Migrant Worker Issues

While you might not realize it, many migrant workers have helped you today. Many have picked your food, helping with other supplies you use each day, and they have worked in the jobs you haven’t even heard of. So while many people might immediately dismiss the idea of migrant workers, this isn’t a fair thing to do. First of all, there are many issues surrounding migrant workers which might not be addressed as quickly as those that come up for other workers. Here’s what you need to know.

Immigration Questions

Yes, the first thing everyone thinks of when they talk about migrant workers is immigration issues. Many migrant workers are no in the United States as legal workers, so they could easily be deported back to Mexico or other countries from which they came. That said, many of these workers are not deported because they are so helpful to local economies. They are taken in to help with the work no one else wants to do, but as soon as anyone wants rights or they want to have more than they do right now, that’s when the ‘I’ word is brought up as a threat. If these are valid workers in their jobs, why not allow them to have some sort of special immigration status that will help them eventually become citizens?

Pay Inequalities

When you hire people who will work for anything and under any threat of deportation, you can also pay them as little as possible – and get away with it. Though migrant workers might do the same jobs as their legal counterparts, they might get paid much less. This means they aren’t going to be able to afford housing, medication, etc. This causes the migrant workers to be constantly having to work two or three jobs, just to make ends meet – even though they’re working in the same positions as though who are making a living wage.

Finding a Career

In addition, while a migrant worker might be able to get work, they might not be able to get work that is sustainable. They might find enough work to make it through a day or two, or even a season, but finding a career is much harder. This means that they will simply need to continue to move from job to job, making enough money to live, but not enough money for a retirement or to care for their family.

Migrant workers might not be legal, but when people are doing the same work as though that are, it seems unfair to ask less of them. Companies who hire those who are not legal should be willing to treat them the same, or make sure that they don’t hire these workers so that they aren’t encouraged to continue to find temporary work.