Labor rights for illegal immigrants and why we should support them Research Paper

Labor rights for illegal immigrants and why we should support them - Research Paper Example Who are Illegal Immigrants? It is difficult to define illegal immigrants. Where illegal migration begins and ends is a matter for each sovereign state to define (Tapinos). There are two types of illegal migrants- those who enter illegally and those who overstay after entering legally. Seasonal workers who fail to return after the expiry of the contract and rejected asylum seekers are also part of the second group. In countries like USA and Canada, which are open to migration, illegal immigration is one of the options to become would be immigrants. But in countries of Europe, it is the only option except for those applying for asylum or family reunification (Tapinos). It is estimated that there is about four to five million illegal immigrants in USA, which is about 1.5% of the population 300,000 in Greece (3%) and Italy (0.5%) ( Tapinos). Illegal migrants join illegal job market where he agrees to work for fewer wage than the local workers. Employers in developed countries benefit as they need to pay only low wages. The welfare contributions and non wage costs would be less. The illegal workers do not bargain and will not create any problem even if forced to work for long hours. The illegal immigrants are always eager to get regularised. ... Importance of Labour Rights for Working Immigrants According to International Labour Organization (ILO), 20% of world’s workers are in industrialised countries ie.600 million. There are 2.5 billion workers in the developing countries (Martin). There were 191 million international migrants in 2005. It was 76 million in 1960 and 175 million in 2000 (Dittrick). A migrant worker is "a person who is to be engaged, is engaged or has been engaged in a remunerated activity in a State of which he or she is not a national (Convention). In 1990, the UN General Assembly adopted International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. It may be noted here that labour rights are human rights. International human rights apply to all human beings. Everyone, whether citizen or immigrant, legal or illegal enjoys basic human rights such as right to life, liberty and security of person; freedom from slavery and torture; right to equal protecti on of law and freedom from discrimination; freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention; the presumption of innocence; and the right to freedom of association, religion and expression (The Rights of Migrants). The universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and Conventions adopted by the International Labour Organisation gives the right of association, the right to free choice of employment, the right to equal remuneration for work of equal value, and the right to just and favourable conditions of work to the immigrants. It also prohibits forced labour and