Pursuit of the Red Passport: Perceptions of Global Citizenship Among Low-paid Global Workers

Abstract

The movement of people around the world for the sole purpose of their labour has existed for hundreds of years and is at the root of a growing capitalist regime. Today, millions of people, particularly from low-income countries, are forced to move without their families across borders to high-income countries in order to send home remittances to help their families survive. The control of their global movement is based on a system of borders and visa regulations, where their passports, determined by their citizenship, offer very limited global mobility. This article explores the current context of low-paid labour migration in relation to global citizenship and global mobility rights. Workers interviewed in Canada, parts of Europe and Asia (n=24) describe their quests for the freedom of global mobility and navigating citizenship systems in order to obtain a strong passport/citizenship, also known as the “red passport.” The fight for the red passport and the right to global mobility is linked to their understandings of true global citizenship.