Over the next decade some 24.5 million new workers will be entering the labour force every year in Asia Pacific, most of them in the countries with the largest number of the working poor and with declining capacities to create jobs. Close to 3 million workers in Asia leave their homes each year in search of more economic security outside their countries.
While migration still offers most migrant workers better pecuniary returns than employment at home, it is all too often characterized by high risks and employment conditions which fall very far short of ILO’s standards. No less than 10 per cent of migrant workers fall victims to fraudulent recruitment or to trafficking. Women and children are particularly vulnerable.
While migration poses problems, it also offers opportunities namely, migrants remittances and alleviation of poverty; greater labour market flexibility, increased productivity and higher returns to investment in education as workers move from less to more productive employment and transfers of know-how- migrants are purveyors of know-how and expertise.
The ILO is (i) promoting employment-friendly policies in origin countries; (ii) encouraging countries to adopt coherent migration policies based on ILO’s principles especially the rights-based Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration; (iii) helping member states strengthen capacities for managing migration processes; and (iv) linking labour migration and local economic development.
In a number of countries in the South Asia Sub-region, migration issues are high priority areas for the constituents. The ILO is working on reviewing policies and practices on migration from these countries, pre-departure orientation programmes for migrant workers, and return and re-integration policies.