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Johannesburg - Governments worldwide have responded to the economic crisis by attempting to oust foreign workers from their labour markets, indicates a new International Labour Organisation (ILO) report.
All manner of new laws and regulations in reasonably well-to-do countries have attempted - by means of penalties and incentives - to keep foreigners out or relocate them.
The US, according to the ILO, was the only country in the world to make measures such as these part of its flagship stimulus package.
The stimulus legislation that came into force in February forbade companies receiving government funds to apply for visas for highly qualified foreigners.
The prohibition remains in force until 2011.
The ILO also expressed its concern that the more permanent restrictions on migration that are cropping up elsewhere would leave labour markets distorted after the crisis.
In time it will only cause more anomalous migration that circumvents the new regulations, and result in labour shortages in host countries once their economies get going again.
Last September Spain adopted a law encouraging migrants in the formal economy to leave the country when they lost their jobs.
The legislation allowed for early payment of the workers? full unemployment insurance monies, but 60% would be received only when they were back in their countries of origin.
Workers receiving such payouts could return only after three years.
The Czech Republic offered foreigners free transport and a "bonus" of &eruo;500 per adult and €250 per child to return home.
Although Britain has not passed any new laws, it has significantly stiffened its point system for evaluating prospective migrants, while forced and voluntary repatriation has also increased sharply, reports the ILO.
Procurement of unskilled foreign workers has been halted while trained workers now need far more impressive qualifications.
According to the ILO, these restrictions will harm the British economy since half of the country's small and medium-sized businesses use foreign labour.
Italy, notes the ILO, in March severely restricted access to its labour market by setting a maximum quota of 80 000 for seasonal workers, and a prohibition on non-seasonal workers is envisaged.
In May the country also proposed new security legislation in terms of which irregular residence in Italy becomes a criminal rather than an administrative offence.
Russia and Kazakhstan have introduced similar low quotas for foreign workers.
Japan went so far as to overturn its policy in place since 1990 - that of attracting ethnic Japanese from other countries to supplement its stagnant labour force.
Migrants are now offered $3 000 and their dependants $2 000 for air transport, and those accepting this will not be able to apply for a working visa again.
The Republic of Korea is offering a subsidy to companies that replace migrants with Korean employees, while Malaysia has doubled an existing royalty on importing workers.
In Indonesia managerial-level employees from offshore now require permission from the Minister of Labour to work in the country, while Thailand has also placed a moratorium on new work permits.
- Sake24.com
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