COMPAS Annual Conference 2006
ESRC Centre on Migration, Policy and Society [COMPAS]
Annual International Conference, July 5th-6th, 2006
'International Labour Migration: In Whose Interests?'
Venue: University of Oxford, Centre for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences, Manor Road, Oxford
Conference Report now available (.pdf)
Event Programme
Abstracts for the breakout sessions
The demand for migrant workers has become one of the most prominent features of labour markets in high income countries. In 2000, there were about 52 million migrants among the 465 million workers in high-income countries, making migrants an average 12 percent of their work forces. In most countries, migrant workers are employed across a wide range of occupations including those requiring professional qualifications - such as doctors or IT specialists - and jobs that are low paid and sometimes shunned by local workers such as cleaning and food processing.
In their efforts to 'manage' or 'control' labour immigration, receiving countries have adopted a variety - and increasing number - of policy measures aimed at facilitating the orderly and regulated employment of migrant workers. The OECD estimates that there are now more than 200 bilateral migrant worker programmes around the world. Nevertheless, the number of migrants employed outside the legally available channels is growing and in many countries exceeds the number of legally employed migrants. In the absence of 'best practices', receiving countries continue to experiment with new policies.
The search for effective labour migration policies is frequently hampered by the lack of a comprehensive and rational public debate on the issue. Discussions on labour migration are often characterised by a poor understanding of the economic and other impacts of migration on the receiving country, migrants and their countries of origin. There is also confusion about policy objectives, e.g. in whose interests should labour migration be managed? How should the interests of migrants and their countries of origin be balanced with those of the receiving country?
This year's COMPAS Annual International Conference will bring together a range of leading academics, research students, policy makers and practitioners to explore and debate the processes, impacts, objectives and policies of international labour migration.
Event Information:
Programme - Link
Abstracts for breakout sessions - Link
Logistical Information:
There is no registration charge for this event but participants are expected to arrange their own travel and accommodation.
Location Map for the Centre for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences,
Manor Road, Oxford - Link
Directions on getting to Oxford - Link
Guesthouses and Hotels in Oxford - Link
Annual Conference 2006 Programme
'International Labour Migration:
In Whose Interests?'
Conference Schedule
5th and 6th July 2006 - COMPAS Annual Conference
Venue: University of Oxford, Centre for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences
DAY 1: PROCESSES AND IMPACTS (5th July 2006)
8:30-9:15 Registration
9:15-9:30 Welcome
Steven Vertovec, COMPAS, University of Oxford
9:30-11:00 Opening Plenary: Labour Migration: Trends, Issues and Controversies
Chair: Steven Vertovec, COMPAS, University of Oxford
Keynotes:
Jean-Christophe Dumont, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD - "Recent trends and impacts of labour migration to the OECD"
Phil Martin, Agricultural and resource economics, UC Davis, USA "Guest workers - in whose interests?"
Discussants: David Coleman, Department of Social Policy, University of Oxford; Nandita Sharma, School of Social Sciences, York University, Canada
11:00 - 11:30 Coffee break
11:30-13:00 Plenary1: Labour migration and receiving countries
Chair: Martin Ruhs, COMPAS, University of Oxford
Speakers: Bridget Anderson, COMPAS, University of Oxford "Matches, Mismatches and Migrant Labour: Some explorations of employer demand". Link to related COMPAS paper on employment. Link to COMPAS working paper.
Jonathan Portes, UK Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) "The impact of free movement of workers from Central and Eastern Europe on the UK labour market" - Link to DWP working paper (pdf)
Discussant: Stephen Castles, International Migration Institute, University of Oxford
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30 Plenary2: Labour migration and sending countries
Chair: Nicholas Van Hear, COMPAS, University of Oxford
Michele Gamburd, Anthropology Department, Portland State University, USA - "Community dynamics: Sri Lankan responses to transnational labor migration"
Ali Mansoor, Lead Economist, World Bank "The Impact of Migration in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union : Evidence from a Recent World Bank Study"
Discussant: Agustín Escobar Latapí, CIESAS Institute, Mexico
15:30-16:00 Coffee break
16:00-17:45 Parallel breakout sessions (Click on each of the titles to link to details on speakers and papers)
17:45-18:45 Drinks Reception sponsored by GeNet
19:00 onwards Dinner at St Catherine's College
DAY 2: INTERESTS AND POLICIES (6th July 2006)
9:00-11:00 Plenary 3: Reforming labour migration policy in the UK - in whose interests?
Chair: Victoria Macdonald, Correspondent, Channel 4 News
James Quinault, Immigration and Nationality Directorate, Home Office
Wilf Sullivan, Race Equality Officer, Trades Union Congress (TUC)
Thomas Moran, Senior Policy Advisor, Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
Viviane Abayomi, volunteer for Kalayaan (Migrant domestic worker charity)
Mario de Leon, Jr , Consul-General, Philippines Embassy
11:30-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-13:00 Plenary 4: Research perspectives on immigration policies
Chair: Victoria Macdonald, Correspondent, Channel 4 News
Jeffrey Reitz, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada - "Canadian immigration selection policy and trends in recruitment of skilled immigrants"
Martin Ruhs, COMPAS, University of Oxford -"Semi-compliance in the migrant labour market" - Link to working paper
Sarah Spencer, COMPAS, University of Oxford - "Regular policies for irregular migrants"
Discussant: Jeremy Kempton, Economics and resource analysis, Home Office
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:45 Parallel breakout sessions (Click on each of the titles to link to details on speakers and papers)
15:45-16:15 Coffee Break
16:15-17:00 Closing comments
Victoria Macdonald, Correspondent, Channel 4 News
Nicholas Van Hear, COMPAS, University of Oxford