Regional Conference on Migration
Workshop on Temporary Migrant Workers (TMW)
San Salvador, El Salvador
23-24 of April, 2009
“Temporary Migrant Worker's Programs:
A global perspective”
Ricardo Cordero – Senior Labor Migration Expert
Labor and Facilitated Migration Division
IOM - Geneva
TLM in the global context
IOM • OIM
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Global distribution of migrant workers:
(86 to 90 million MW in the world - ILO/UNDESA 2006)
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Europe: 33%
- Americas 30% - Asia: 26%
- Africa: 8 %
- Australasia: 3%
The majority of TMW move within developing countries (South-South)
more than towards developed countries (South-North).
More than 20 million Latin-Americans work outside their countries of
origin (ECLAC-2006)
Non skilled TMW represent more than 80% of the total temporary
migratory work flow.
Main occupations of TMW: agriculture, construction, tourism/hotel
industry, health services, domestic labor and fishing
Repercussions of the world economic
crisis on labor migration
IOM • OIM
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The ILO estimates that the world's unemployment will rise to 210
million in 2010 (10.5 % > than in 2007)
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Migrant workers – TMW in particular- tend to be the most vulnerable
in times of crisis (job loss, discrimination and xenophobia)
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Most affected sectors: construction, financial services, commerce,
manufacturing y tourism
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World Bank reports a substantial drop in the flow of remittances
(Morocco, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Mexico, and Bangladesh).
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Despite the economic crisis there are a few market “niches” that are
still open: Canada 2008 (519,722 new immigrants / 143,000 TMW).
Japan, Denmark, and some European Union countries)
Basic Concepts
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IOM • OIM
Temporary labor migration: movement of foreign workers for
a limited time period with the compromise of returning to their
country of origin once the agreed upon period has concluded
Temporary migrant worker: Foreign paid worker with working
permit for a defined period of time, regardless of the amount of
time he/she may actually have stayed in the host country
Temporary migrant worker's program: Mechanisms and
regulations agreed between countries of origin and countries of
destination with the purpose of facilitating order labor migration
flows in which working conditions and return procedures to the
country of origin are defined in advance
GENDER
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TLM Strategy
(labor market
study)
1
Formulation of
migration
policies
8
Return and
reintegration
3
International
Cooperation
TEMPORARY
LABOR
MIGRATION
CYCLE
7
Migration and
Development
(remittances)
6
Recruitment
(support services
B -D)
IOM • OIM
4
Data base and
registration of
potential TMW
5
Dissemination of
information
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TLM and development:
role of the countries of origin
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IOM • OIM
Incorporate migratory policies within the National Development
Plans
Analyze possible immediate and future effects of labor migration
(temporary and permanent) in the national labor market (human
resource management)
Analyze and restructure the financing methods of university and
technical education
Adapt public infrastructure (housing, education, health, etc) to
demographic changes that may be generated by temporary migratory
flows
Improve inter-institutional coordination and the management
capability of labor migration (temporary and permanent) in particular
that related to bilateral and regional initiatives and “South-South”
(MERCOSUR, CA-4)
TLM and development:
role of the countries of destination
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IOM • OIM
Facilitate the coherence and complimentarity between migration
policies and other State policies related to the subject, for example
international cooperation (with countries of origin), commerce,
environment, agriculture, health, national security
Analyze the impact of recruitment and admission policies of migrant
workers in their national development and in countries of origin
Manage the recruitment of highly skilled foreigners responsibly by
avoiding “brain drain” from developing countries
Facilitate and if possible increase the recruitment of semi-skilled
and non-skilled temporary migratory workers
Promote mechanisms for associating remittances to local development
initiatives in countries of origin
Challenges for the optimization of
benefits for TLM
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At the level of labor mobility policies:
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Watch over the protection and wellbeing of TMWs
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Keep the “temporality” of the system by
assuring/facilitating the return of TMW
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Turn the “brain drain” into “brain circulation” (knowledge
transfer)
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Improve bilateral and multilateral cooperation between
countries of origin and countries of destination
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Maximize the impact of remittances over local and
national development
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Strengthen TLM as a mechanism to reduce irregular
migration
Recommendations at a program and
project level for TLM
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
IOM • OIM
Strengthening institutional capability for the
management of labor migration (at program
and policy level)
Improvement of the information systems on
labor migration (data base)
Labor market studies in countries of origin and
destination
Support services (before, during, and after)
Develop programs for the return and
reintegration of TMWs
THANK YOU
IOM • OIM