BWI releases paper on Europe’s migration flow

As part of its contribution in analysing the migration flow in Europe before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, BWI released a discussion paper to identify the main migration trends in the region which would serve as guideposts for trade unions to pursue better policies to protect migrant workers’ rights.

The paper discussed how the pandemic forced several European countries to reconsider priorities and introduce changes in their immigration policies to respond to COVID-19, often at the expense of migrant workers’ rights. It also showed how the global health crisis strengthened far-right populistic rhetoric and patently anti-migrant policies. 

It recommended the broadening and deepening of cooperation among European trade unions and civil society organisations to push for immediate and structural reforms to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on migrant workers. Some of these include important reforms in the work-permit systems and the working and living conditions of the migrant workers and refugees. 

The paper was based on the most recent available reports, research and surveys of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Migration Policy Institute (MPI), European Commission and civil society and media organizations. It covered the flow of migration in EU\EFTA, EUEA, and Balkan countries, commonwealth and independent states (CIS), Turkey and the United Kingdom.