Asia-Pacific states told cooperate on int'l labor migration

Asia-Pacific states told cooperate on int'l labor migration

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post/Bangkok

Participants at a regional seminar on international migration
called on Friday for improved regional cooperation and the
mainstreaming of international migration in national policy
development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission
for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the three-day seminar
recommended the creation of a new regional framework to
facilitate regular dialog on international labor migration and
development in the region.

UNESCAP executive secretary Kim Hak-su told participants that
the management of migration was particularly complex because of
the significant flows of irregular migration in much of the
region.

"Governments often face the difficult tasks of balancing the
desire to control irregular migration with respect for the rights
of migrants and recognition of the economic and social forces
that compel much of the movement," he said.

The seminar, chaired by Cambodian Minister of Women's Affairs
Ing Kantha Phavi, called on all governments in the region to sign
up to existing regional agreements to counter human trafficking,
concluding that international migration should be explicitly
incorporated into national economic and social policy-making, if
coherent policies were to emerge.

Participants from 12 countries and 15 international agencies
also acknowledged the urgent need for new research and improved
data collection to assess the relationship between migration and
development. It was also agreed to harmonize the definition of
"migration" itself as definitions vary from country to country.

As labor migrants collectively remit a large amount of money
home, the seminar also recommended that governments should set
explicit economic and social development strategies for
international migration.

The seminar also discussed the need of insurance and consular
protection for migrant workers and the enforcement of labor
standards.

Meanwhile, countries sending significant numbers of migrants
overseas for employment were called on to strengthen the
management of such migration in order to enhance the benefits for
migrants.

Apart from consular services, it also includes combating fraud
and exploitation in the recruitment process.

In Indonesia, despite the fact that migrant workers send money
back home, the government has yet to protect their rights be it
abroad or at home where they are vulnerable to abuse and
extortion.

It is public knowledge that migrant workers are often
exploited for their hard-earned money by many parties as soon as
they arrive home.

Indonesian lawmaker Chairun Nisa told The Jakarta Post that
the government must stamp out fraud and exploitation in the
recruitment process.

"It is common for migrant workers to lie about their age in
order to obtain documents, such as passports.

"Officials at the village level must really do their jobs
properly and should not be involved in the recruitment process."

Chairun Nisa also called on the government to take punitive
action against recruitment agencies found breaking the law.

"If the government can take action against unruly travel
bureaus managing haj trips, the same action must also be taken
against recruitment agencies," she said.