Migrant Rights, Immigration Policy and Human Development

TLDR: In this paper, the authors explore the impacts of the rights of migrant workers (migrant rights) on the human development of actual and potential migrants, their families, and other people in migrants' countries of origin.

Abstract: This paper explores the impacts of the rights of migrant workers (‘migrant rights’) on the human development of actual and potential migrants, their families, and other people in migrants’ countries of origin. A key feature of the paper is its consideration of how migrant rights affect both the capability to move and work in higher income countries (i.e. the access of workers in low‐income countries to labor markets of higher‐income countries) and capabilities while living and working abroad. The paper suggests that there may be a trade‐off between the number and some of the socio‐economic rights of low‐skilled migrant workers admitted to high‐income countries, and explores the implications for human development.

Figures

Table 1: Ratifications of principal international human rights treaties (as of 2008)

Table 3: Number and share of migrants in population: GCC countries, Europe, Northern America and World, 1990 and 2005

Figure 1: Sources of remittances by recipient regions, 2008

Table 2: Ratifications of ILO fundamental conventions and migrant worker conventions (as of Dec 2008)

Full text

Munich Personal RePEc Archive
Migrant rights, immigration policy and
human development
Ruhs, Martin
ESRC Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) at the
University of Oxford
1 June 2009
Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/19206/
MPRA Paper No. 19206, posted 12 Dec 2009 14:57 UTC

Human Development
Research Paper
2009/23
Migrant Rights,
Immigration Policy and
Human Development
Martin Ruhs

United Nations Development Programme
Human Development Reports
Research Paper
April 2009
Human Development
Research Paper
2009/23
Migrant Rights,
Immigration Policy and
Human Development
Martin Ruhs

United Nations Development Programme
Human Development Reports
Research Paper 2009/23
June 2009
Migrant rights, immigration policy
and human development
Martin Ruhs*
*For their helpful comments, I am grateful to Jeni Klugman, Francisco Rodriguez and the HDR writing
team, Clare Fox, David Keen, Michael Keith and Phil Martin. All errors and views expressed in this paper
are my own responsibility. I am working on a book manuscript that further develops the analysis and
arguments in this paper.
Martin Ruhs is Senior Researcher for the ESRC Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) at the
University of Oxford. E-mail:
martin.ruhs@compas.ox.ac.uk.
Comments should be addressed by email to the author(s).

Abstract
This paper explores the potential impacts of the rights of migrant workers (“migrant rights”) on
the human development of actual and potential migrants, their families, and other people in
migrants’ countries of origin. A key feature of the paper is its consideration of how migrant
rights affect both the capability to move and work in higher income countries (i.e. the access of
workers in low-income countries to labour markets of higher-income countries) and capabilities
while living and working abroad. The paper suggests that there may be a trade-off between the
number and some of the rights of low-skilled migrants admitted to high-income countries and
explores the implications for human development.
Keywords: Migrant rights, immigration policy, human development, global labor markets.
The Human Development Research Paper (HDRP) Series is a medium for sharing recent
research commissioned to inform the global Human Development Report, which is published
annually, and further research in the field of human development. The HDRP Series is a quick-
disseminating, informal publication whose titles could subsequently be revised for publication as
articles in professional journals or chapters in books. The authors include leading academics and
practitioners from around the world, as well as UNDP researchers. The findings, interpretations
and conclusions are strictly those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of
UNDP or United Nations Member States. Moreover, the data may not be consistent with that
presented in Human Development Reports.

Frequently asked questions

Q1. What have the authors contributed in "Migrant rights, immigration policy and human development" ?

This paper explores the potential impacts of the rights of migrant workers ( “ migrant rights ” ) on the human development of actual and potential migrants, their families, and other people in migrants ’ countries of origin. A key feature of the paper is its consideration of how migrant rights affect both the capability to move and work in higher income countries ( i. e. the access of workers in low-income countries to labour markets of higher-income countries ) and capabilities while living and working abroad. The paper suggests that there may be a trade-off between the number and some of the rights of low-skilled migrants admitted to high-income countries and explores the implications for human development.