Beyond Nationality: Dispatches from Immigrant Workers in the Global City

Research on migration policy, social structures and labour market dynamics underlines the persistent vulnerability of immigrants in the labour market of contemporary western societies. However, little attention has been paid to the diverse manners in which these factors overlap in the life of migrants moving within the same origin and destination settings. This article examines the case of Brazilian-born migrants working in Amsterdam, drawing on the analysis of statistical data, policy documents and fifteen life stories. It starts by explaining the aim of the research and the choice of origin and destination units. Findings are organized according to four key elements: legal status, gender, year of arrival, and occupation. It is argued that these elements comprise increasing differentiation mechanisms and provide an improved notion of what is at stake for migrant workers dwelling in the global city. The main conclusion is that international borders are undergoing a significant reorganization in their daily operation, in particular due to concomitant changes in migration law and flexibility strategies in the labour market. Reinforcement of distinct categories of migrants, expansion of rights for relatives or civil partners of European Union citizens and increasing pressure over undocumented workers require future research to consider whether migration policy is being replaced by a global order of human selection owing more to social and economic profile than nationality