The COVID-19 experience among international migrant workers in the Republic of Korea: knowledge and awareness of treatment and immigration policies

This paper uses narrative analysis to explore how Alberta government Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) “constructed” migrant work and migrant workers in legislature and media statements between 2000 and 2011. Government MLAs asserted that migrant work (1) was economically necessary and (2) posed no threat to Canadian workers. Government MLAs also asserted that international migrant workers (3) had questionable occupational, linguistic or cultural skills and (4) caused negative social and economic impacts in Canada. Taken individually, these narratives appear contradictory, casting migrant work as good but migrant workers as bad. Viewed together, these narratives comprise an effort to dehumanize temporary and permanent international migrant workers. This (sometimes racialized) “othering” of migrant workers justifies migrant workers’ partial citizenship and suppresses criticism of their poor treatment. Cet article utilise l’analyse narrative pour explorer comment les membres du gouvernement de l’Assemblée législative de l’Alberta (députés) ont « construit » le travail des migrants et des travailleurs migrants avec leur déclarations dans la législature et les médias entre 2000 et 2011. Les députés du gouvernement ont affirmé que le travail migrant (1) était nécessaire économiquement et (2) ne représentait aucune menace pour les travailleurs canadiens. Les députés du gouvernement ont également affirmé que les travailleurs migrants internationaux (3) avaient des compétences professionnelles, linguistiques ou culturelles douteuse et (4) avaient des impacts négatifs sociaux et économiques au Canada. Pris individuellement, ces récits semblent contradictoires, décrivant le travail migrant comme bon, mais les travailleurs migrants comme mauvais. Prises ensemble, ces récits constituent un effort pour déshumaniser les travailleurs migrants internationaux temporaires et permanents. Cette « altérisation » (parfois racialisé) des travailleurs migrants justifie la citoyenneté partielle des travailleurs migrants et supprime la critique de leur mauvais traitement.

BackgroundA high burden of physical, mental, and occupational health problems among migrant workers has been well-documented, but data on undocumented migrant workers are limited and their well-being has rarely been compared to that of the general population.MethodsUsing data from a cross-sectional survey of non-professional migrant workers in South Korea in early 2021, we described their physical, psychological, social well-being and health behaviors across a wide range of outcomes, including self-rated health, occupational injury, cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, meal pattern, happiness, mental illness, social support, and social participation. The outcomes were first compared between documented and undocumented migrant workers in generalized linear regressions adjusting for potential confounders. Then, the well-being of the migrant workers was compared against that of the general population using data from the Korean Happiness Survey, which is a nationally representative survey of the South Korean general population conducted in late 2020. The parametric g-formula was performed to adjust for potential confounders.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounders, the undocumented migrant workers were less likely to be happy or participate in social communities, and much more likely to have anxiety or depression, smoke cigarettes, or engage in heavy alcohol consumption than the documented migrant workers. When compared to the general South Korean population, an evident social gradient emerged for happiness and mental illness; the undocumented experienced the worst outcome, followed by the documented, and then the general population. Also, the undocumented migrant workers were more likely to smoke cigarettes than the general population.ConclusionThe undocumented migrant workers face considerably greater challenges in terms of mental health and happiness, demonstrate higher rates of risky health behaviors such as smoking and heavy drinking, and experience a lack of social support and community integration. A stark social gradient in happiness, mental illness, and cigarette smoking exists among the documented, undocumented migrant workers and the general population in South Korea. Socio-structural factors are likely to play a crucial role in contributing to the suboptimal level of overall well-being of undocumented migrant workers. Policy-level interventions as well as interpersonal efforts are in urgent need.

4 Migration research and analysis: Growth, reach and recent contributions

Mobilizing public opinion for/against foreign labor policies in Korea, 1995–2005: NGOs, trade unions, and employers’ associations in contested terrain

SummaryBackgroundGlobally, there are more than 150 million international migrant workers—individuals who are employed outside of their country of origin—comprising the largest international migrant group. A substantial number of migrants work in hazardous and exploitative environments, where they might be at considerable risk of injury and ill health. However, little data on occupational health outcomes of migrant workers exist, with which to inform global policy making and delivery of health services.MethodsFor this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched Embase, MEDLINE, Ovid Global Health, and PsychINFO databases for primary research published between Jan 1, 2008, and Jan 24, 2018, reporting occupational health outcomes among international migrant workers (defined as individuals who are or have been employed outside their country of origin), without language or geographical restrictions. We excluded studies containing mixed cohorts of migrants and native workers in which migrant data could not be disaggregated, and studies that did not explicitly report migrant status. The main outcome was prevalence of occupational health outcomes (defined as any injury, mortality, or physical or psychiatric morbidity due to an individual's work or workplace environment) among international migrant workers. Summary estimates were calculated using random-effects models. The study protocol has been registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42018099465.FindingsOf the 1218 studies identified by our search, 36 studies were included in our systematic review, and 18 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The systematic review included occupational health outcomes for 12 168 international migrant workers employed in 13 countries and territories, mostly employed in unskilled manual labour. Migrant workers originated from 25 low-income and middle-income countries, and worked in the following sectors: agriculture; domestic, retail, and service sectors; construction and trade; and manufacturing and processing. Migrant workers had various psychiatric and physical morbidities, and workplace accidents and injuries were relatively common. In the meta-analysis, among 7260 international migrant workers, the pooled prevalence of having at least one occupational morbidity was 47% (95% CI 29–64; I2=99·70%). Among 3890 migrant workers, the prevalence of having at least one injury or accident, including falls from heights, fractures and dislocations, ocular injuries, and cuts was 22% (7–37; I2=99·35%).InterpretationInternational migrant workers are at considerable risk of work-related ill health and injury, and their health needs are critically overlooked in research and policy. Governments, policy makers, and businesses must enforce and improve occupational health and safety measures, which should be accompanied by accessible, affordable, and appropriate health care and insurance coverage to meet the care needs of this important working population.FundingWellcome Trust.

Many civil society organizations and advocacy groups consider international human rights norms to offer a more promising avenue for protecting migrant workers from precarious employment than do claims based upon citizenship and the nation state. However, there is little research on how international right instruments specifically designed to protect migrant workers’ rights address the factors that make migrant workers’ employment precarious. The paper provides a taxonomy that maps the link between migrant status and precarious employment, which it uses to explore the nexus between precarious migrant status and precarious employment in the three “low-skill” streams – the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, the Live-in-Caregiver Program, and the Pilot Project for Occupations Requiring Lower Levels of Formal Training (NOC C and D) – in the Canadian Temporary Foreign Worker Program. After demonstrating the relationship between precarious migrant workers and precarious employment, the paper evaluates the capacity of international human rights instruments specifically designed for migrant workers to the address the problem of precarious employment. It finds that the main problem with relying on the international migrant workers’ rights instruments is that they defer to the principle of state sovereignty over immigration policy and accept the right of states to impose restrictions on non-national’s employment rights in exchange for the privilege to enter host state territory. What these instruments do is limit the duration of employment restrictions to two years. The problem is that allowing states to tie a migrant worker’s work authorization to a specific employer for two years permits state-sanctioned subordination of migrant workers to employers and creates a situation ripe for abuse. To break the link between precarious migrant status and precarious employment it is crucial for nation states to develop forms of restrictions on migrant workers mobility, such as sectoral and occupational work authorizations, that are less likely to be as exploitative as authorizations that tie migrant workers to specific employers.

The global pandemic impacted Asian migrant workers disproportionately. During the first COVID-19 nationwide lockdown, Nepali migrant workers faced many challenges due to widespread misconceptions of them being vectors of COVID-19. This research examines COVID-19 impacts on international and internal Nepali migrant workers. A national survey on the social, economic, and psychological challenges of returning Nepali migrant workers was administered online from 10 May to 20 July 2020. A total of 672 responses were received. Using a binary logistic regression model, the research finds that the domestic migrant workers were less likely to get economic support, expect to borrow money during COVID-19, experience negative changes in their personal lives, and expect the COVID-19 contraction. In contrast, international migrant workers were less likely to return to their pre-pandemic employment. The research exposed long-standing vulnerabilities of migrant workers and identified immediate actions from Nepalese Central, Provincial, and Local governments to address their needs.

This study explored how perceived stress and other common characteristics affected the alcohol consumption of the Filipino migrant workers in South Korea. 201 Filipino migrant workers (78.1% male, 21.9% female) completed the questionnaire containing the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) for measuring perceived stress and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-C (AUDIT-C) for measuring hazardous drinking.  Pearson’s correlation, regression analysis, T-test and ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. The results revealed that perceived stress was significantly correlated with alcohol consumption among undocumented migrant workers but not with their documented counterparts. Perceived stress also was found to have predicted alcohol consumption among the undocumented migrant workers. Significantly, documented migrant workers have lower levels of perceived stress and alcohol consumption compared to the undocumented migrant workers.

Migrant Worker Health

This chapter summarizes Mexico's questions concerning de jure discrimination prejudicial to labor rights of undocumented migrant workers. It then analyzes leading cases of de jure discrimination in U.S. domestic remedies for undocumented migrant workers- Sure-Tan v. National Labor Relations Board and Hoffman -as well as the intervening Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. The chapter then considers the state of applicable international law prior to the Court's Advisory Opinion: (1) Fundamental international labor rights of all workers, including undocumented workers. (2) Treaties specifically protecting undocumented workers, but only in a relatively few states parties. (3) Whether discrimination against migrant workers, based on their undocumented status, was limited by international norms of equality and non-discrimination. (4) Whether denial of certain remedies for undocumented workers violated their internationally protected rights. (5) The progressive development of the internationally protected rights of migrant workers. (6) Whether norms of equality and non-discrimination are jus cogens . Keywords: court's advisory opinion; de jure discrimination; international law; labor rights; Mexico; non-discrimination; undocumented migrant workers

Migrant workers’ recruitment and travelling from Indonesia to Tawau (Sabah), Malaysia is a serious matter, which has not been thoroughly assessed especially the role or help of local employers in Sabah and the (un)secrete routes they use to bring the undocumented migrant workers to Sabah. This article is based on the Indonesia Labour Migration to Sabah (ILMS) Survey (in Syed Abdul Razak [2010]) conducted in 2009 and 2010, in which 896 migrant workers (both documented and undocumented) were interviewed. Also, informal interviews were conducted with employers, intermediaries and the officials in Malaysia and Indonesia. The article found that mandors and local brokers/village sponsors played an important role in the recruitment process of migrant workers. Mandors and local brokers (could be the village sponsors) worked within the social networks; they formerly linked employers with prospective migrant workers; while the brokers linked new migrants to institutional networks that operated through legal and unauthorised channels. However, the real demand or space for undocumented migrant workers was created from Sabah. The employers played an important role to sustain the problem of undocumented migrant workers. The study also found various factors, which facilitated migrant workers’ movement to Sabah that included improvements in water transport and telecommunication systems, the long-established, familiar networks, and the availability of groups which provided fake documents. There was more inclination to use informal channels because of the cost and procedures, whereas the migrant workers willing to take any kind and level of risk in search of livelihoods. The article concludes that for migrant workers, there was no clear distinction between legal and undocumented recruitment because the same people (mandors) arranged both things for them, but the real pull or demand came from the local people in Sabah. Keywords: migrant workers, recruitment, travelling, illegal, Tawau, Indonesia

This article considers recent legal developments on undocumented migrant workers, finds the acceptance of international legal standards unsatisfactory and argues that the private law rights derived from the “semi-legal” employment contract between the employer and the undocumented migrant worker generates a solid base for significant legal claims. It further monitors the promotion of the position of the undocumented migrant workers under recent EU law and calls for a refocusing on the employment contract in the reading of a relevant EC Directive, with a particular emphasis on the issue of access to justice for the migrant workers. The increased number of undocumented migrants who leave their countries of origin for reasons outside the scope of the asylum procedure, as well as the circumstances under which this migration is undertaken and the working conditions of these individuals in the host countries, have brought about legal activities from governments and institutions such as the EU. The aim has in general been to establish sanctions against employers of undocumented migrant workers, but a shift towards a compensatory, employee protective, attitude has recently emerged, both in EU legislation and in a broader perspective in US case law. The article concludes that such a development must be massively supported in relation to access to justice in order to fulfill the ambition. The poor legal position of the undocumented migrant workers is significantly connected to issues of legal representation, trade union participation and the threat of repatriation.

No existing review has synthesized key questions about acculturation experiences among international migrant workers. This review aimed to explore (1) What are global migrant workers' experiences with acculturation and acculturative stress? (2) What are acculturative stress coping strategies used by migrant workers? And (3) how effective are these strategies for migrant workers in assisting their acculturation in the host countries? Peer-reviewed and gray literature, without time limitation, were searched in six databases and included if the study: focused on acculturative stress and coping strategies; was conducted with international migrant workers; was published in English; and was empirical. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Three-layered themes of acculturation process and acculturative stress were identified as: individual layer; work-related layer; and social layer. Three key coping strategies were identified: emotion-focused; problem-focused; and appraisal-focused. These coping strategies were used flexibly to increase coping effectiveness and evidence emerged that a particular type of acculturative stress might be solved more effectively by a specific coping strategy. Migrant workers faced numerous challenges in their acculturative process. Understanding this process and their coping strategies could be used in developing research and interventions to improve the well-being of migrant workers.

BackgroundInternational migrant workers, representing 170 million people globally, often face hazardous working conditions, including extreme heat exposure. This increases their risk of occupational heat strain, exacerbated by poor working conditions. This systematic review aims to identify the health risks of occupational heat exposure among international migrant workers globally, and document existing protective interventions and measures, in order to inform policies that protect this vulnerable population.MethodsWe searched four electronic databases (Medline, Embase, Ovid Global Health and PsychINFO) for primary research studies (January 2014–April 2024) on international migrant workers experiencing adverse health outcomes following high working temperatures. Records were screened, and data extracted by two independent reviewers. Assessment of study quality was done using Joanna-Briggs Institute checklists. Results were synthesised narratively and reported following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024519547).ResultsOf the 646 records screened, 19 studies involving 2,322 migrant workers across six countries were included in the analysis, with most studies from high-income countries (n=14, 74%), mainly the USA. Studies focused on workers in construction (48%) and agriculture (42%), with migrant workers originating from 14 countries, predominantly India, Mexico, and Nepal. Reported health outcomes included heat-related illnesses (n=12), dehydration (n=5), kidney disease (n=2), and poor skin health (n=2). Common symptoms included headaches, muscle cramps, and heavy sweating. Interventions focused on water, rest, shade, skin protection, and education, but evaluations were limited and some measures failed to address heat exposure effectively.ConclusionsOccupational heat exposure poses significant health risks for international migrant workers. Where interventions exist, barriers to effectiveness remain, with a knowledge gap as to the situation in low- and middle-income countries. Amid rising global temperatures improved worker education, worker-tailored and co-designed interventions, updated protocols, and increased healthcare accessibility are urgently needed.

The safeguarding of fundamental rights for undocumented migrant workers represents a critical challenge that necessitates immediate attention. This article addresses the oversight within the human rights discourse regarding the fundamental rights of undocumented migrant workers. Through empirical normative research, incorporating a comprehensive review of normative literature, this study critically examines the regulations affecting migrant workers through the lens of human rights. It identifies a significant correlation between the lack of protective guarantees for undocumented migrant workers and the various cases and consequences that ensue. From a human rights perspective, regulations prioritize equality before the law, protection, and anti-discrimination. This stance contrasts with existing laws that govern Indonesian migrant workers, wherein protection is exclusively extended to those legally recognized. Such exclusivity denies undocumented migrant workers the assurance of their fundamental rights. Arguably, the provision of basic rights and protections should be indiscriminately extended to all migrant workers, irrespective of their legal status. While the specifics of migrant worker placement can still be regulated concerning requirements, processes, involved parties, and responsibilities, these regulations must not infringe upon the fundamental human rights of individuals. Consequently, this paper advocates for a thorough evaluation of current legislation with respect to its content, the comprehension of involved stakeholders, and the practical implementation of regulations concerning the management of migrant workers.