Post 2015: Global Action for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future

CHApTER nInE
The financial
crisis has
resulted in
stricter controls
being applied in
most migrantreceiving
countries.
182
‘In the absence of formal regulation, receiving states
are the implicit “makers” of migration governance,
and sending states are the “takers” of migration
governance’. although there are limits to what they
can do, asian countries have been the most active in
using their policy leeway to support and/or protect
their low-skilled migrants. most governments
in the sending countries still do not view labour
migration as part of a development strategy.
9.3.2 Receiving countries
an international study on the political economy of
immigration (Facchini and mayda, 2009) concluded
that restrictive policies are broadly consistent with
voters’ positions on migration, whereas more liberal
policies can be explained by the influence of special
interest groups.
there is limited literature and statistics are
generally poor on migrant-receiving developing
countries. Klugman and pereira (2009) found that,
as in other receiving countries, there is a preference
for (temporary) high-skilled rather than lowskilled
workers but overall a greater openness to
the lower skilled than in developed countries. as
in developed countries, more rights are conferred
on higher skilled than on less skilled migrants, and
compliance with migrants’ rights remains a serious
challenge (Klugman and pereira, 2009; ruhs, 2012a;
cIrES, 2012).
In the african context, labour migrants are
frequently seen to compete for jobs and public
services (schools, clinics) and are blamed for
crime, and most electorates thus support stronger
immigration control. In 2005, only 11 african
countries had policies to support the integration of
migrant workers, and stricter african immigration
policies respond as much to public demands as
much as to external pressure (bakewell, 2009).
member States of the Eu have taken a ‘carrots and
sticks’ approach to countries in north and West
africa to manage migration more strictly, which
affects both inward and outward migrants.
EuropEan rEport on DEvElopmEnt 2013
recent responses of developed countries to lowskilled
migrant workers fall broadly into two
categories. With some exceptions, the governments
of oEcD countries have sought to restrict lowskilled
migration, whereas the Gulf States and
Singapore have adopted a strict system of low-skilled
migrant rotation rather than outright rejection.
migrants enjoy very few rights in the latter countries
– they cannot obtain permanent residence and
there are strict conditions for family reunion – but
after Europe and the uSa, the Gulf cooperation
council (Gcc) states receive the highest volume
of migrant labour (Iom, 2008). most receiving
countries prefer bilateral agreements because these
allow them to choose which issues are covered and
may, for instance, include cooperation on migration
prevention and control.
the financial crisis has resulted in stricter controls
being applied in most migrant-receiving countries.
Despite the lack of comprehensive evidence on
the impact of the crisis on labour markets, only a
few months after the onset of the crisis new entry
restrictions for migrants or changes to their terms of
employment were adopted (Khoser, 2010). In some
cases this was to the detriment of local employers,
such as in thailand where crackdowns have led to
a shortfall in agricultural workers (oEcD, 2011:26).
The European Union
the Eu’s regional mobility scheme is part of
the basic principles of its economic integration,
although there are some restrictions in place.
member States may limit access to their labour
market by nationals of new accession countries.
currently 15 member States are applying these
restrictions to romanian and bulgarian nationals,
and this period may be extended to 2014 (com,
2011). Such restrictions may also apply to nationals
of croatia once it joins the Eu.
For workers from third countries, Eu member
States use policies such as quotas and labourshortage
lists to regulate labour mobility. temporary