Migration - A Question of Origin and Human Capital

• Main Author: Persdotter, Johanna
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Södertörns högskola, Institutionen för livsvetenskaper 2011
• Subjects: circular migration; dualism; informal labour; undocumented migrants
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-11946

The study describes the labour conditions for migrants in Sweden and aims at examining who is to benefit from increased labour migration. The qualitative method with a literature review is complemented with an interview in order to incorporate undocumented migrants’ perspective. Labour migration is discussed with the possible progress towards circular migration and thereafter incorporated in analyse with the dual labour market theory. The results show that it is foremost Swedes and migrants from inside the EU/EEA region that benefit from labour migration while migrants from outside the region will have to follow employers’ needs. This has lead to labour permits in low wage sectors were migrants supplement to structural inflation. The demand for cheap labour has also led to the exploitation of undocumented migrants who are paid starvation salaries. If these services are increasingly requested, serious employers might find it difficult to stand against decreasing minimum salaries and the welfare will decrease for more groups of employers. Meanwhile, changing demography is predicted to necessitate increased migration to sustain an economical growth in Sweden. This would also suggest that Sweden receives the main benefit from increased labour migration.