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Realizing a fair migration between Asia and the Arab States
The largest migrant flows from South Asia and part of South-East Asia are to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, who currently rely on foreign labour to fill in almost 90 per cent of private sector jobs, often in construction, service and domestic work. In total there are over 22 million migrant workers in the GCC countries. These numbers may likely rise due in part to massive infrastructure projects, such as those associated with the Qatar World Cup 2022 and the UAE World Expo 2020.
BALI (ILO News) – The largest migrant flows from South Asia and part of South-East Asia are to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, who currently rely on foreign labour to fill in almost 90 per cent of private sector jobs, often in construction, service and domestic work. In total there are over 22 million migrant workers in the GCC countries. These numbers may likely rise due in part to massive infrastructure projects, such as those associated with the Qatar World Cup 2022 and the UAE World Expo 2020.
To examine main challenges in migration flows between Asia and the Arab States, representatives of government, employers’ and workers organizations from seven Asia countries (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka) will gather from 6-7 May in a two-day Asia Tripartite Meeting in Bali, Indonesia. The meeting is organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower.
The meeting will review and discuss five challenges identified as main challenges in migration flows between Asia and the Arab States, covering the following issues: fair recruitment; decent employment and working conditions; recognizing skills of potential and returning workers; increasing the development impact of migration; partnerships and international cooperation. The meeting also provides a venue for participants to share experiences and examine ways to move forward achieving a fair migration between Asia and the Arab States.
In addition, the meeting is part of the is part of the preparation for an inter-regional Ministerial Meeting in December 2015 to chart a road-map for achieving Fair Migration on labour flows between Asia and the Arab States.
The meeting is also a follow-up to an inter-regional experts meeting on “Realizing a Fair Migration Agenda: Labour Flows between Asia and the Arab States” in Kathmandu, Nepal held in December 2014. The purpose of the meeting was for leading experts to make a technical assessment of key issues and the way forward to realize a fair migration agenda.
The Fair Migration Agenda, as outlined by ILO Director-General Guy Ryder in June 2014, calls for “constructing an agenda for fair migration which not only respects the fundamental rights of migrant workers but also offers them real opportunities for decent work.” A Fair Migration Agenda is one in which there is a fair sharing of the prosperity that migrants help to create. This can be achieved through building migration regimes that respond equitably to the interests of countries of origin and destination, migrant workers, employers, and nationals.
For further information please contact:
Albert Y. Bonasahat ILO Migration Officer ILO Jakarta Office Email
Nilim Baruah Regional Migration Specialist ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok Email
