Invisible Manipulation: An Account of Strategic Mis-Collection of Migrant Labor Data

• In Event: Labor and Labor Movements Section Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Roundtable 2: Migration, Dispossession, and Transnational Labor Regimes

Abstract

Temporary labor migration is deeply intertwined with data collection, as migrants must routinely disclose extensive personal information. For nation-states, this data serves both to regulate mobility and assert sovereignty. Yet the flow of information is primarily unidirectional: migrants must give over freely their personal information, but the state is far less forthcoming. Moreover, what is either not collected by state or not disclosed —particularly data on migrant experiences and abuses—is strategic and significantly underexplored. This paper examines the politics of data non-collection and non-disclosure within temporary labor migration programs. We argue that civil society organizations play a critical role in shaping what data is gathered, but that deliberate gaps persist, especially around labor and human rights violations. Drawing on a multi-method study, we explore the implications of these omissions, asking: What is the meaning of data that doesn’t exist, and how can it be studied? Drawing from the theoretical insights of Michel Foucault, we conceptualize data non-collection not as oversight but as a form of governance—a ‘politics of silence’ (and control) that conceals exploitative labor practices and impedes accountability. This absence of data limits legal recourse for migrants and hinders efforts by advocates to protect their rights.

Authors

• Kathryn C Babineau, University of Virginia

• Catherine Griebel Bowman, Austin College