The Political Impact of Foreign Labor: A Re-evaluation of the Western European Experience

Abstract

Foreign workers in Western Europe generally have been portrayed as powerless and voiceless. Especially for contemporary Marxists, foreign labor policy is seen as serving to reinforce the political status quo. This article suggests that foreign workers in Western Europe participate politically more often and in more diverse ways than generally thought. Their participation often is politically disruptive and has contributed to the growing perception that the sociopolitical costs of foreign labor policy outweigh its economic benefits.