Migrant Care Workers in Europe: Towards Fair Working Conditions and Inclusion of Migrants in the EU Care Workforce.
As we approach International Women’s Day, Eurodiaconia is pleased to launch its latest report, Migrant Care Workers in Europe: Towards Fair Working Conditions and Inclusion of Migrants in the EU Care Workforce. This publication provides a comprehensive examination of the essential role migrant workers, particularly women, play in Europe’s highly gendered care sector. Highlighting systemic challenges foreign workers face in accessing fair working conditions, integration, and inclusion within the workforce, the report proposes actionable recommendations for policymakers to tackle these, fostering a fair and sustainable care sector where the rights of migrant workers are respected and upheld.
Migrant Care Workers: Key Players in Europe’s Care Sector
Migrant care workers form an essential part of the workforce in the European Union’s health, personal care and long-term care sectors. With an aging population and rising care demands, intra-European as well as third country national care workers provide crucial services in hospitals, nursing homes, and private households. However, efforts to integrate migrant workers must not reinforce the systemic issues undermining the care sector. The overreliance on migrants in low-wage roles and precarious roles raises concerns about exploitation and deepening inequalities. Instead, investment in fair working conditions is essential to building a sustainable workforce while guaranteeing high-quality care.
Identifying the Barriers to Fair Working Conditions and Inclusion
International Women’s Day serves as a crucial moment to recognise these workers’ contributions while also calling attention to the structural inequalities that disproportionately affect them. Despite their vital contributions, migrant care workers often encounter barriers that hinder their ability to fully integrate into the workforce and society. The report highlights a range of challenges, including bureaucratic hurdles in recognizing foreign qualifications, restrictive visa and work permit policies, inconsistent application of labour standards across Member States, precarious employment conditions, as well as discrimination, language barriers, and limited access to training and career development opportunities.
Recommendations for Fairer Employment and Inclusion
Drawing on insights and good practices shared by Eurodiaconia’s members, the report highlights the critical role of ethical recruitment, community-based approaches, and diversity promotion in addressing Europe’s care sector workforce challenges. It provides recommendations aimed at improving the working conditions and inclusion of migrant care workers in Europe, fostering the well-being and social inclusion of migrant and intra-EU workers to promote sustainable solutions to labour shortages. The recommendations, proposing solutions at both Member State and EU level, address the following areas:
- Creation of sustainable and regular employment opportunities
- Social and labour rights for migrant care workers
- Qualifications and skills recognition, upskilling and career development
- Comprehensive and inclusive EU Policy framework
- Adequately resourced AMIF under the next MMF strategically aligned with migrant integration and social inclusion objectives, emphasizing support for non-profit organisations delivering critical services.
A Call for Action: Building an Inclusive Care Workforce in Europe
With the growing demand for care services across Europe, Eurodiaconia’s report calls on EU policymakers, Member States, and other stakeholders to prioritize the rights and social inclusion of migrant care workers. It is crucial that migrant care workers are recognized for their contributions, treated fairly, and provided support. By adopting the recommendations outlined in this report, policymakers can build a sustainable, resilient and inclusive care sector, ensuring that migrant workers are empowered to contribute to a fairer and more equitable Europe.
Related Eurodiaconia publications:
Eurodiaconia (2023) Mitigating the impact of demographic change in Europe. Towards a European Care Guarantee
Eurodiaconia’s Guidelines for the Integration of Migrant Women
