Inadequate living and working conditions of immigrant labourers

Because of a general improvement in the national standard of living in many countries, nationals no longer want to do menial or dirty work. They tend educate their children to be able to take on office jobs or skilled trades. This results in a demand for immigrants who are willing to do the menial or dirty work. Because of their lack of education and knowledge of industrialized countries, they accept low payment and consequently find themselves living in slums and shanty towns with inadequate facilities. They may also be undernourished, living in severely overcrowded conditions which may prevent families from joining them, thus destroying their family life. Where families are allowed to enter, educational facilities for the children may be inadequate. Many of such immigrants are from developing countries and are of a different race, thus creating racial, colour and class tensions. Because of the dependence of families at home on their income, they are unwilling to return to their own countries, where their status and incomes would be even less. If a high unemployment occurs in such a situation, the conflict increases and the immigrants are accused of stealing the rightful work of the national population or causing a drain on social security. They may be denied the right to join trade unions which would raise their status. Industrialists prefer to use immigrants for menial work rather than machinery which cannot be laid off in a slack period. As many immigrants enter illegally, firms can exploit them and pay less than the minimum wage.