Dead Ends and Passageways

This chapter examines temporary migrant labour programmes from the 1960s to the 1980s, focusing on Spain to France, Malawi to South Africa, and Mexico to the United States. Challenging the prevailing narrative of the 1970s as the end of labour migration, it demonstrates how policies supposedly halting recruitment often concealed significant exceptions and adaptations for temporary labour. The chapter highlights shifts in power dynamics between migrant-sending and -receiving countries rather than the end of migration itself. By investigating policy implementations, migrant experiences, and economic pressures, the chapter reveals a nuanced picture, highlighting how temporary labour migration persisted and adapted despite official pronouncements of its demise.