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Journal article

Guestworkers and second-class citizenship

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Date

2010

Authors

Anna Stilz

Abstract

This paper takes up the question of rights restrictions for guestworkers from a liberal-democratic perspective. Is it ever legitimate to offer migrants job opportunities in exchange for their agreement to waive rights? If so, are there limits on the rights we can ask guestworkers to give up? I examine three arguments for why rights restrictions on guestworkers should not be allowed: (1) that they require guestworkers to waive an inalienable claim to membership, (2) that they are exploitative, and (3) that they place guestworkers into dominating social relationships in the receiving society. I conclude that none of these arguments can rule out rights restrictions on guestworkers altogether. I then sketch some restrictions that remain permissible even after we take these arguments into account.

Journal title

Policy and Society

Volume

29

Page numbers

295-307

File Attachments

Economic sectors

Agriculture and horticulture workers, Occupations in services - Domestic work, Sales and service occupations - general, Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations - general, Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations - general, Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing, Dancers, and Other

Content types

Policy analysis

Target groups

Researchers

Geographical focuses

Canada, United States, Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, British Columbia, Other provinces, Federal, International Organizations, Nova Scotia, and National relevance

Spheres of activity

Law, Philosophy, and Political science

Languages

English