Undocumented Migrant Workers Research Articles

Drawing on 40 interviews, this article advances understanding of how Filipino undocumented migrant domestic workers (UMDWs) in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Netherlands navigated the pandemic by undertaking a comparative analysis of their resilience strategies. Using social navigation as an analytic lens, it conceptualizes a typology of three strategies— concession , cooperation and contestation —that Filipino UMDWs engaged in at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels to account for how they coped during the pandemic and are fighting to change their conditions. Finally, it reflects on how these strategies articulate the need for more effective migration governance for undocumented migrants post-COVID-19 and beyond.

Indonesia's fragmented immigration data systems, exacerbated by its archipelagic geography and institutional complexity, pose significant challenges to effective immigration management. These issues result in inefficiencies in border security, difficulties in tracking irregular migration, and substantial economic losses due to undocumented migrant workers. For instance, discrepancies between official data and World Bank estimates reveal a gap of 5.3 million unrecorded migrant workers, highlighting systemic failures in data integration and enforcement. This study explores the potential of big data analytics to address these challenges by integrating disparate systems and enhancing decision-making processes. Using a normative juridical approach, the research examines Indonesia's legal frameworks and proposes a comprehensive implementation framework. This framework includes centralized data integration using Hadoop and Spark technologies, predictive analytics for migration patterns, and robust privacy safeguards to protect vulnerable populations. The findings emphasize that big data can significantly improve operational efficiency, enhance national security, and support evidence-based policy development. However, the study also identifies critical barriers such as privacy concerns, technical limitations, and institutional coordination gaps. By addressing these challenges, the proposed framework offers actionable insights into leveraging big data for effective immigration policing in Indonesia while safeguarding civil liberties.

Globalization has altered Indonesian cultural values, leading to a loss of cultural identity due to the unpreparedness of Human Resources (HR) to face these changes. Nationalism, reflected in behaviors such as maintaining harmony and respecting culture, is a sense of love for the homeland. Religious education becomes key in shaping the character of children, especially at Sanggar Bimbingan Sungai Mulia 5, Gombak, Kuala Lumpur. This research describes the nationalism spirit of the sanggar students, the process of internalizing Islamic religious education values, and the supporting and inhibiting factors in fostering the students' nationalism, especially children of undocumented Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI). A descriptive qualitative method was used, with data collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. The results reveal that the internalization of Islamic religious education values plays a crucial role in shaping the nationalism of students at Sanggar Bimbingan Sungai Mulia 5. This process is observed through Al Ghazali's internalization efforts, which include goals, the role of educators highlighting teachers' roles in habituation and exemplary practices. The emphasized value components include itiqadiyah, amaliah, and khuluqiyah, undergoing stages of transformation, transaction, and trans-internalization of values. This study is unique in highlighting the situation of children of undocumented PMIs, who face significant challenges in accessing formal education. It offers valuable insights into how religious education can be an effective tool for fostering nationalism in such a challenging context.

This study explores the experiences of undocumented Indonesian migrant workers in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, with a specific focus on their sense of belonging within the host society. Undocumented status profoundly shapes their experiences, creating layers of vulnerability and marginalization that compel reliance on informal networks for survival and emotional well-being. Through 33 in-depth interviews and participant observations, this research adopts a subject-centered approach to investigate how undocumented migrants perceive and experience belonging. The analysis prioritizes their perspectives, identifying two key factors—social networks and cultural familiarity—that influence their sense of belonging. Social networks within the Indonesian community play a central role, providing critical support in areas such as housing, employment, and emotional well-being. These trusted connections, often formed through community groups and organizations, help migrants navigate life under restrictive conditions while avoiding detection. Cultural practices, such as enjoying Indonesian cuisine, participating in religious observances, and engaging in community events, further sustain their identity and create spaces of solidarity. Despite prolonged stays, particularly among 11 participants who have resided in Amsterdam for seven years or more, these migrants do not develop a strong sense of belonging to the Netherlands. Instead, their sense of belonging remains deeply tied to Indonesia, reflecting the interplay between legal precarity, social connections, and cultural identity. This study highlights how undocumented status influences these dynamics, offering a fresh perspective on the resilience of marginalized communities in crafting belonging under conditions of exclusion.

The right to education is guaranteed by various core international human rights treaties. Effective access to this right for all should be ensured within the EU, but is this, in fact, the case? This article examines access to education for children of undocumented migrant workers, identifies the legal framework in this area, determines who is responsible for ensuring effective access to education as guaranteed by international treaties, and outlines the main barriers to accessing this right for a selected group of people, particularly children, in the context of education. Based on positive examples from the practices of selected Member States, the article concludes by proposing a solution that, from the author’s perspective, would address the issues analysed at the EU level and improve the current situation.

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has exposed various health risks and inequities experienced by international migrant workers. The number of migrant workers in the Republic of Korea (ROK) is rapidly growing and is expected to continue growing. Health related research on migrant workers in ROK is limited, especially among undocumented migrant workers who were more vulnerable to the pandemic. This study aims to examine the experiences of migrant workers and their knowledge and awareness of treatment and immigration policies during the pandemic.MethodsWe used data from the International Migrant Workers’ COVID-19 Health Literacy and Access to Medical Care project, a cross-sectional survey conducted with international migrant workers residing in ROK in 2021 (n = 537). Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression models were employed to understand different demographic, occupational, and immigration factors affecting migrant workers’ knowledge and awareness of treatment and immigration policies.ResultsUndocumented migrant workers had a longer length of residence in ROK and earned less compared to workers with work visa status. None of the undocumented migrant workers had access to health insurance since they were ineligible to enroll in the national health insurance scheme. In the early days of the pandemic, most undocumented migrant workers experienced a decrease in their average income. After adjusting for demographic differences and language proficiency, undocumented migrant workers (AOR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.78) were less likely to be aware of the policy allowing foreigners, including undocumented individuals, to access COVID-19 testing and treatment without the risk of deportation. Workers with a longer length of residence (AOR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.53) were more likely to be aware of this policy.ConclusionUndocumented migrant workers were often less informed about COVID-19 policies. While most of the survey respondents were knowledgeable about governmental policies regarding COVID-19 treatment and immigration, our results reveal multiple occupational and health insurance vulnerabilities of undocumented migrant workers living in ROK. More attention is needed to understand healthcare service barriers and how to provide adequate resources for this vulnerable population.

Abstract With the rapid influx of labor migration and accelerating rates of globalization, studies of hegemonic masculinity have become increasingly divided in representing the amount of agency marginalized men have access to in constructing alternative, more hybrid masculine ideals as they travel overseas. This paper offers a new methodological approach for studying hegemonic masculinity. Specifically, we analyze how multiple forces at the structural, interpersonal, and individual levels work together as a system of oppression. As our case study, we focus on African bachelors who have migrated to South Korea to fill the demand for 3‐d (dirty, difficult, and dangerous) labor. By analyzing 30 interviews and two years of ethnographic observation of African migrants in Korea, our study demonstrates how migrant men become trapped by their desires to perform their masculine worth as reliable wage laborers, even at the cost of their physical and emotional well‐being. While past studies on undocumented migrant workers in Korea have highlighted their heightened exposure to institutional violence, we shed light on how structural forces also bleed into the private spaces of everyday life, shaping the intimate relationships and personal desires of marginalized men themselves.

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.

Indonesian Migrant Workers refer to any citizen who is currently or has engaged in employment beyond the borders of Indonesia, receiving wages or compensation. The prevalent issue at hand is the rising number of Indonesian Migrant Workers operating illegally, driven by individuals offering unofficial services with enticing proposals to the public. This study employs a normative legal research approach, utilizing secondary data that encompasses primary legal materials such as Law Number 18 of 2017 concerning the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, secondary legal materials including articles, news, and other literature, as well as tertiary legal materials. Indonesia actively takes part in addressing the concerns of Indonesian Migrant Workers by enacting Law Number 18 of 2017 to ensure the fulfillment of their rights and legal protection, including criminal provisions against wrongdoers. Efforts to address this issue involve public awareness campaigns and legal measures against those engaging in criminal activities.

ABSTRACT This article discusses the foregrounding of migrant activism through a photovoice project that emerged organically from groups of undocumented South Asian migrant men in Greece. It argues that this collective creative action against the criminalization of migrant ‘illegality’ constitutes an active act of citizenship that contests, from below, exclusionary citizenship rights and formal modes of inclusion into the body politic of a nation state. Isin’s concept of ‘activist citizen’ (2008) allows us to interpret migrant participation as a creative political mobilization that challenged their formal citizenship exclusion. The act of becoming intentionally visible through photo-taking and the multimedia installation allowed them to undertake constructive resistance against their forced invisibility and migrant abjectness. By representing themselves as empowered activist-citizens, and by using their photos, videos, and texts as evidentiary material, the undocumented migrant workers sought to destabilize dominant imaginaries and discourses that present them as fearful, deviant masculine others.

Undocumented migrant workers are among a group of marginalized stakeholders who are severely exploited at their workplace and across broader society. Despite recent scholarly discussions in marginalized stakeholder theory and migration studies, our understanding of how undocumented workers experience marginalization in noncooperative spaces remains very limited. In noncooperative spaces, uncooperative powerful actors deliberately thwart cooperation with local marginalized stakeholders and fail to develop supportive institutional frameworks, such as regulative and transparent governance principles. To address these issues, we conducted interviews with 47 undocumented workers and civil society workers in Italy. Our findings reveal that the marginalization experienced by undocumented workers encompasses socio-economic immobility, systemic incapability, and a sense of meaninglessness. Further, our research challenges the principles of stakeholder capitalism inherent in traditional stakeholder theory, revealing the inadequacy of conventional notions in noncooperative spaces where marginalized stakeholders deal with disempowerment and immobility. We delve into the silent and tacit collusion among uncooperative firms in these spaces, shedding light on the ways in which this problematic cooperation leads to the creation of normative harm. Moreover, we introduce the experience of meaninglessness as an internal barrier hindering migrant inclusion, underscoring the imperative need for widespread immigration reforms and normative changes to foster an environment conducive to meaningful transformations for migrants.

BackgroundIn Bangladesh, remittances constitute a substantial portion of the country’s foreign exchange earnings and serve as a primary source of income. However, a considerable number of Bangladeshi citizens reside overseas without proper documentation, exposing them to significant challenges such as limited access to healthcare and socioeconomic opportunities. Moreover, their irregular migration status often results in engaging in risky health behaviors that further exacerbate their vulnerability. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the risky health behavior and HIV/STI susceptibility of Bangladeshi irregular international migrants residing across the globe with undocumented status.MethodsUsing a qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA), 25 illegal migrants were interviewed who are currently living illegally or returned to their home country. The author used a thematic approach to code and analyze the data, combining an integrated data-driven inductive approach with a deductive approach. Concurrent processing and coding were facilitated by employing the Granheim model in data analysis.ResultsThe study identified four risky health behaviors among irregular Bangladeshi migrants: hazardous living conditions, risky jobs, suicidal ideation, and tobacco consumption. Additionally, the authors found some HIV/STI risk behavior among them including engaging in unprotected sex, consuming alcohol and drugs during sexual activity, and having limited access to medical facilities.ConclusionsThe findings of this study can be used by health professional, governments, policymakers, NGOs, and concerned agencies to develop welfare strategies and initiatives for vulnerable undocumented migrant workers.

BackgroundMigration to Scotland has increased since 2002 with an increase in European residents and participation in the Asylum dispersal scheme. Scotland has become more ethnically diverse, and 10% of the current population were born abroad. Migration and ethnicity are determinants of health, and information on the health status of migrants to Scotland and their access to and barriers to care facilitates the planning and delivery of equitable health services. This study aimed to scope existing peer-reviewed research and grey literature to identify gaps in evidence regarding the health of migrants in Scotland.MethodsA scoping review on the health of migrants in Scotland was carried out for dates January 2002 to March 2023, inclusive of peer-reviewed journals and grey literature. CINAHL/ Web of Science/SocIndex and Medline databases were systematically searched along with government and third-sector websites. The searches identified 2166 journal articles and 170 grey literature documents for screening. Included articles were categorised according to the World Health Organisation’s 2016 Strategy and Action Plan for Refugee and Migrant Health in the European region. This approach builds on a previously published literature review on Migrant Health in the Republic of Ireland.ResultsSeventy-one peer reviewed journal articles and 29 grey literature documents were included in the review. 66% were carried out from 2013 onwards and the majority focused on asylum seekers or unspecified migrant groups. Most research identified was on the World Health Organisation’s strategic areas of right to health of refugees, social determinants of health and public health planning and strengthening health systems. There were fewer studies on the strategic areas of frameworks for collaborative action, preventing communicable disease, preventing non-communicable disease, health screening and assessment and improving health information and communication.ConclusionWhile research on migrant health in Scotland has increased in recent years significant gaps remain. Future priorities should include studies of undocumented migrants, migrant workers, and additional research is required on the issue of improving health information and communication.

This article aims to highlight the strategies used by the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to address the educational challenges faced by the children of undocumented Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia. The research focus on the concept of national interest also aims to provide further understanding of how diplomacy and foreign policy can be used to protect children's rights and improve their access to education. The research methodology used is a descriptive qualitative method, focusing on the concept of national interest to answer the research questions posed in this journal article. The research findings reveal that the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has implemented several strategies to address the educational challenges for children of undocumented Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia. The findings may encourage cooperation between countries to exchange information and best practices in addressing similar education issues at the international level. In addition, the focus on the concept of national interest shows the potential to integrate education aspects in foreign policy plans to ensure the protection of national interests. This includes the establishment of guidance and assistance centers in the registration process to obtain the National Student Identification Number (NISN). The ethical implications of this research include attention to children's right to education, especially children in vulnerable situations. The results can also serve as a basis for further research, by evaluating the effectiveness of the strategies that have been implemented and identifying other areas that require further attention.

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.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on migrant workers all over the world, including in Malaysia. This study focuses on the undocumented Thai migrant workers in Malaysia. Due to their illegal status, as returnee migrants in Thailand, they could not seek assistance from the government. This study aims to explore the struggle of illegal Thai migrant workers after returning to their country of origin and responses from government and other organizations. The methodology used for this research is a multi-site case study, with the case study sites being southern border provinces: Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Songkla, and capital city Bangkok. Data were collected through intensive fieldwork and various secondary documents. This study revealed that Thailand has not developed any concrete policy to assist the returnee workers in the pandemic period. There is a lack of coordination among government agencies, and local support including from civil society organizations initiatives has been inadequate.

Empowering Undocumented Indonesian Migrant Workers in Sarawak through Social Capital Enhancement

Human rights are fundamentally crucial to every individual, especially the right to education, which has been stipulated in the Indonesian constitution, not only Indonesia but international agreements have also stipulated that human rights apply to every individual by the implementation of this research. This aims to obtain information related to what causes the children of migrant laborers from Indonesia to have undocumented status and what problems are faced in obtaining Children of undocumented Indonesian migrant workers access to schooling, then what efforts and solutions can be made in obtaining education in Malaysia. Children of Indonesian migrant laborers who are undocumented. The researchers use qualitative methods and a systematic approach. Using methods for gathering data, such as interviews, observations, and documentation. Several reasons result in Malaysian migrant workers from Indonesia whose children lack proper documentation, including because they entered Malaysia illegally. Without having a valid work document, the validity period expires (overstaying), and getting married in Malaysia to another foreign citizen. There were problems with the rights of Malaysian migrant workers from Indonesia to send their kids to school, so the Hulu Langat guidance studio was established to overcome the problems, helping the kids of illegal Indonesian migrant laborers to help them get an education in Malaysia. With these causes resulting in their children having document status and with the establishment of the Hulu Langat guidance studio as a means of resolving the issues that Indonesian migrant workers' kids face, this has made a positive contribution to fulfilling the educational rights of the workers' children. Migrants from Indonesia in Malaysia, particularly young children, without proper documentation.

ABSTRACT Bangladeshi, Indian, and Pakistani low-class male migrants in Greece are marked by migrant precarity due to their undocumented status and by a flattened South Asian racialised masculine identity. Collectively othered, they struggle with symbolic borders created by colonial and postcolonial encounters, national identities, religion, and masculine expectations. This article explores how ideologies of prejudice and divisiveness in Greece work in tandem with articulations of othering and national (un)belonging from the men’s home countries to define both their interpersonal relationships and labour outcomes in Greece. It proposes the concept of ‘masculine borders’ to describe processes through which culturally specific masculinities of South Asian men are (re)produced or reconfigured relationally and hierarchically to each other by the capitalist project with the aim of alienating and discipling workers. With such everyday bordering discourses, a novel articulation of Marxian alienation of workers from each other emerges. In this case, masculine norms mesh with Islamophobia and racism to thicken masculine borders between Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Indian men, assisting in the efficient accumulation of surplus by the capitalist class.

This article focuses on “semi-documented” Brazilian migrant delivery riders in London. It uses (in)visibility as a conceptual lens to perform two roles. First, it explores the experiences of this group through the analytical lens of invisibility. In doing so, it demonstrates that in multiple ways, this group does not conform with statistical norms or with the way “invisible” and/or undocumented migrant workers are portrayed in the literature. Second, the article employs the concept of invisibility to critique UK immigration and employment policy in helping to render the presence and of these migrants “invisible.” Accordingly, it argues that the immigration system is “perverse” in its structure and consequences. In response to the perversity of the system, these migrants employ “perverse” forms of social capital to adapt.