Labour Immigration Policy Research Articles

Japan as an Immigration State: Reforming Japan’s Labor Immigration Policy and Combating the Anti-Immigration Sentiment

In the age of migration, in order to remain competitive in the global marketplace, states are faced with the need to supplement their domestic labor resources with imported manpower. This whole exchange needs to be regulated accordingly regarding both admission and integration into a new country. Out of the advanced industrial states of the world, Japan is relatively new to the immigration game and its immigration policy is perceived as strict against importing labor from abroad. Recently, however, Japan has been showing promising signs of a shift towards a more open labor market for migrants through various reforms. This paper presents the evolution of the Japanese immigration policy, specifically regarding migrant workers, since it first acquired its status as an “Immigration State”, while it also addresses the public opinion surrounding the matter, which does not seem welcoming of the new additions in the Japanese society.

Intra‐company transfers: The government/corporate interface in the United Kingdom

AbstractThis paper explores the role of intra‐company transfers in the United Kingdom government's labour immigration policy over the last quarter century. It demonstrates their role in determining the number of non‐European Economic Area foreigners working in the country and examines the way policy, both generally and specifically, has developed. It presents new statistical data and uses that evidence to examine the interplay between the government and multinational corporations in the determination of a significant element of foreign labour immigration. Its findings demonstrate that intra‐company transfers have consistently played a major role in the management of UK labour immigration with a small number of occupations and countries of origin characterizing the system at various times. It concludes that the system has operated through a symbiotic relationship between government and major companies to the mutual benefit of both. However, ‘Brexit’ and the COVID‐19 pandemic are leading to reassessment of political and corporate objectives.

Addressing problems for labour not problems of labour: the need for a paradigm shift in work and industrial relations policy

ABSTRACT This article argues that the policy framework governing work and industrial relations in Australia and other liberal market economies is stuck in an outdated paradigm fixated on solving problems of labour that have diminished or no longer exist, such as excessive union power and overt forms of industrial conflict. This policy framework is poorly equipped for addressing increasingly urgent problems for labour, such as growing inequality and workforce insecurity. Drawing upon neo-pluralist ideas and the findings emerging from industrial relations research, the article presents recommendations for what a new industrial relations policy framework would look like. It advocates for the adoption of a neo-pluralist policy paradigm focused on the creation of quality employment, worker wellbeing, redistribution in bargaining and wage determination, fairer labour immigration policies, stronger protections against gender-based inequalities, and increased job security.

Demographic Transition for Economic Development in Taipei,China: Literature and Policy Implications

As an economy with a population of 23 million, Taipei,China is enjoying the demographic dividend of economic growth resulting from a shift in the population age structure, but an increasingly aged population could be bad for the economy. As an international comparison, its population is aging faster than that of most members of the Asian Development Bank and other advanced economies. Based on the literature, we evaluate the impact of aging on economic growth and volatility using relevant data and then concludes with the government policies relevant to the prospective aging problem. At the current stage, the situation is not as bad as expected. An aging workforce with positive productivity has no negative impact on economic growth. The old-age dependency ratio has a significantly negative effect on economic development, but appropriate foreign labor immigration and elderly long-term care policies can mitigate it. Higher education attainment still works to support economic growth in the long run. Besides, an increase in longevity first enhances and then erodes net foreign assets, and high old-age dependency ratios cause investments to respond strongly to technology shocks because individuals prefer to save more for retirement in aging societies. However, population aging has a minor influence on the dynamics of the macroeconomic variables. Nevertheless, the government should be cautious and allocate resources to help labor-intensive and low-skilled industries transform into more innovation-oriented and knowledge-intensive ones. Social welfare support must also become an important aspect of the social security framework.

Refugee Resettlement Patterns in the USA: Examining Labor Market Conditions and Immigration Policies in Cities of Primary Placement and Secondary Internal Migration

This study examines resettlement patterns in the USA: primary placement patterns where refugees were placed by U.S. dispersion policy, and then internal or secondary migration patterns based on voluntary relocation by resettled refugees. Using data from the U.S. Department of State and from a community-based census, analyses consider labor market conditions and immigration policies (Sanctuary City policy and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program) in cities of refugee resettlement, in addition to geographic region and immigrant population as local-level characteristics salient to secondary migration patterns in the post-September 11 era of resettlement in the USA, using Bhutanese refugees as a case study. Results indicate that U.S. refugee dispersion policy places Bhutanese refugees in cities with poorer labor market conditions, which conflicts with the policy goals of job placement and self-sufficiency. In terms of internal migration, results suggest that Bhutanese refugees follow the paths of immigrants more broadly into “new refugee destinations,” particularly in the midwestern regions, which have fast-growing immigrant populations.

Labour Immigration Policy in the European Union: How to Overcome the Tension between Further Europeanisation and the Protection of National Interests?

Abstract This article critically assesses EU harmonisation in the field of labour immigration. It argues that EU directives are limited both in scope and intensity which explains their relatively low effectiveness and added value. Given the current political and institutional context, the article claims that a truly common labour immigration policy is unrealistic. Labour immigration remains a predominantly national prerogative and EU rules have done little to overcome normative competition between EU Member States. Looking forward, the EU should adopt complementary measures to Member States’ policies. The role of the EU in this sensitive policy area should be better defined and justified, in particular in relation to the principle of subsidiarity.

A guest-worker state? The declining power and agency of migrant labour in Australia

This article presents an historical and comparative analysis of the bargaining power and agency conferred upon migrant workers in Australia under distinct policy regimes. Through an assessment of four criteria – residency status, mobility, skill thresholds and institutional protections – we find that migrant workers arriving in Australia in the period from 1973 to 1996 had high levels of bargaining power and agency. Since 1996, migrant workers’ power and agency has been incrementally curtailed, to the extent that Australia’s labour immigration policy resembles a guest-worker regime where migrants’ rights are restricted, their capacity to bargain for decent working conditions with their employers is truncated and their agency to pursue opportunities available to citizens and permanent residents is diminished. In contrast to recent assessments that Australia’s temporary visa system is working effectively, our analysis indicates that it is failing to protect temporary migrants at work.JEL Codes: J24, J61, J83

The limits of skill-selective immigration policies: Welfare states and the commodification of labour immigrants

Why do some countries have more skill-selective labour immigration policies than others? Despite general agreement that high-skilled immigrants are economically and socially desirable, some countries extensively select high-skilled from low-skilled labour immigrants, while others do not. While most political economy accounts indicate an explicit connection between relative skill selectivity and welfare states, two different hypotheses emerge regarding the direction of this relationship. The fiscal cost hypothesis puts forward that the tension between welfare state generosity and immigration motivates greater selectivity as states try to reconcile fiscal pressures for closure with continuing needs for immigration. The decommodification hypothesis, in contrast, holds that the capabilities of generous welfare states to decommodify their citizens also decrease rationales to be more skill-selective towards labour immigrants. Developing an original measure of skill selectivity in labour immigration policies for 20 developed democracies from 2000 to 2010, we test these two hypotheses. Our results indicate that differences in decommodification levels appear to be substantively and negatively associated with differences in skill selectivity levels, while changes in welfare spending over time, particularly among high-spending countries, rather than differences in spending levels, seem to be positively associated with increasing skill selectivity. This suggests potential tensions between the political responses to economic and demographic changes in the form of immigration policy adjustments and the underlying social logic of modern welfare states. The findings contribute not only to the study of high-skilled immigration, but also advance the current research on the tension between immigration and the welfare state.

Reforming labour immigration policies of host countries to stamp out labour trafficking in the ASEAN region

Reforming labour immigration policies of host countries to stamp out labour trafficking in the ASEAN region

Reforming labour immigration policies of host countries to stamp out labour trafficking in the ASEAN region

Human trafficking, including labour trafficking cripples the ASEAN labour hosting countries specially Malaysia and Thailand. Although labour trafficking within ASEAN nations prevails due to the existence of several root causes, this article accentuates, economic inequality between ASEAN nations, covert nature of trafficking regime, overlapping nature of human smuggling and human trafficking, migration policies of host countries are the primary root causes for labour trafficking. Practically, the efforts of ASEAN, including its own convention against trafficking in persons, bi-lateral agreements between its member states, as well as enactments of anti-trafficking laws by individual ASEAN member states have failed to stamp out human trafficking or labour trafficking completely within the region. This article emphasises the urgency of reforming labour immigration policies of ASEAN labour hosting countries to root out labour trafficking and proposes a model policy reform in labour immigration, employment, labour market research, labour regulation and surveillance of employers and employees.

유럽 국가의 노동이주정책에 관한 연구 : 영국과 독일의 정책을 중심으로

본 연구는 노동이주정책에서의 ‘격차’(gap)와 ‘수렴’(convergence)을 고찰하고 있다. 유럽 국가 중 영국과 독일의 사례를 비교하고, ‘격차’와 ‘수렴’경향을 야기한 요인을 분석하고 있다. 사례의 비교분석을 통해 ‘격차’와 ‘수렴’이 주요 이주수용국가들에서 보편화된 현상이 되고 있다는 점을 제기하고 있다. 또한 ‘격차’와 ‘수렴’에 영향을 미치는 원인은 경쟁력강화를 위한 고숙련노동력의 필요와 저숙련노동력 수요의 상존 등의 공통적 요인과 정치사회의 대응과 초국가제도의 영향 등의 차별적 요인으로 제시하고 있다.BR 영국과 독일의 2000년대 이후 노동이주정책에서는 ‘격차’와 ‘수렴’경향이 나타났다. 양국에서는 노동이주정책의 목표와 실제 결과 사이의 ‘격차’가 발생했던 특정 시점이나 노동력의 영역이 존재했던 한편, 고숙련과 숙련노동력을 수용하기 위한 이주정책의 ‘수렴’경향은 계속성을 유지해왔다. 영국은 중동유럽출신 노동력의 대규모 이주를 경험한 후 저숙련노동력의 이주를 통제하기 시작했으며, 점수제도의 도입을 통해 고숙련노동력의 충원을 위한 정책을 시행했다. 최근 영국에서 시행되고 있는 이주 총인원 한도(cap) 정책이 고숙련과 저숙련노동력의 이주에 어떤 영향을 미칠지 향후 고찰이 필요한 부분이다. 독일은 유럽연합 노동이주정책을 수용해 고숙련과 저숙련노동력 충원을 위한 ‘Blue Card’프로그램과 파견노동자제도를 활용해오고 있다. ‘Blue Card’프로그램은 고숙련과 숙련노동력을 충원하기 위한 과거 ‘Green Card’제도보다 이주노동자에게 독일 이주와 정착을 위한 유인들을 확대해 제공하고 있다. 저숙련노동력의 이주는 정착을 최소화하기 위해 귀환이 용이한 주변국가 노동력을 활용하는 파견노동자제도를 운영하고 있다.BR 영국과 독일의 노동이주정책에 관한 분석에 기초해 한국의 노동이주정책을 위한 함의를 도출할 수 있다. 첫째 노동이주정책의 형성과 변화를 위해서는 공론화 과정이 필수적이다. 둘째 노동력수요의 충족과 인구감소에 대응하기 위한 한국의 고숙련과 저숙련노동력 이주정책의 개편이 필요하다.

Labor migration numbers and rights: do they trade off or advance together?

ABSTRACTThis article reconsiders the argument that as labor immigration policy opens, it must also become more restrictive in terms of immigrant rights. After discussing this tradeoff logic, positing a negative relationship between external (numbers) and internal (rights) labor migration policy, it then extends the underlying political model to show that when accounting for the lobbying pressure of firms seeking high skill labor, a very different expectation emerges. This political accommodation argument predicts a positive relationship between external and internal migration policy, or that policy related to labor immigration openness and immigrant rights should advance together, although not necessarily quickly or at the same rate. It then tests these competing propositions using a new dataset that sorts labor migration policy changes among 38 advanced industrial democracies from 1995 to 2016 into these two dimensions, finding a significant positive relationship between them.

Entrepreneurial response to changing opportunity structures

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse how the introduction of a liberalised regime for labour immigration in Sweden affected the self-selection of new immigrant entrepreneurs and to what extent the changes in entrepreneurial income among new immigrants was due to self-selection or to a changing business environment.Design/methodology/approachBased on rich microdata from Swedish administrative registers, this paper investigates how incomes changed during the years before and after the migration policy reform. By decomposing the income differential of new immigrant entrepreneurs arriving before and after the reform, this study estimates the contribution of a changed composition of migrants to the changing entrepreneurial income.FindingsEntrepreneurial income among self-employed new immigrants improved after the reform, narrowing the immigrant–native income gap, while among employees, the income gap remained during the whole period of the study. Out of the total 10.9 per cent increase in log income, the authors find that 2.7 per cent was due to selectivity, i.e., changing characteristics of new immigrant entrepreneurs. The remaining 8.2 per cent was due to increased returns to characteristics, i.e., the characteristics of new immigrant entrepreneurs were better rewarded in the markets in the latter period. Hence, increases in entrepreneurial income among new immigrants were due both to self-selection and changes in the business environment.Practical implicationsThe authors find that the migration policy reform had the effect of attracting successful immigrant entrepreneurs. Hence, the findings have implications for migration policy as well as for growth and employment policy.Originality/valueThis paper reveals a positive trend regarding income from the entrepreneurship of new immigrants after the liberalisation of labour immigration policy in Sweden. Theoretically and methodologically, the authors combine self-selection theory and the mixed-embeddedness perspective in a novel way, using rich data and a quantitative approach.

Labor Immigration Policies in High-Income Countries: Variations across Political Regimes and Varieties of Capitalism

AbstractThis paper analyzes how and why labor immigration policies in high-income countries vary across political regimes (democracies versus autocracies) and types of capitalism (liberal versus co...

Constrained Politics: Labour Market Actors, Political Parties and Swedish Labour Immigration Policy

Sweden used to be one of the most restrictive countries in the Organisation of Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) in terms of labour immigration policy. This was drastically changed in 2008 when a very liberal immigration law was passed. Why did one of the most restrictive labour immigration countries suddenly become one of the most liberal ones? The article argues that it is necessary to consider labour market institutions and their consequences for labour migration. These factors will influence the preferences, strategies and chances of success for various policy actors. A decline in union power and corporatism in Sweden had important consequences for its labour immigration. Following this decline, employers and centre-right parties became more active and adopted more liberal policy positions than previously. The article analyses policy developments since the 1960s and draws on official documents, position statements, party manifestos, media coverage and original elite interviews.

Employer Organizations and Labour Immigration Policy in Australia and the United Kingdom: The Power of Political Salience and Social Institutional Legacies

AbstractThis article examines employer organizations and labour immigration policy in Australia and the United Kingdom. Drawing on 102 elite interviews, it analyses employer organizations’ preferences and influence over recent reforms. The article builds on Culpepper's arguments relating to the significance of political salience and identifies the importance of various institutional factors, particularly social institutions, in shaping employer organizations’ decisions and engagement with the policy process. Political salience and social institutional legacies are critical for explaining why employer organizations played a central role in driving labour immigration reforms in Australia and a marginal role in the UK. Large intakes of workers from the European Union, which sustained immigration as a high salience issue and fuelled the Brexit campaign, also influenced the strategies of UK employer organizations.

The Challenges of Aging Population: Demographic Development of Labor Force and Immigration Policy

Given that the amount of elderly population in Finland is growing fast, the author takes a look at the economic policies that aim at combating the challenges brought by aging population in developed countries. The degree of urbanization of a capital city can be determined by the level of demographic changes over time. In this study, the author uses the urban data to analyze the determinants of demographic changes, which have a significant impact on regional policies and regulations. The results reveal important insights on the implications of migration and employed labor force on the regional economy. It is acknowledged that factors such as quality of human capital, labor mobility and housing facilities are integral parts of demographic development. One of the important predictors of demographic changes is labor mobility. The results of ARIMA-models show how the number of employed labor force will change in future in the capital region. New research opportunities are opened in the policy control of inbound and outbound migration to the capital city as well as in the strategic implications of income gap on the regional economy.

The rights of migrant workers: Economics, politics and ethics

AbstractThe labour immigration policies of high‐income countries are characterized by trade‐offs between openness to admitting migrant workers and some of the rights granted to migrants after admission. This empirical observation lies at the heart of the author's 2013 book, The price of rights: Regulating international labor migration. In this article, he reviews its main findings, arguments and policy implications and responds to a critical review of the book that was published in the International Labour Review in 2015. He concludes with a plea for more open debate on the linkages between migrant rights, labour migration and development among national and international organizations concerned with these issues.

Justice in Labor Immigration Policy

Justice in Labor Immigration Policy

On waiting, work-time and imagined futures: Theorising temporal precariousness among Chinese chefs in Sweden’s restaurant industry

This paper explores the precarious working conditions in the Chinese restaurant industry in Sweden – a country considered to have one of Europe’s most liberal labour immigration policies. Drawing upon a theoretical framework inspired by scholarship on precarious work and time geography, the paper argues that precarious work performed by migrant labour can be usefully understood through three interrelated temporal processes that, when they work together, produce and maintain precarious work-life situations. They are: (1) work-time arrangements: that is, actual working hours per day and over the annual cycle, the pace and intensity of work and the flexibility demanded of migrant workers in terms of when work is carried out, (2) the spatio-temporal ‘waiting zones’ indirectly produced by immigration policies that delay full access to labour markets and in which precarious work-time arrangements consequently arise, and (3) migrant workers’ imagined futures, which motivate them to accept precarious work-time arrangements during a transitory period. The paper thus also illuminates that the Chinese chefs in Sweden’s restaurant industry are not just passive victims of exploitative work-time arrangements. Rather, waiting – for a return to China or settlement in Sweden – may be part of migrants’ strategies to achieve certain life course trajectories.