2.3 Migration, Labour and Human Rights
Key concepts: Human Rights, Justice, Equality, Power, Sovereignty, Interdependence, Legitimacy, Globalisation
Theoretical Perspectives: Universalism, Liberalism, Marxism, Post-Colonialism, Dependency Theory, Neo-Liberalism
New terms: kafala system, social contract, trade union, International Labour Organisation, International Trade Union Confederation, statelessness, asylum seeker, refugee, migrant, Dublin agreement
In this unit, we are going to explore the tensions that arise from trying to claim universal human rights in a world of states. We will explore these tensions through two case studies:
What happens to the human rights of people who are unable to enjoy the protection of a human rights-championing state? Migrantion and labour are two key themes in Global Politics that highlight the problems that arise when we allocate the main responsibility for human rights enforcement to national governments, but national governments feel responsible primarily to their own citizens and not other populations within and beyond their borders.
Key questions we will try to tackle:
- How can government legitimacy based on the welfare of their citizens be reconciled with an obligation to uphold universal human rights?
- What are the effects of an absence of state protection on migrant populations and their human rights?
- How does our globalised economy impact labour and migrant rights?
- What is the kafala system, how does it work, and what are its effects?
- What are the roles of IGOs and pressure groups such as the ILO, trade unions and Human Rights Watch in promoting labour rights?
- What is the role of international litigation in advancing human rights struggles?
- What is the international framework regarding asylum?
- What are some of the issues faced in the EU following the large amount of asylum applications over the past 5 years?
- How do organised crime and more legitimate forms of business benefit from the exploitation of migrant labour?
- What are the possible effects of mass migration on national and international security and development?
- Are civil or socio-economic rights more of a priority?
Required viewing