Countries that depend on migrant labour often face a tough choice. They want to bring in temporary workers but do not want to deal with the long-term impacts of immigration. To address this, many policymakers turn to temporary migration programs (TMPs), hoping to allow legal migration for work under strict conditions, with migrants leaving before needing healthcare or adding to migration numbers. While this might seem like a good solution, it’s more complicated in practice.
TMPs are often promoted as a “triple win” that benefits the destination country, the workers’ home country, and the workers themselves. However, these benefits rarely reach the workers. This series looks into the effects of TMPs on workers’ rights, questioning if they truly help migrant workers or just give states more control over labour.
Many TMPs make workers dependent on specific employers, increasing the risk of exploitation. This system may give governments the control they want, but it often limits the freedom and rights of the workers.
The series will highlight the risks faced by TMP workers through different viewpoints, including the workers themselves and advocates who support them. It will also analyze how TMPs affect labour rights and lead to exploitation while focusing on the global rise in these programs for low-wage labour.
Examples of TMPs will be explored, including Spain’s GECCO program, which has operated for 25 years but has faced criticism for neglecting workers’ rights. Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) also shows the dangers of workers being tied to employers. Similarly, the UK’s new seasonal worker visa has been criticized for leading to severe exploitation due to poor pay and short stays. In Israel, the visa system has resulted in worker dependency, despite legal challenges. The series will also look at Germany’s efforts to support seasonal workers and the Gulf States’ controversial kafala system.
As TMPs continue to grow worldwide, workers face common struggles. Some governments are rethinking these programs and looking for better ways to meet labour needs without putting workers at risk. More action is needed to create immigration systems that respect workers’ rights and acknowledge their vital role in different industries.