Labour Migration
Skills, mobility and growth: employers contribute to fair migration at the 18th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour
At the 18th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour in Kuala Lumpur, employers contributed to shaping recommendations on fair recruitment, lower remittance costs, and skills recognition. The ASEAN Confederation of Employers (ACE) played a key role, highlighting employer-led solutions that support both business growth and migrant worker protection.
15 September 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (ILO News) - The 18th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour (18th AFML) was held (9–10 September in Kuala Lumpur) under the theme “Accelerating Actions Towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Safe Migration and Decent Work for Migrant Workers in ASEAN”. The AFML is a multi-stakeholder annual platform to review, discuss, and share good practices on key issues affecting migrant workers. This year’s forum focused on tow sub themes: “Safe and Secure Environments Free from Forced Labour” and “Reduced Recruitment and Remittance Costs”
A key issue for migrant workers is costs of recruitment and the recommendation called for “policies, regulations, and measures to work towards the: (i) reduction of recruitment fees and related costs, including encouraging greater transparency of costs, and (ii) prohibition of charging recruitment fees and related costs to migrant workers, such as by exploring affordable employer-pay model and recognising agencies and employers with fair and ethical recruitment practices.”
The forum noted that the costs of remittances was still high in many countries and the recommendations highlighted the role that partnerships with fintech providers could play in reducing these costs.
The Forum agreed a set of recommendations which are non-binding and voluntary. The ASEAN Confederation of Employers (ACE) led discussions for employers through Siriwan Romchatthong, Secretary General of the Employers Confederation of Thai Employers.
The recommendations negotiated in Kuala Lumpur at the AFLM this week, which are non-binding and voluntary, are a further step forward to promote skills recognition and safe, fair mobility—benefiting businesses and workers alike across the region. ACE has played a constructive role in the migration process over decades by actively engaging in regional dialogue and contributing to frameworks that promote skills recognition, safe, and fair migration—helping to ensure that labour mobility supports both business growth and the protection of workers. Siriwan Romchatthong, Secretary General of the Employers Confederation of Thai Employers
ACE had developed two policy positions focusing on social security portability and skills mobility, recognition and development for migrant workers in May of this year and these were vital inputs into the discussions.