions are socially stigmatized.
For this reason nationals tend to abandon low-level jobs. This creates a demand for NEW people willing to take them up.
Yet, for migrants in the low position is very difficult to move towards the top.
World System Theory
The World Systems Theory expands the scope of analysis from the economy of capitalist
countries to the whole globe. Along globalization, also capitalist markets have expanded from the core to the peripheries. This expansion has provoked the disruption of traditional economies and local resources. Local workers, impoverished and exploited in bad working conditions, look for work in more advanced capitalist economies where jobs are better paid. The whole globe is the same labour market, with internal divisions between workers in better and worse positions.
Global cities
Global cities are key centers of capitalist expansion, in different parts of the
world. Global cities attract highly skilled people to work in finance, high-tech and
administration, and unskilled people for low-level service work, essential to
the functioning of the capitalist global city.
Social networks
Social network are the ties based on family, friendship, community, etc. They are based on all
the connections that we establish one with the other.
In countries with high numbers of emigrants, people often have large part of their networks somewhere abroad.
These networks could provide them a lot of support:
- They can offer hospitality
- They can help in organizing the trip and in obtaining migration permits
- They can help in finding a good job and in establishing a rich social life
The availability of social networks in the destination country brings a drastic reduction of the costs connected to migration, which makes significantly easier for new people to follow the path of previous migrants, and become migrants as well. Once in the country of destination, the newcomers will physically reunify with their networks, friends or family that are already there.
NGOs
NGOs and charity organizations support migrants - as vulnerable subjects – in finding shelter, or legal support.
• Provide knowledge and expertise from the ground
• They can be sub-contractors in large migration management projects of IGOs
• Take over some of the functions of the State: e.g. control function in refugee camps or irregular
migrants’ detention camps.
Role of governments in migration
Governments are those that decide on policies to contrast or facilitate the
departure or arrival of migrants, on borders’ control, visas and labour permits.
They can even sign agreements to facilitate a specific flow of migration.
ILO
The International Labour Organization (ILO) created in 1919 along the Treaty of Versailles. It mentioned in its Constitution ‘the protection of the interests of workers when employed in
countries other than their own’. The ILO Conventions 97 (1949) and 143 (1975) as preparation to the UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (1990)
UNHCR
The High Commissioner for Refugees was nominated in 1921 by the League of Nations > Creation UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 > 1951 Geneva Convention and Protocol in 1967 on international protection.
IOM
The Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants from Europe, now International Organization for Migration (IOM), was created in 1951. In comparison to UNHCR had more operational mandate concerned with labour migrants and return schemes. Since 2016 is a related agency to the UN.
