A STUDY ON MIGRATION IS PRESENTED IN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY

The Institute of Studies and Information on Migration (INEDIM) presented the study "Quo Vadis? Recruitment and Hiring of Migrant Workers and their Access to Social Security: The Dynamics of Temporary Migrant Labor Systems in North and Central America."

The presentation was given by Fabienne Venet, INEDIM Director General; Dr. Arnulfo Valdivia, Director of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad; Dr. Carlos Heredia, Research Professor and Head of the CIDE’s International Studies Division; Javier Franco, on behalf of the Undersecretary of Social Inclusion; a representative of the Foreign Ministry’s Office for the Protection of Mexicans Abroad and a representative from the Liaison Department for Civil Society Organizations. The above-mentioned individuals exchanged views on the study’s findings and discussed the importance of temporary migrant worker programs in regulating current migration.

The study was done by consultants Alejandra Ancheita and Gisele Bonnici, who analyzed six temporary work programs involving seven countries: Mexico, Canada, United States, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The authors focused on two areas: the recruitment and hiring of temporary migrant workers and their access to social security, concluding that governments need to take an active regulatory role, preferably on a bilateral or coordinated multilateral level, to ensure the protection of these workers’ rights.

The authors suggest that there must be a significant restructuring at various levels, in order to establish systems that reflect the current context and that are integrated into the current policy for labor migration. They also recommend involving key stakeholders such as civil society and unions that are active in defending the rights of temporary migrant workers and monitoring the temporary work programs. They emphasize the importance of the Mexican consulates in providing information and protection to participants in these programs.

After the presentation, there were two panel discussions with representatives from civil society, international organizations and prominent academics. The first panel discussed the importance of regulating the region’s temporary employment programs, while the second emphasized the need to create social protection programs for migrant workers with a regional perspective.

The study was presented at a good time for designing innovative programs that protect the rights of temporary migrant workers, in light of the international discussions on the subject and the High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development that will be held in October 2013 by the UN General Assembly.