The ‘New’ Migration for Work Phenomenon: The Pursuit of Emancipation and Recognition in the Context of Work

Abstract

This article examines the ‘new’ migration for work phenomenon gripping Southern Europe since the Global Financial Crisis struck in 2008, by focusing on the case of skilled Greeks migrating to Germany for work purposes. In applying Honneth’s concept of emancipation to the domain of work, the article frames emancipation as a phenomenon which emerges from an individual’s search for meaningful work and as a form of resistance to deteriorating institutions and social injustice. Informed by this is an assessment of the new migration for work phenomenon from Greece to Germany by employing survey data on the perceptions of skilled emigrants. Following analysis of the findings, it is concluded that migration is a form of emancipation that allows individuals to regain recognition and self-respect while also to protest the erosion of social and human rights in their home country.