The global governance of labour migration and seasonal workers

The chapter deals with the fragmented system of international sources of law on the phenomenon of labour migration at a global and EU level. The nature of migration involves mixed flows of people (refugees and migrants) and reasons (political, economic, social, developmental, humanitarian, etc.), especially because there is no universally accepted definition of irregular migrant. Despite UN initiatives (Global Compact on Migration) as well as the EU setting ambitious goals on migration governance, the reality remains of a patchwork of bilateral agreement signed between countries of origin and of destination. Nonetheless, cooperative approaches both at EU and international level, especially after the shock triggered by pandemic, with human rights concerns as common denominator, may develop a global constellation of soft or hard regulations.