More than 3 million Asian workers leave their countries every year to work in another country, joining some 25 million who are already abroad. These workers, who represent a wide spectrum of skills and occupations, send back some US$ 70 billion in remittances every year, thereby helping to alleviate poverty and stimulate growth in their countries of origin.
Unfortunately, there are also significant problems associated with labour migration. In their eagerness to find employment abroad, many migrant workers end up in debt-bondage. Many risk their lives or limbs to earn wages only slightly better than what they earn at home. Many women migrants work as domestic helpers, an occupation not covered by labour laws. More than a few become victims of trafficking, ending up as virtual slaves. The ILO is working with governments, workers’ and employers' organizations, and other partners, to create decent employment for migrant workers and make migration an instrument for development.