‘UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS’ IN A DEHUMANIZED GLOBALIZED WORLD

There is a need to understand the problem of undocumented workers in a globalized economy, and the plight they encounter in their struggle for day-to-day survival. ‘Undocumented workers’ is the term used for illegal immigrants/entrants, who side-stepping the legal migration laws, take residence and engage in unsanctioned employment in the destination country, mostly under socio-economic compulsion in their country of origin, have a shadowy existence without no/proper documentation. The paper examines the causes of such a phenomenon, the exclusions they endure and its impact in today’s era of globalization.
We need to analyze, under the changed circumstances due to globalization, how economic migration has taken a new form, giving rise to a underground labour market that not only burdens the economy of the destination country, but also gives shape to a newer form of slavery, involving undocumented workers, that further degrades the allocative efficiency of the labour market. Despite the economic benefits, it is a well established fact that globalization of this era has also bred greater inequality in and between societies, has led to increased automation and a shift in emphasis from mass labour to elite labour within the labour market, has created asymmetry by massive capital mobility and restricted labour mobility, has resulted inequalities in distribution of opportunities and resources, has undermined the local determinants ignoring the socio-cultural needs of the people.
Given this context, for a developing country like India, that host millions of undocumented workers, mostly from Bangladesh and Nepal, faces serious crises herself in tackling poverty and unemployment, therefore, it gives us all together a new dimension to the problem of undocumented workers. Finally, it is also necessary to explore the possibility of promoting fairness and sustainability in employment, globally.