Migrant workers

The chapter discusses who a migrant worker is and what the SDGs envision for this group of workers. It is argued that an inclusive definition counts all migrants who work as migrant workers. Migrants are likely to work under worse conditions than nationals. The Sustainable Development Goals address some migrant workers’ rights. However, the sources for exploitative working conditions of migrant workers are manifold and there is an inherent challenge to introduce better working conditions for migrant workers, because the economic benefits of labour migration often lie in migrants being cheap labour. It is concluded that a broader transformative approach is necessary, however, most of the policy initiatives, including the SDGs, are not holistic enough and are an expression of contradictory policy orientations.