Health, Status, and Migrant Worker Justice - Lecture 6
**SICKNESS OF MIGRANT WORKERS**:
● Occupational health problems are common for migrant workers because
they work in high-risk industries or sectors in agriculture, construction, and
manufacturing industry.
- For instance, workers will be exposed to pesticides and chemicals, work on a
long-hour basis under extreme weather conditions, and will be susceptible to injuries
arising from the machinery and equipment.
● Exposure to pesticides is common among agricultural workers, thus causing
them to experience problems with the skin and even respiratory issues.
Access to health care among migrant workers is very variable due to legal
and financial restrictions.
● Sometimes, the healthcare required is hampered by language-acquired
barriers, which may impede proper communication between the healthcare
provider and the patient.
● Inadequate communication often leads to deficient treatment due to a lack of
culturally competent care. Statistics show that very few migrant workers have
health insurance.
Mental Health:
● Most of these migrant workers are usually very stressed and anxious because
of factors such as job insecurity, living away from their families, and poor living
conditions.
● The mental health of the migrant workers usually lacks resources and can
further be discouraged by the existing societal stigmatization.
● The Impact Long-term stress and cognitive issues could quickly
determine the inception of chronic conditions such as depression and
anxiety disorders.
Legal Rights and Legal/Social Status Documentation: Most of the migrant
workers lack proper documentation, and thus, they cannot have access to any
medical and social services.
-
The level of protection and the range of benefits regularly vary with the legal
status of the migrant worker.
Most of the time, workers without documentation are hugely exploited and
have not enough remedy at law. Example: undocumented worker in the United States will stay away from going for
medical treatment due to the fear of being deported. But at the same time, the
workers regularly suffer from discrimination and social isolation, leaving a significant
dent in their mental health and community. Among many barriers to social integration
for these workers are different languages, different understanding of cultures, and
just not having a support network.
● The inability to socially integrate also led to isolation and heightened
vulnerability to exploitation in the community.
Justice for Migrant Workers Labor Advocacy: Advocacy for decent wages, safe
working conditions, and humane work hours.
-
In most cases, most labor laws fail to cater to the needs of migrant
workers; thereby the workers end up working in conditions where they are
exploited and working in environments that are dangerous to human health.
1. Initiatives: There are initiatives from labor unions and advocacy groups meant to
improve labor conditions and enforce the implementation of existing regulations.
2. Human Rights: Guarantees of fundamental human rights for the migrant workers
are assured to include access to health, housing, and education. The critical point in
these rights is the fight against human trafficking and exploitation of migrant workers. 3. Infringement of Laws: There are varying degrees of practice that negate the
international conventions and national laws for the protection and security of the
rights of the migrant workers.
-
-
There lies a vital role of NGOs and international organizations dealing with
labor and migratory issues worldwide. Policies by all the governments need to
be comprehensive and keep into consideration the unique sets of needs that
the migrant workers have to let justice and fairness be rendered.
For example, ILO guides and facilitates better conditions for migrant
workers.
Community-Based Organizations:
● Advocacy services, healthcare, legal department, and educational and
informative resources have played a critical role in the support services
required in caring for migrant workers.
● These proved to have a strong voice in policy advocacy and raising public
awareness of the issues of migrant workers.
Support Programs: Free clinics and legal workshops initiated to support the
immediate needs of migrant workers.
ALSO
Educating the migrant on rights and labors, health practices, and
empowerment makes a migrant able to act and protect themselves better.
-
Language learning and vocational training programs result in more substantial
social inclusion and better employment opportunities.
The kind of education and empowerment workers have helps them navigate
the systems formally and informally, therefore securing their rights.
Health Status and Migrant Worker Justice
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