This ambition is however contradicted by the strategy’s continued drive towards increasing deportations and border controls, including by strong-arming countries through ‘migration diplomacy’. What’s missing is concrete action to improve pay, conditions and rights for migrant workers, including undocumented workers, who are too often pushed into exploitation in the shadow economy. “That means supporting trade unions, promoting collective bargaining, regulating subcontracting, and extending the mandate of the European Labour Authority to properly cover migrant workers. “Labour shortages are one of the key challenges to European competitiveness. Regularisation pathways would help tackle shortages while ensuring that bad bosses cannot exploit irregular migrant workers to undercut wages and working conditions.