Regular but Unregulated Flows: Migrant Domestic Workers in South America

POBLETE, LORENA

Leeds

Congreso; Work, Employment & Society Conference 2016; 2016

British Sociological Association

Domestic workers represent an important part of all migrant workers worldwide. In Latin America, because of the demographic transition process is still in progress, most flows concerning domestic workers are internal flows. However, international migration is also a significant phenomenon in the region. Generally, literature on migrant domestic workers focus on flows from Latin America to developed countries, such as the case of Latin American domestic workers in the USA or the EU. Less interest is given to flows within the region, especially in South America even if this region is not only a geographical one but also part of the international agreement called Mercosur.The object of this paper is to analyse the regulation concerning migrant rights and domestic work rights within South America. The aim is to understand how legal regulation contributes to shaping migrant flows. Usually, literature used the disparities of national labour markets as an explanation of flows of migrant domestic workers in the region, particularly because domestic work is generally an informal position in Latin American labour markets. Without ignoring the relevance of this line of explanation, this paper intent to consider regulation as a complementary variable of explanation. That means to confront sociology of work?s explanation with sociology of law?s.The paper will be based in the analyse of literature concerning migrant domestic flows in South America, as well as the laws and regulations concerning migrant rights and domestic workers? rights specially in Argentina and Paraguay. Even if the status of these countries in MERCOSUR agreement is different, migrant flows justified to analysis them as a system in which different migrant circuits are developing.The paper will be organized in three sections. In the first one, the aim is mapping migrant domestic workers flows in South America. In the second, the object is to analyse migration politics in the region based in the study of migrant regulations. In the third section, the aim is to analyse how new regulations on domestic work have been introduced changes in migrant status and rights.