This paper provides a critical analysis of the profound social costs borne by semi-skilled and unskilled migrant laborers, a demographic often reduced to economic units in mainstream discourse. Moving beyond a narrow economistic perspective that prioritizes remittance flows, this study synthesizes sociological theory and empirical evidence to examine the human consequences of labor migration. It argues that the prevailing neoliberal migration regime is structured to create a disposable workforce, systematically externalizing social costs onto the workers, their families, and their communities of origin. The analysis dissects the multifaceted nature of these costs, including the disintegration of transnational family structures and the associated psychological impacts on children and spouses. It further explores the erosion of cultural identity and the experience of systemic exploitation, framed through theoretical lenses of precarity, structural violence, and social death. The paper details the severe physical and mental health toll exacerbated by legal precarity and lack of access to care, and it critiques the paradox of remittances, which often undermine long-term development in sending countries. Finally, the challenges of reverse culture shock and failed reintegration are examined. The paper concludes by advocating for a fundamental paradigm shift towards a more equitable and humane migration governance, outlining multi-scalar policy recommendations targeting international frameworks, host and sending country legislation, and grassroots empowerment to uphold migrant rights and dignity.
Wagura Waithaka (Tue,) studied this question.