Migrant Work Conditions and Health Status—A Longitudinal Study on ‘Dirty Work’ Among Undocumented and Newly Regularized Workers

Mariya Lenko, Jan-Erik Refle, Claudine Burton-Jeangros (), Julien Fakhoury, Liala Consoli and Yves Jackson
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Mariya Lenko: University of Trento
Jan-Erik Refle: University of Geneva
Claudine Burton-Jeangros: University of Geneva
Julien Fakhoury: University of Geneva
Liala Consoli: University of Geneva
Yves Jackson: Geneva University Hospital

Journal of International Migration and Integration, 2025, vol. 26, issue 1, No 8, 213-233

Abstract: Abstract Migrant workers, particularly undocumented migrants, may be constrained to accept ‘dirty work’. This term refers to poorly paid jobs with long working hours and significant exposure to various risks, potentially affecting their health. While many scholars discuss the health-related risks associated with these work conditions, empirical quantitative evidence is scarce regarding their direct effects on health among undocumented and newly regularized migrants. Consequently, we have formulated the following research question: Does ‘dirty work’ have an influence on the self-rated health of undocumented and newly regularized migrants over time? To answer this question, we utilized a dataset collected during an exceptional regularization procedure in the Swiss Canton of Geneva. Through surveys conducted across four waves, we demonstrate the direct and indirect effects of work conditions on migrants’ health using both random effects and fixed effects models. Our operationalization of ‘dirty work’ reveals that exposure to physically demanding positions has a direct, negative impact on migrants’ self-rated health. This result holds independently of the development of chronic health conditions over time. Our study confirms the existence of a relationship between occupational risks and health and underscores the significance of residence status in this context.

Keywords: Health; SRH; Work conditions; Dirty work; Undocumented migrants; Regularization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s12134-024-01182-5

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