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Description
Our project addresses the problem of illegal labor migration from third countries and related negative consequences for the social-economic safety and well-being of migrant workers. Foreigners account for one-third of all illegal workers in Lithuania. Undeclared foreign labour is expanding as Lithuania is increasingly facing a shortage of labor force, while illegal labor relationships often lead to violations of working hours, conditions, safety and remuneration. These repercussions particularly hurt people with lower skills, income and social status. Our project seeks to strengthen civil society advocacy in labor migration policy. We aim to initiate and promote evidence-based revision of labor migration policy and the regulatory environment, enabling to improve the institutional conditions and better protection of social and economic rights and liberties, equality, safety, integration and well-being.
The beneficiaries are labor migrants from third countries, especially low-skilled individuals who are particularly affected by onerous regulatory requirements. We will conduct a rigorous analysis of labor migration policy, applicable regulatory provisions and the impact thereof, monitoring and assessment of related legislative initiatives, and formulate policy recommendations for removing unjustified regulatory restrictions. We will advance public and policy debates at the national and regional levels through broad-based dissemination of our findings and proposals, round-table events and media communication. Our target groups are state institutions, local authorities, policy makers, opinion leaders from the political, business, legal and academic communities, CSOs, local communities.
We expect that the project will establish an evidence-based public and policy discourse, heighten media communication, public awareness and CS engagement in policy making, and further policy solutions for improving institutional conditions for labor migration from third countries.
Summary of project results
This project addresses the problem of illegal labour immigration from third countries and the related negative consequences for the socio-economic security and well-being of labour migrants. The project aimed at strengthening civil society advocacy in the field of labour migration policy.
Project initiated and promoted an evidence-based review of the policy and regulatory environment for labour migration in order to ensure a more favourable institutional environment for third-country labour migrants and to safeguard their socio-economic freedoms and rights, equality, security, integration and well-being. The team analysed labour migration policies, regulations and their impact, monitored and evaluated legislative initiatives, formulated and presented evidence-based proposals for removing unjustified regulatory barriers to legal labour migration, and promoted national and regional public discourse through wide dissemination, roundtables and media communication. The main target groups were public authorities, public policy makers and opinion leaders from the political, business, academic and legal communities, local governments, civil society organisations and local communities.
LFMI work and this project, laid the foundations for liberalising migration from third countries, including for low- and medium-skilled workers. In June 2022, the Lithuanian Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners and liberalised labour migration of non-EU citizens. Some of the redundant employment regulations for low- and medium-skilled migrants from third countries were abolished.
The project has established an evidence-based public discourse, strengthened media communication, civil society awareness and engagement and their impact on public policy-making, and led to policy decisions on improving the institutional conditions for labour migration from third countries.