The 2nd ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Safe and Fair Labor Migration and the launch of awareness videos for the Safe and Fair Migration Campaign of the ASEAN They brought together more than seventy political leaders, professionals, and representatives of civil society and international organizations. They explored ways to better protect the rights of the 7.1 million ASEAN migrants in the region, ensuring their valuable contribution to sustainable economic development.
Public Campaign on Safe and Fair Migration in ASEAN
The Audiovisual Products (AVP) of the ASEAN Public Campaign on Safe and Fair Migration were developed to equip current and future migrant workers with reliable and comprehensive information to help them better prepare for migration and protect themselves from exploitation. For more effective dissemination, these materials are available in English, Khmer, Bahasa Indonesia, Lao, Burmese, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. This ASEAN initiative was led jointly by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Philippines Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and supported by the European Union (EU) through the Enhanced EU-ASEAN Regional Dialogue Instrument. (E-READI), and the International Labor Organization (ILO) through the EU-funded “Safe and Fair” (SAF) program between the ILO and UN Women in the framework of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative.
In her keynote address, Philippine Migrant Workers Secretary Susan V. Ople noted the crucial role information and education play in empowering millions of migrant workers across the region.
“Knowledge is power and it is very important that you are guided every step of your journey through these audiovisual presentations that will stand the test of time. It is also very important that the voices of our interlocutors are heard”. Secretary Ople added: “These pieces of wisdom based on a long history of labor and migration across and beyond ASEAN are brought together in vivid informational materials that every migrant worker can use and, if possible, reuse while traveling in search of of ways to improve the economic life of their families.”
The Philippines advocates for the integration and participation of migrants at the Global Forum on Migration and Development
The president of the ASEAN Senior Labor Officials Meeting (SLOM) and undersecretary of the Department of Labor and Employment, Benedicto Ernesto R. Bitonio, highlighted the importance of labor migration to expand job opportunities for ASEAN residents and improve the economies of the Member States: “This mobility fosters the regional complementation of resources, stimulates growth and development, promotes cultural exchange and contributes to the ASEAN vision of shared prosperity.”
The recently adopted ASEAN Declaration on the Protection of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families in Crisis Situations further seeks to safeguard migrants from abuses they may suffer. It concluded: “The launched VPAs aim to educate ASEAN citizens about the kind of labor migration we all want: decent work for migrant workers.”
Chihoko Asada-Miyakawa, ILO Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, added: “With post-pandemic labor migration resuming, it is critical that we strengthen information and services to help make migration safe and fair. Complementing existing educational material, these videos will make a valuable contribution to decent work and social justice for migrant workers in the ASEAN region and beyond.”
2nd ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Safe and Fair Labor Migration
The 2nd ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Safe and Fair Labor Migration, held on 7 July 2023, recognized that the increasing mobility of migrant workers requires a joint response, continuous improvement of labor migration governance and strengthening of regional migration measures.
The Dialogue was an opportunity for ASEAN and EU officials to share knowledge and perspectives on effective strategies to support the well-being of migrant workers and their families.
“Migration is a vital component of development, as it contributes to global economic growth and the eradication of poverty. With the increasing prominence of migration in our society, there is a pressing need to prioritize their security and equity”, HE Igor Driesmans, EU Ambassador to ASEAN, declared in his speech. “The EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership recognizes the complexities associated with this issue and underlines our collective commitment to address common challenges, including through our cooperation to protect and promote the rights of migrant workers. Equally important is the inclusion of often marginalized voices in the immigration debate, as they can contribute to the development of our policies”, he added.
The recently adopted ASEAN Declaration on the Protection of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families in Crisis Situations aims to safeguard migrants from abuses they may suffer
“Starting in 2023, labor migration in the region is reaching pre-pandemic levels. This requires that existing labor mobility management systems in the region continue to be developed to maximize the contribution of migrants to overall socio-economic recovery and growth,” explained Sarah Arriola, Regional Director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). for Asia and the Pacific. “It is encouraging to see that governments in the region have taken important steps to improve migration governance,” she added.
The 2nd ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Safe and Fair Labor Migration and the launch of awareness raising videos for the ASEAN Safe and Fair Migration Campaign were part of a Senior ASEAN Labor Officials Workshop on Mid-Term Review and Planning Strategy of the Five-Year Work Program 2021-2025 of the ASEAN Labor Ministers, held in Boracay (Philippines) from July 4 to 7, 2023. The entire program was supported by the EU through E-READI, ILO, IOM and ASEAN Secretariat.
