Irregular Migration and Irregular Work: A Chicken and Egg Dilemma

Abstract

AbstractThe connection between irregular or undeclared work and irregular migration often combines in an explosive mix that stirs anxieties about the state’s control over migration flows, labour market regulation, and unfair competition with native workers as well as lost revenue for the state. This chapter discusses the different types of irregular employment and irregular migration and the intersection between the two to construct a typology of irregular employment of irregular foreign residents. We then investigate the dynamics of specific labour market sectors where irregularities in employment thrive, notably in domestic and care work, agriculture and the construction sector. The chapter adopts a double comparative European perspective, surveying findings from different countries, notably the Nordic states, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy with a focus on the different sectors. We seek to explain the role of (irregular) migrant workers within each sector and analyse the related socio-economic and policy dynamics. The chapter concludes with a reflection on the role of enforcement and sanctions vs a variable geometry of regulation for specific labour market sectors.