Sai Sai, a migrant worker from Shan State, Myanmar working in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Migration

Enhancing Regular Pathways for Labour Migration in South-East Asia

This Issue Brief highlights the context of labour migration – in particular temporary labour migration into elementary occupations – from and within South-East Asia, setting out the key challenges that reduce access to regular pathways and limit their potential for positive impacts on countries of origin and destination, as well as for migrants themselves.

Sai Sai, a migrant worker from Shan State, Myanmar working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. 26 December 2021. © Chalinee Thirasupa/ILO

ILO and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Asia and the Pacific have a common purpose in promoting rights based and orderly labour migration in the region. This Issue brief was developed to support joint advocacy and evidence-based policy dialogue, in line with shared priorities to protect migrant workers and support safe migration and decent work. It examines trends, challenges, and opportunities in enhancing regular labour migration pathways in Southeast Asia, a major subregion of origin for migrant workers globally and a key hub of intra-regional labour mobility, where persistent challenges persist when it comes to irregular migration and exploitation. It aims to generate actionable insights to strengthen cooperation and improve access to safe labour migration pathways across the subregion.

Additional details

Author(s)

  • International Labour Organization
  • International Organization for Migration

References

  • DOI: N/A