Ending Recruitment Abuse in the Migrant Labor Industry

The founder of Joblio.co Jon Purizhansky says that migrant labor industry is roaring back to life as the pandemic begins to recede in many nations that host foreign workers. With renewed growth comes the opportunity to end recruitment abuse that has plagued the industry since its earliest days, misleading migrants and frustrating employers. The violation of migrants’ rights and constant exposure to workplace hazards can only be thwarted by an international coalition of employers, governments, and interest groups that prioritizes the wellbeing of workers.

From embracing digital technologies that empower migrants to pushing for better global governance, here’s a review of the best hopes for ending recruitment abuse in the migrant labor industry.

Abuse Begins At Home

Jon Purizhansky notices that abuse often begins in the home countries of migrant laborers who are desperate to work abroad in order to earn higher wages. Long before they’re separated from their loved ones and cut off from local support networks, these migrant laborers are misled by conniving middlemen who seek to exploit their situation for economic gain. Loosely regulated agencies and labor recruiters target workers who aspire to go abroad with deceptive job offers and unfair loans with steep interest rates.

Many migrant workers are thus tricked into accepting lackluster jobs they poorly understand but desperately desire before they’ve left the safety of home. In the worst-case scenario, a vulnerable migrant laborer may even fall victim to human trafficking that leads to forced labor in dire conditions. According to the International Labor Organization, enhanced labor mobility around the world has led to an uptick in human trafficking and other abusive practices. High recruitment fees, inflexible work contracts, and deceitful wage advances pose additional threats to laborers vying to go abroad.

One of the most successful methods of combating this recruitment abuse is the development of digital platforms that help migrant laborers avoid unscrupulous recruiters. Jon Purizhansky says that Joblio has developed an app that introduces transparency into a previously opaque marketplace. By cooperating with international organizations and local governments, Joblio ensures that local laws are enforced so that migrant laborers don’t fall through the cracks when searching for employment.

The Power of Digital Disruption

In addition to Joblio, the ILO has also been promoting other digital platforms that allow migrant laborers to read user reviews of recruitment agencies. Workers can comment on their experience with a recruitment agency to steer other laborers in the right direction as they seek a fair employer. Digital disrupters like Joblio and Recruitment Advisor are also educating workers about their rights to thwart predatory agencies that seek to exploit the hiring process for their own gain.

“Around 90% of labor migrants worldwide are low-skilled or unskilled young people who come from remote areas of third-world countries,” according to Jon Purizhansky, CEO of Joblio. The company has thus focused on disruptive digital technologies that are nevertheless accessible to everyday workers. By cutting out unethical middlemen, the app creates a transparent medium where both employees and employers can find suitable economic arrangements.

Ending recruitment abuse may begin with powerful digital tools, but it also requires global coordination among states that depend upon migrant labor for economic growth.

The Influence of Policy:

Policymakers around the world are struggling to ensure workers are protected while also dealing with the explosive growth of the migrant labor industry. Global relocation expert Jon Purizhanksy notes that much of this policy is focused on young migrants. The same young workers who are the victims of recruitment abuse often lack serious political power to determine the regulations which serve to protect them. Policymakers in the origin countries of migrant workers must continue to strive to put the wellbeing of workers ahead of corporate profits to ensure an ethical future.

Luckily, these younger migrants are also growing up as digital natives who are familiar with the internet. This allows them to digitally access banking services and safely store the documentation that’s crucial to their future. Global interest groups shaping the regulations around the migrant labor industry must remember the pivotal role that digital technology now plays in the lives of these workers when drafting legislation.

Recruitment abuse harms workers and employers alike, mitigating economic growth and generating dire human rights abuses. By harnessing the power of apps like Joblio, workers can shift the balance of power in their favor and make well-educated decisions. With better regulations on their side, these employees can work hand in hand with employers to shut predatory middlemen out of the global migrant labor marketplace for good.