International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Improving Access to Labour market Information for migrants and employers
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with migrants in general (see Atfield et al., 2011) or with particular sub-groups in
particular (as discussed above). Relatively high levels of self-employment amongst
migrants in the United Kingdom are sometimes seen as a function of some migrants
being ‘forced’ into self-employment due to discrimination or exclusion from other
forms of employment; 129 this in turn may perpetuate segregation on grounds of
ethnicity/nationality (Mulley, 2010).
Details of legal requirements for working in the United Kingdom are available on
governmental websites and those of associated agencies. The Internet serves as an
important information channel for prospective migrants to find out about what
migration involves and what opportunities are available (as discussed below). The
UKBA and Home Office work on communication programmes with the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office to disseminate messages about the legal framework
for migration and employment in the United Kingdom, the risks of irregular
migration to the United Kingdom and of illegal working, 130 and about life in
the United Kingdom. This work encompasses protection of refugees, seeking to
tackle human smuggling and trafficking, as well as promoting legal migration to
provide skills needed in the United Kingdom. It is delivered by UKBA Regional
Directors across the world, and supported by Foreign and Commonwealth Office
and Embassy staff (UK Border Agency and Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
2010).
For those prospective migrants coming to the United Kingdom via the ICT route
the employer is a key source of information on life and work in the United Kingdom.
The role of internet tools in facilitating access to information on job
opportunities and migration procedures
There is more information available on the potential of the Internet for job matching
rather than on how (potential) migrants actually use the Internet for job matching
and/or for social networking for employment-related purposes. The content of this
sub-section reflects this emphasis. It is possible to conceptualize a continuum, with
at one end international elites of highly qualified migrants who are representative of
a culture entailing international geographical mobility and digital mobility (Borkert
et al., 2009). These individuals may be considered ‘connected migrants’ (Diminescu,
2008), given their connections with their origin, destination and other societies,
and their strategic knowledge to make use of Internet tools for employment-related
purposes. At the other end of the continuum migrants may either lack digital literacy
or the strategic skills to use digital media to move into employment commensurate
with their skills.
129 Self-employment may also be seen as indicative of the entrepreneurialism and innovative capacity of
migrants.
130 In Kenya, for example, UKBA staff members have worked with the producers of a popular soap opera
to promote messages about irregular migration (UK Border Agency and Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, 2010).