Migrating to work at what cost? The cumulative health consequences of contemporary labour migration

Mayell, Stephanie; McLaughlin, Janet

doi:10.4337/9781784714789.00024

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Likewise, participants must assess services available both in terms of accessibility and in terms of the real and perceived risk it poses should their access to such support be known to their employer. Such common reports speak to the need to explore safe and confidential pathways for legal and healthcare support for his population (Hennebry et al, 2016;Mayell & McLaughlin, 2016). The need for unmediated access to services and support for this population has been well documented (Caxaj & Cohen, 2023;Caxaj et al, 2020;George & Borrelli, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migrant Agricultural Workers’ Experiences of Support in Three Migrant‐Intensive Communities in Canada

George,

Lozanski,

Mayell

et al. 2024

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Canada has intensified its reliance on temporary foreign workers, including migrant agricultural workers (MAWs) who have contributed to its agriculture sector, rural economies, and food security for decades. These workers live and work in rural communities across Canada for up to two years. Thousands of MAWs engage in recurring cyclical migration, often returning to the same rural communities in Canada for decades, while others are undocumented. Yet MAWs do not have access to the supports and services provided for immigrant newcomers and pathways for permanent residence. The exclusion of these workers from such entitlements, including labour mobility, reinforces their precarity, inhibits their sense of belonging, and reflects the stratification built into Canada’s migration regime. This article draws on interviews with 98 MAWs in three migrant‐intensive regions in southwestern Ontario to examine how workers construct and describe support in relation to co‐workers, employers, residents, and community organizations. Drawing on conceptualizations of support as an important vehicle for social connection and inclusion that comprises social and citizenship belonging, we document how the strategies MAWs employ to forge connections are enabled or undermined by Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program, community dynamics, and the broader forces of racialization, gender, and exclusion. This article contributes to the limited scholarship on the support landscape for MAWs, whose experiences foreground the contested nature of belonging and inclusion among migrant populations across smaller cities and rural areas.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migrant Agricultural Workers’ Experiences of Support in Three Migrant‐Intensive Communities in Canada

George,

Lozanski,

Mayell

et al. 2024

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“…These patterns of temporary migration have become embedded within Asian labour markets with varying degrees of regulation [ 3 , 9 , 11 – 14 ]. Although there is increasing interest in the intergenerational impact of this migration [ 4 , 15 ], relatively little is known about the unique and long-term health needs of the individuals who make up this heterogeneous group [ 16 , 17 ]. Workers are required to undergo health screening before departing to start new work contracts and may therefore be in relatively sound physical health at the time of employment [ 17 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although there is increasing interest in the intergenerational impact of this migration [ 4 , 15 ], relatively little is known about the unique and long-term health needs of the individuals who make up this heterogeneous group [ 16 , 17 ]. Workers are required to undergo health screening before departing to start new work contracts and may therefore be in relatively sound physical health at the time of employment [ 17 ]. However, the cumulative impact of long-term exposure to health risk factors [ 17 ] including familial poverty [ 18 ], family separation, limited workplace protections and difficulties negotiating unfamiliar health systems predisposes these individuals to complex physical and psychological health problems [ 9 , 16 , 19 , 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of health and coping strategies among temporary migrant workers in East and Southeast Asia: a systematic review

Turnbull

Ching

2023

Int J Equity Health

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Background The rate of international migration for the primary purpose of employment has increased exponentially in recent decades. A significant proportion of this global movement takes place across East and Southeast Asia as workers move on a temporary basis from lower-middle-income home countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam to high-income host destinations including Hong Kong and Singapore. Relatively little is known about the unique and long-term health needs of this heterogeneous group of people. This systematic review presents an analysis of recent research into the experiences and perceptions of health of temporary migrant workers in the East and Southeast Asian regions. Methods Five electronic databases CINAHL Complete (via EbscoHost), EMBASE (including Medline), PsycINFO (via ProQuest), PubMed and Web of Science, were systematically searched for qualitative or mixed methods, peer-reviewed literature published in print or online between January 2010 and December 2020. Quality of the studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research published by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Findings from the included articles were extracted and synthesised using qualitative thematic analysis. Results Eight articles were included in the review. Findings from this review indicate that multiple dimensions of workers’ health is impacted by the processes of temporary migration. In addition, the research reviewed indicated that migrant workers used various strategies and mechanisms to attempt to address their health-related issues and to take better care of themselves. Such agentic practices could help them manage and maintain their health and wellbeing across physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions within the structural constraints of their employment. Conclusions Limited published research has focused on the health perceptions and needs of temporary migrant workers in East and Southeast Asia. The studies included in this review focused on female migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Philippines. These studies provide valuable insights but do not reflect the heterogeneity of migrants moving within these regions. The findings of this systematic review highlight that temporary migrant workers experience high and sustained levels of stress and are exposed to certain health risks which may compromise long-term health outcomes. These workers demonstrate knowledge and skills in managing their own health. This suggests that strength-based approaches to health promotion interventions may be effective in optimising their health over time. These findings are relevant to policy makers and non-government organisations supporting migrant workers.

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“…To ensure a healthy and strong workforce, SAWP workers must pass a medical exam in their home country each year as a prerequisite of participation in the program. However, research reveals these workers face numerous, intersecting social determinants of health in Canada, including precarious employment, dangerous working conditions, substandard housing, low income/social status, lack of social support and connectedness, substandard living environments and housing, limited access to health care, health literacy challenges, and gender issues (Caxaj et al 2023;Edmunds et al 2011;Mayell and McLaughlin 2016;McLaughlin 2009McLaughlin , 2010McLaughlin et al 2018). Although SAWP workers are contractually entitled to provincial health care while working in Canada (e.g., Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)), research shows that sick and injured workers encounter many barriers to accessing health care, including long hours of work and limited clinic hours; lack of transportation; dependence on employers and resulting confidentiality concerns; language and literacy barriers; delays in receiving health cards; and lack of information about and integration into local health care systems (Cole et al 2019;Hennebry 2010;Hennebry et al 2016;McLaughlin et al 2018;Pysklywec et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“It’s like We’re Still in Slavery”: Stress as Distress and Discourse among Jamaican Farm Workers in Ontario, Canada

Mayell

2023

Social Sciences

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For more than fifty years, Jamaican farm workers have been seasonally employed in Canada under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). In Canada, these workers live and work in conditions that make them vulnerable to various health issues, including poor mental health. This ethnographic study investigated Jamaican SAWP workers’ mental health experiences in Southern Ontario. Several common factors that engender psychological distress among Jamaican workers, ranging from mild to extreme suffering, were uncovered and organised into five themes: (1) family, (2) work environments and SAWP relations, (3) living conditions and isolation, (4) racism and social exclusion, and (5) illness and injury. I found that Jamaican workers predominantly use the term ‘stress’ to articulate distress, and they associate experiences of suffering with historic plantation slavery. Analysis of workers’ stress discourses revealed their experiences of psychological distress are structured by the conditions of the SAWP and their social marginalisation in Ontario. This article presents and discusses these findings in the context of SAWP power dynamics and concludes with policy recommendations aimed at improving the mental health of all SAWP workers. In foregrounding the experiences of Jamaican workers, this study addresses the dearth of research on the health and wellbeing of Caribbean SAWP workers.

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Migrating to work at what cost? The cumulative health consequences of contemporary labour migration

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

Migrant Agricultural Workers’ Experiences of Support in Three Migrant‐Intensive Communities in Canada

Migrant Agricultural Workers’ Experiences of Support in Three Migrant‐Intensive Communities in Canada

Perceptions of health and coping strategies among temporary migrant workers in East and Southeast Asia: a systematic review

“It’s like We’re Still in Slavery”: Stress as Distress and Discourse among Jamaican Farm Workers in Ontario, Canada

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