The aims of the paper have been to consider the impact of undocumented status on the employment relationship, in the context of restrictive migration rules and public policy hostile to migration. This is done through:

• A brief overview of the development of illegality of contract;

• An exploration of the cases relating migration status to employment rights;

• An illustration of the impact of the law through individual stories

• A discussion of policy on migration together with alternatives respecting human rights and employment law.