Labour Immigration Policies in High-Income Countries: Variations Across Political Regimes and Varieties of Capitalism


Dr. Martin Ruhs, Oxford University

This paper analyses why and how labour immigration policies in high-income countries vary across political regimes (democracies vs autocracies) and types of capitalism (liberal vs coordinated market economies). I investigate these policy variations both theoretically and empirically based on a unique dataset of the characteristics of 77 labour immigration policies, most of which are temporary migration programmes, in 33 high-income countries. My analysis identifies significant relationships between the design of national labour immigration policies and national political and socio-economic institutions. I argue that these links have important implications for the global governance of international labour migration, and for the search of “best practices” in the design of temporary migration programmes.

About the speaker
Martin Ruhs is Associate Professor of Political Economy at Oxford University, where he is also Director of Studies in Economics at the Department for Continuing Education (OUDCE) and Research Associate at the: Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS). Martin’s research focuses on the economics and politics of international labour migration, with a strong international comparative dimension. Recent books include The Price of Rights. Regulating International Labour Migration (Princeton University Press 2013; Winner of the 2014 Best Book Award, Migration and Citizenship Section, American Political Science Association) and Who Needs Migrant Workers? Labour Shortages, Immigration and Public Policy (Oxford University Press 2010, co-edited with B. Anderson). He is currently working on a research monograph on "multinational corporations, migrant labour and the nation state" (under contract with Princeton University Press); and a collaborative research project (with Joakim Palme and colleagues at Uppsala University) on "national institutions, citizenship norms and the politics of free movement in the European Union", funded by Horizon2020.

Venue: Conference room (room 0.16 & 0.17)

Date: 01 December 2016

Time: 12:00 - 13:00  CEST


UNU-MERIT