Migrant workers are often subject to poor working conditions, with their temporary and uncertain status exploited by unscrupulous employers. A recent study from the University of Auckland explores the emotions involved in such a situation.
The researchers discerned a correlation between the emotional states of migrant workers, operating within insecure and unfree work environments, and workplace exploitation. Their study identifies three primary facets through which emotions influence exploitation dynamics: first, emotions play a role in drawing workers into exploitative situations; second, emotions can trap workers within these contexts; and third, emotions contribute to sustaining the perpetuation of exploitation.
Uncovering exploitation
The researchers arrived at these conclusions following extensive interviews conducted with migrants hailing from diverse countries, all of whom had experienced workplace exploitation. This exploitation occurred in a context marked by the proliferation of temporary migration, which has, in turn, given rise to mounting evidence of labor market abuses.
“The exploitation of migrants is not simply a matter of non-compliant employment practices for a higher level of profit or to undercut competitors, although those things are all part of the picture; there are a whole range of influences on exploitation,” the researchers explain.
Employers often have an undue amount of control over migrant workers because visas are so often tied to their employment. This means that workers often feel powerless to leave even the most exploitative work environment.
“We found that employers at some workplaces manipulated these workers’ feelings of not being free by carrying out non-compliant practices and in some cases, outright criminality,” the researchers explain.
Exerting control
The study reveals that many employers maintain control by highlighting their own citizenship status and could therefore utilize the power of the state against the migrant worker.
“They also suggested to these workers that they had ways of watching them, both at work and outside of it, making them feel ‘surveyed,'” the researchers continue.
This even extends to threats to utilize surveillance to monitor the worker, both in the workplace and even at home.
In this self-selected study, the authors engaged in interviews with a varied cohort of migrant workers, the majority of whom held post-study working visas. These individuals had committed to studying in the country with the intention of securing long-term employment and residency opportunities.
Too often, migration is viewed purely in economic terms, but the research highlights the importance of looking more broadly. This should include removing the link between visas and particular places of work. If migrants are recognized as humans this will also help as it introduces the emotional perspective into the conversation.
