During the current German EU presidency, the German Ministry of Labor recently requested the ILO to facilitate a workshop on how to improve working conditions for migrant workers in the EU. The seminar recommends expanding support services for migrant workers, especially information on work rights and working conditions in the worker’s native language.
Labor migration in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as across Europe, has increased significantly over the past decade. According to Christiane Kupch, ILO Migration Specialist, there are currently 33 million migrant workers in the EU. They account for 17% of the total EU labor force. Approximately 1.6 million people are temporary migrants who move freely within the EU and work outside their country of permanent residence. This figure has increased by 20% in five years. Globally, migrants have a higher labor force participation rate than non-migrants, indicating that labor migrants go where there are jobs to fill labor shortages. The difference is particularly high in Northern, Western and Southern Europe (72% for migrants vs. 55% for non-migrants).
In the European Union, there is mobility and free movement of workers. Given the shortage of labor in certain sectors, the EU allows “circular migration schemes” from outside the Union, which equally benefits destination and sending countries, as well as migrants. Destination countries benefit from workers without paying for their education and without any costs for their integration into society; countries of origin receive remittances and investments from returnees; and migrants receive higher wages than in their home countries. However, this “triple win narrative” has been called into question, especially since the outbreak of COVID-19. Many migrants have had to return home to receive adequate medical care, and those who were still able to cross the border are at increased risk, including inadequate safety and health at work. There have been numerous cases of exploitation of migrant workers and non-compliance with their rights at work. The key reason is that labor migrants often lack information about migration modalities and their rights.
The problems faced by migrants largely stem from a lack of information before and after they leave their home countries, as well as language problems. Employment practices and procedures are not always fair, and workers are not informed about their rights or the legal/administrative services available to them.
