John van Kooy

Rethinking labour market assistance for people seeking asylum

From Surviving to Thriving, 7 December, 2016

Beyond matchmaking?

Outline • Contested asylum policy

produces trade-offs • Manufactured precarity for

people seeking asylum • Full social benefits of

employment go unrealised • Employment programs can go

beyond basic ‘matchmaking’ • But asylum regime prevents

sustainable outcomes • Research & advocacy agenda:

converting ‘permissions’ into full ‘rights’

Right to decent and sustainable work

Right to live with dignity, and ‘insofar as work is freely chosen or accepted,’

employment contributes to ‘development and recognition within the community’

(ICESCR 2006)

‘We believe the best form of welfare is a job.’ Work ‘gives you so many benefits other

than just the ability to pay your bills.’ (Cth. Parliamentary Debates, Senate, 24 Nov 2016)

‘Meaningful paid work’ for integration, ‘increased social interaction, enabling

people to fulfil the wish to contribute to their adopted country’

(Webb 2010, p. 217)

Jobs have ‘psychological value’ greater than for local workers, as they help migrants

‘come to terms with the social environment of the receiving country.’

(Field 1985, p. 27)

Asylum policy is contested

market

security

humanitarian

Manufactured precarity • Insecurity

(Campbell & Price 2016)

• Institutionalised uncertainty (Anderson 2010)

• ‘Deportability’ (De Genova 2002)

• ‘Unfree’ workers; absence of choice (Anderson 2010; McKay et al 2012)

• ‘Maximising the now’ (Ahmad 2008)

• ‘Counter-citizenship’ (Soei 2016)

Insecure migration status “[W]e are not safe, every time you are thinking about immigration, it is like a pistol – every time you are fear – you must explain.” (M, 35-44, Sub-Saharan Africa) “You have got something going on at the back of your head of what will happen? [Y]ou don’t know what’s going to happen next. Who you’re working, why you’re working, what for. ” (M, 15-24, Southern/Central Asia)

“[I]f I’m given the opportunity I have to work hard because that might be the one and only opportunity I have. So that’s why I have to do more than 100% to get all the benefits out of it. Otherwise I might not get the opportunity so the motivation and enthusiasm is very, very high. [Asylum seekers] just need the job and [are] desperate to work. “I need to do all this to get a good, bright future. The struggle part of life in Australia – you need to struggle with these kind of jobs.” (M, 25-34, Southern/Central Asia)

Any job is a good job?

“I realised someone all of the time watching me very carefully with everything […] They don’t trust you [but] it doesn’t matter. You should ignore it, do your best. Just show yourself, whatever you are.” (M, 35-44, Middle East/North Africa)

A: “I think I just keep quiet because I want to maintain my relationship with him. You never know. […] So what do you do? Just keep quiet and take life and do the work. […] When you make me get annoyed I just keep quiet.” (M, 35-44, Sub-Saharan Africa)

Keeping your head down

‘Match-makers’: • Put individual/s in contact with an

employer • Have access to information about

supply/demand • Assess readiness, skills, employer

preferences • Reduce recruitment costs or risks • Facilitate rapid employment & short-

term needs (Autor 2008; Benner 2003; Bonet, Cappelli & Hamori 2013; Bessy & Chavin 2013)

‘Change-makers’: • Aim to reduce/mitigate disadvantage • Build job seekers’ ‘know-how’,

networks, contacts • Influence job quality/conditions • Promote inclusion, sustainability,

decent work • Advocate for wider change e.g.

removing policy constraints (Hillage and Pollard 1998; McQuaid and Lindsay 2005; Williams et al 2015; Baum, Bill & Mitchell 2008; Bidwell et al. 2013; ILO 2004)

Rethinking labour market assistance

• Vision: enabling potential • Aims: assist participants to

get into (and stay in) labour market

• Activities: Employment mentoring & employer engagement

• Advocacy: Influence policy, public attitudes and employer perceptions

Case study: Given the Chance for Asylum Seekers

Demographic profile of participants • 7 in 10 participants: male

boat arrivals aged 15-54 • Over 77% from Middle/East

or South/Central Asia • Nearly half speak advanced

or professional English • 64.2% hold post-secondary

qualifications • 32.9% have obtained a Cert

III or Cert IV

Employment mentoring

“[The consultant] helped me to write down a CV for myself. And just, everything happened from that point […] [They] put a lot of time for me, and gave me a lot of advice, how to deal with the things, and really gave me a big support. ” (M, 35-44, Middle East/North Africa)

“[S]ourcing staff and certainly eliminating the cost […] That’s all done for you […] I then contact the person directly myself or I’ll ask for the Given the Chance program to tee me up three interviews […] I can get an idea straight away.” (Manager, Hospitality employer)

Employer engagement +

Employment outcomes (FY14-16)

• Total # of overall jobs: 540 (331 participants)

9% 8%

20%

40%

21%

1% 1%

Duration in employment

0-2 weeks

2-4 weeks

4-12 weeks

12-26 weeks

26-38 weeks

38-52 weeks

over 52 weeks

0% 4%

11%

10%

13%

22%

9%

31%

Occupational major group (ANZSCO)

MANAGERS

PROFESSIONALS

TECHNICIANS AND TRADES WORKERS

COMMUNITY AND PERSONAL SERVICE WORKERS

CLERICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE WORKERS

SALES WORKERS

MACHINERY OPERATORS AND DRIVERS

LABOURERS

Cost-benefit analysis (ANZSOG): • $1.52 return for every $1 invested in the program

(+ tax, consumption, reduced welfare expenditure)

Employer engagement & advocacy

ANZ BlueNotes, 20 Jun 2016

VECCI, Spring 2015

Hospitality Magazine, March 2014

• Policy trade-offs between citizenship and work rights limit sustainability of outcomes

• Making change in labour market requires attention to what produces precarity

• Employment programs can go beyond ‘matchmaking’ through employer engagement, advocacy

• Research-informed advocacy can highlight opportunities

John van Kooy Research Fellow, Work & Economic Security e | jvankooy@bsl.org.au t | @jvankooy

Image credits: • Anthony Auston • linthesky • BSL • Centre College • Sjoerd Lammers • Emanuele Toscano

Conclusions