Dynamics of Worker Migration in a ‘Crisis Complex’

This project investigates how overlapping crises—Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Russia–Ukraine war—have reshaped worker migration and labour sourcing practices globally. Using the concept of a “crisis complex,” it examines how government agencies and firms respond to chronic labour shortages, particularly in agriculture and agro-industrial sectors. Drawing on documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with policymakers, trade unions (PSI, BWI, ITUC) and international organisations (ILO), the project explores changes in recruitment strategies, employment conditions and migrant worker protection. By focusing on labour market integration and decent work, the research aims to generate theoretically innovative insights and empirical evidence that will inform policy debates and support the development of a larger ESRC funding bid. This project was supported by the Centre for Critical and Historical Research on Organisation and Society (CHRONOS), RHUL, whose corn seed funding awarded in February 2024 (£1,200) was vital in shaping this research.