Trade, Migration and Labour Mobility

This volume brings together a number of thought-provoking papers to provide a refreshing look at the issues related to the cross-border temporary movement of labour and the development issues that arise from it. It provides a balanced review of the literature to provide credible evidence and practical policy options to make such movement an important vehicle for development in poorer countries while benefiting the labour-scarce high-income countries. Various articles included in the book allow the readers to understand the difficulties associated with and potential scopes of the further liberalisation of temporary migration of labour, and to better appreciate the extent of gains from such liberalisation from the perspectives of both developing as well as developed countries. In a set of papers the need for managing the temporary migration programmes is highlighted so that they can deliver a win-win outcome for both groups of countries. While the volume offers informed and important inputs for formulating proposals in the area of short term labour movement negotiation, it also emphasizes a more productive international cooperation to identify and address areas of mutual interest by countries in the management of migration. Case studies on migration and development experiences of different countries also extend support to the strengthening of an effective partnership between developing and developed countries to maximise the gains from labour movement.

Mohammad A. Razzaque is currently Economic Adviser, Economic Adviser, Economic Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, London. He holds a Ph D in Economics from the University of Sussex, UK. His primary research interests lie in the area of applied trade policy analysis and he has written extensively on trade issues.