Mediating Labour Migration: Labour Intermediation Actors between Eastern Europe and non-European Countries

In recent times, the Romanian context has emerged as particularly interesting in studying the labour intermediation processes, given the ever-increasing presence of intermediaries supporting the placement of a workforce from non-EU countries. In this context, the migration phenomenon is characterized by a high degree of complexity and, concurrently, diversity. Due to the significant growth in labour scarcity over the past few years, which has led to increased demand for companies to raise salaries, the labour force in Romania is becoming scarcer and more expensive to hire. In response, the government has attempted to alleviate the pressure on local companies by developing immigration policies for non-EU foreign workers, increasing the contingent year after year (from 7,000 in 2017 to 100,000 in 2024). This has resulted in a situation where firms are recruiting workers from non-European countries while national authorities are relaxing legislation, implementing selective and temporary migration policies that allow the employment of low-skilled non-EU citizens for a maximum period of two years. The role of labour intermediation actors takes centre stage when examining the migration dynamics in non-EU versus Romanian countries, as well as from Romania to elsewhere in Europe. The main aim of this research is to perform a thorough analysis of the interaction between migration industries and migration patterns in the non-EU-Romanian employing a qualitative approach. The primary objective is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the operations of migration industries as meso-level structures, and, more significantly, to identify the specific points at which they intersect with different facets of the migration phenomena. However, the intricacies of the functioning of this entity remain elusive, underscoring the necessity for additional comprehensive investigation to address the current deficiencies in our comprehension. Hence, it is imperative to acquire a comprehensive comprehension of the mechanisms within the migration sector in order to develop a deeper grasp of current dynamics. This encompasses the intricate interactions between the economy, nation-states, non-governmental organisations, and the mobility of individuals. The aim of this dissertation is to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on migration industries by addressing a set of overarching research questions that investigate the relationship between labour intermediaries, workers, and employers within the framework of migration industry. While there has been significant research on the topic of labour migration intermediaries, their specific labour practices, how they work and their interplay with migrant labour force have remained relatively unexplored. The three research questions will therefore address various situations and dynamics, exploring the interplay between intermediaries, employers, and workers from both regular and irregular perspectives. The conclusion shed light on the fact that the involvement of regular labour intermediaries does not necessarily guarantee privileged and smooth movement within seemingly borderless spaces from non-EU countries to Romania. Instead, these migration pathways often involve tumultuous journeys marked by substantial challenges and heightened levels of uncertainty and control by labour intermediation actors. In conclusion, this dissertation aims to contribute to the current discourse on the migration industry, focusing on how it operates and how its actors interact and collaborate with employers and workers.