THE GUEST LABOUR DILEMMA

Juliane Nagiller in conversation with Rainer Bauböck and Martin Ruhs

THE GUEST LABOUR DILEMMA
Another example of ethical dilemmas in migration policy

Migration policy polarises. Political parties take opposing positions. Governments and civil society activists hardly speak the same language when it comes to goals and values in migration policy. Contrary to this social trend, the project „Ethical Dilemmas of Migration Policy“ claims that there are also genuine conflicts of values and objectives in this field that political actors must face up to. Coordinated by Martin Ruhs, Julia Mourao Permoser, Lukas Schmid and Rainer Bauböck, the „Dilemmas project“ recently published in a Special volume of the journal Migration Studies five dilemmas are presented and their general dynamics are summarised in a Introductory essay analysed. This innovative approach to migration policy debates will be presented at the Bruno Kreisky Forum on two evenings. The first discussion on 30 January will focus on the general question of how migration policy dilemmas can be dealt with and on the dilemmas of NGOs in sea rescue.
On 13 February, the focus will be on the so-called guest worker dilemma. Programmes for legal temporary labour migration mean limited social and residence rights for migrants, but on the other hand they give them the opportunity to improve their situation and contribute more to the development of the countries of origin through remittances and training effects than official development programmes. Ruhs and Bauböck analyse this contradiction as a dilemma between the demands of social justice in the host country and at a global level. They claim that the dilemma cannot be completely resolved, but that agreements on temporary labour migration are justified in principle if they actually benefit all parties involved (the receiving countries, the countries of origin and the migrants). To ensure this, the fundamental rights of migrants must be protected and their interests and those of the countries of origin must be fairly represented in the negotiation and implementation of temporary labour migration agreements.

Rainer Bauböck, sociologist, political scientist and migration researcher, professor at the European University Institute in Florence and chairman of the Commission for Migration and Integration Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Martin Ruhs, Professor of Migration Studies and Deputy Director of the Migration Policy Centre (MPC) at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence
Moderation Juliane Nagiller, Editor, ORF/Radio Ö1, Editorial Department „Science, Education, Society“

In co-operation with the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence