State Provision of Social Protection to International Migrants: The Relevance of Social Protection Frameworks

How relevant are social protection frameworks to understanding the provision of social protection to international migrants? Such frameworks have evolved against a backdrop of social protection which has been provided mainly to resident citizens, with international migrants often excluded from access. However, following an increase in remittance flows, more governments have moved to facilitate and promote migration and have extended the provision of social protection to citizens working abroad.

By examining the policies of a major labour-sending country, the Philippines, as well as policies from other countries where migration for employment is facilitated, it becomes apparent that dominant frameworks do inform policy-making for international migrants. The analysis shows that policies which reflect the risk management and basic needs frameworks are most common. In the case of the Philippines, the rights framework is evident in the extension of political and social rights to international migrants, an extension which is less evident elsewhere. Polices rooted in asset-based approaches are more limited in scope, as are transformative social protection policies for migrants.

Overall, while the frameworks are potentially useful as theoretical bases, the features of the international system limit the effectiveness of the policies themselves. In addition, policies often appear to be contradictory, reflecting both the importance of ideology and the tension between the objectives of social protection for migrants and the economic imperatives of migration policy in labour-sending countries.