ABSTRACT

Migrant labor is a significant presence in contemporary economies with over 64% of 872 million migrants worldwide moving to work (ILO 2018). Credited for being a source of “fresh skills” responding to labor shortages in host economies, migrant workers are valued as “development agents” by home nations where they augment private household income by sending remittances. Yet research documents the extensive abuse of this labor force, capturing everyday experiences of wage suppression, poor working conditions and exploitative recruitment practices (Davies 2018). Not surprisingly, the protection of migrant workers’ rights features prominently in international agendas including the ILO’s (2015) Decent Work commitment and Global Compact on Migration.