Most discussions of the EU’s development agenda that emphasize the social
dimension of globalisation in general or labour rights and standard in particular tend
to focus on either trade agreements or aid. However, in 1999, the EU explicitly linked
migration to its development objectives, and in 2011, the European Commission
launched the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM), which lists
‘maximizing the development impact of migration and mobility’ as one of its four
pillars. A distinctive feature of the GAMM’s approach is that migrants are placed at
the centre and their human rights are to be mainstreamed throughout the migration
cycle.
To what extent is the GAMM’s commitment to migrants rights being put into
practice? How does the GAMM’s emphasis on migrant’s rights impact upon
development? Using the recently adopted Seasonal Workers Directive as my focus, I
will attempt to address these questions. First, I will examine the extent to which the
Directive protects migrant workers’ human rights and ensures that they have access
to meaningful labour standards. Second, I will explore the extent to which the
Directive facilitates circular migration, which is seen as a key component of
development-oriented migration. Third, I will consider the relationship between this
Directive and Mobility Partnerships, which are the EU’s key instruments for linking
migration to development, when it comes to migrant workers rights and circular
migration
