Communications in Humanities Research

- The Open Access Proceedings Series for Conferences


Communications in Humanities Research

Vol. 29, 19 April 2024


Open Access | Article

Guest-Worker Programs: One Possible Path out of Poverty

Weihong Justin Jiang * 1
1 Basis International School Guangzhou

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Communications in Humanities Research, Vol. 29, 134-138
Published 19 April 2024. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by EWA Publishing
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Citation Weihong Justin Jiang. Guest-Worker Programs: One Possible Path out of Poverty. CHR (2024) Vol. 29: 134-138. DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/29/20230626.

Abstract

This paper examines how facilitating emigration through guest-worker programs can provide an effective pathway out of poverty for Haitians while also benefiting Haiti through remittances and circulation of human capital. In this work, theories of migration and development are applied to analyze the potential impacts of expanding opportunities for Haitians to temporarily work abroad. The paper argues that managed migration can accelerate development by increasing worker remittances that reduce household poverty and provide investment capital. Circular migration also encourages human capital development as workers gain new skills abroad they can apply upon return. However, possible unintended consequences such as visa overstays and income inequality are discussed. Overall, the analysis builds an evidence-based case that carefully designed guest-worker programs represent a promising policy option for poverty alleviation and growth in Haiti.

Keywords

Haiti, migration, poverty reduction, remittances, guest-worker programs

References

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3. U.S. Department of Commerce. (n.d.). Haiti - Energy. Privacy Shield Framework. Retrieved from https://www.privacyshield.gov/article?id=Haiti-Energy

4. Adams, R. H., & Page, J. (2005). Do international migration and remittances reduce poverty in developing countries? World Development, 33(10), 1645-1669.

5. Wickramasekara, P. (2015). Bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding on migration of low skilled workers: A review.

6. U.S. Department of Labor. (2021). Selected statistics on temporary foreign workers. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/foreign-labor/performance

7. Neely, S. (2011, June 10). Would A $5-A-Day Minimum Wage Make Life Better In Haiti? NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2011/06/10/137064161/would-a-5-a-day-minimum-wage-make-life-better-in-haiti

8. Duroseau, F., & Jean, E. (2019). Haiti: The productive use of remittances. Retrieved from United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean website: https://www.cepal.org/sites/default/files/presentations/brh_haiti-the_productive_use_of_remittances.pdf

9. Adams, R. H., & Cuecuecha, A. (2010). Remittances, Household Expenditure and Investment in Guatemala. World Development, 38(11), 1626-1641.

10. Anyanwu, J. C., & Erhijakpor, A. E. (2010). Do international remittances affect poverty in Africa? African Development Review, 22(1), 51-91.

11. Amuedo-Dorantes, C., Georges, A., & Pozo, S. (2010). Migration, remittances, and children's schooling in Haiti. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 630(1), 224-244.

12. World Bank. (2006). Global Economic Prospects: Economic Implications of Remittances and Migration.

13. Ratha, D. (2003). Workers' remittances: an important and stable source of external development finance. Global Development Finance 2003. World Bank.

14. World Bank. (2021). World Development Indicators. https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

15. Bollard, A., McKenzie, D., Morten, M., & Rapoport, H. (2011). Remittances and the brain drain revisited: The microdata show that more educated migrants remit more. The World Bank Economic Review, 25(1), 132-156.

16. Manning, P., & Sidorenko, A. (2007). The regulation of professional migration in ASEAN–insights from the health sector. World Economy, 30(7), 1084-1113.

17. Silver, L. (2021). Most Americans have traveled abroad, although differences among demographic groups are large. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/08/12/most-americans-have-traveled-abroad-although-differences-among-demographic-groups-are-large/

18. United Nations. (2022). Waves of Haitians risk treacherous sea journey to find Better Life | UN News. United Nations. https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/01/1108882

Data Availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the International Conference on Global Politics and Socio-Humanities
ISBN (Print)
978-1-83558-365-4
ISBN (Online)
978-1-83558-366-1
Published Date
19 April 2024
Series
Communications in Humanities Research
ISSN (Print)
2753-7064
ISSN (Online)
2753-7072
DOI
10.54254/2753-7064/29/20230626
Copyright
19 April 2024
Open Access
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Copyright © 2023 EWA Publishing. Unless Otherwise Stated