Development, Mobility, and Human Rights: Rhetoric and Reality
Refugee Survey Quarterly (2010), Volume 28 (4): pages 165-200.
-Author Affiliations
- * Formerly Senior Migration Specialist, International Migration Programme, International Labour Office, Geneva.
Abstract
Recent years have seen mobility and migration and their links to development high on the global policy agenda and discourse. Yet, the missing dimension is the linkage of these with the rights of migrant workers. Development now focuses on freedom, choices and capabilities of people. It is crucially dependent on realization of human rights of all persons including migrants. Human rights cover both universal human rights, core labour rights and other workplace rights of migrants. Mobility rights are part of overall human rights which apply to all human beings irrespective of their migratory status. Denial of rights means that the individual migrant has lack of access to realization of capabilities and entitlements. Recent State approaches do not promote the development–mobility–rights nexus with their preoccupation with sovereignty, State security, and irregular migration, and reliance on control-oriented migration policies. This article analyses the various interactions of migration and development, and the impact on rights. It reviews some recent approaches to international mobility regimes and their role in strengthening the development–mobility–rights nexus. The article highlights the gap between policy and practice and the role of a rights-based policy in promoting the development–mobility–rights nexus.
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