Pursuing an ethical labour migration process in transnational recruitment [GS4S]

In the discourse on international labour migration, there is consensus in academic, policy and advocacy circles that ethical recruitment practices are fundamental to enhancing the fairness and efficiency of global skill flows. The benefits of such practices can include positive economic outcomes for receiving countries and improving the well-being of migrant workers. At the same time, the reality of labour migration schemes has been critiqued as falling prey to mostly economic interests of transnational companies, with negative consequences for migrant workers from all skill levels. This chapter posits that transparent, non-discriminatory and legally compliant recruitment can significantly reduce exploitation and bias in the migration process. To test this thesis, this chapter inquires as to the narratives or assumptions underlying the ethical thinking behind governance of transnational labour recruitment, and ask why they are falling short. The analysis results in several conclusions behind insufficient compliance with or failure to meet minimum ethical standards in transnational labour recruitment: (1) legal remedies, (2) Global North hegemonies, (3) neoliberal agendas, (4) migration management foci and (5) lack data or transparent processes.