Good Practice: Pre-departure Orientation Program Experience of Bangladesh, Philippines and Sri Lanka Presented by: A.K.M. Masud Ali INCIDIN Bangladesh 20 September 2005 Third Ministerial Consultation on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origin in Asia September 2005, Bali Indonesia

Outline of the Presentation An overview of the added value of PDOS The institutional and legal infrastructure within which the good practices are identified The elements of good practices in PDOS program in Bangladesh, Philippines and Sri Lanka. Examples of good practices in PDOS Way Forward

Stages in Processing Migration Pre Departure: Origin Post Arrival: Destination Reintegration: Origin At every stage of migration process access to authentic information is a precondition to safe migration and it starts at pre-migration stage…

Pre-Departure Orientation Adds value for all Origin Country Destination Country Individual Migrants Managing migration Benefit to: Government Economy Migrants Aware on their Responsibilities With Enhanced Capacity for Integration Maximize benefit from employment of migrant labour Informed decision regarding safe migration Reduced Vulnerability Empowerment Of individual Migrants Maximum Gain from Migration

The two aspects of PDOS program The enabling and supportive institutional and legal infrastructure for safe Labour migration PDOS Program

Institutional and Legal Setups Mandatory and Enabling Pre- departure Registration and Orientation: in Bangladesh (BMET) in Bangladesh (BMET) Philippines (OWWA) Philippines (OWWA) Sri Lanka (SLBFE) Sri Lanka (SLBFE) In the Philippines, POEA Memorandum Circular No. 3, Series of 1983 provided guidelines for the conduct of a compulsory PDOS for “all first-time or re-contracted workers, and every agency is responsible in providing each worker a thorough PDOS”

Institutional and Legal Setups Involvement of private sector and NGOs Philippines 520 agencies OWWA 703 private agencies NGOs

Institutional and Legal Setups Involvement of private sector and NGOs Sri Lanka Trade Union bodies SLBFE Private agencies NGOs

Institutional and Legal Setups Involvement of private sector and NGOs Bangladesh NGO-self initiative BMET Private Recruiting Agencies BOESL

Institutional and Legal Setups Involvement of international organizations (Philippines) IOM Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) Gov. of Canada Power to choose GRP

Institutional and Legal Setups Involvement of international organizations (Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) IOM Pioneer and piloting (90s) PDOS Training Module on Safe Migration Language Lab Health awareness NGO facilitation Govt.

Indicators of Good Practice  Existence of innovative curricula for pre- departure programs  Rich content of pre-departure orientation seminars  Standardization and certification of PDOS  Special need focused orientation for specific group of migrants

Indicators of Good Practice  Information campaigns for awareness and accountability  Peer and community involvement in PDOS  Enabling migrants to access networks for support and redress

Indicators of Good Practice  Gender sensitive and empowering process  Country specific cultural, economic and social orientation/sustainability  Recent introduction of pre- employment orientation seminars before PDOS

PDOS: Indicators of Good Practice Innovative Curricula for PDOS programes: Introduction of new skills training to ensure access to new labour markets; participation in the process of syllabus development, through consultation with different stakeholders development of curricula for specific occupations, experience and destinations Optimal allocation of time Empowerment through the acquisition of knowledge and skills

PDOS: Example of Good Practice Contents of PDOS: Migrants’ Rights & Responsibilities Finance Health: HIV/AIDS Travel Document Workplace Safety Coping Strategy Remittance Worksite Info. Source of Support at Destination Family Welfare CultureLanguage

PDOS: Example of Good Practice Worksite Info. Migrants’ Rights Travel Document Coping Strategy Workplace Safety Culture Finance Remittance Family Welfare Language No single country covers all the topic but the list reflects great potentiality of learning from each other. Contents of PDOS:

PDOS: Example of Good Practice Pre-employment orientation seminars (Philippines) illegal recruitment, list of licensed recruitment agencies, illegal agencies; procedures for application departure, on- site employment and return; job-site information, including culture of the country of destination;

PDOS: Example of Good Practice Pre-employment orientation seminars remittances, financial management and livelihood projects, as protection against the insecurity of overseas employment insurance coverage for workers and their families. Presently the policy makers are stressing on pre-employment orientation as an essential element of pre-migration preparation.

PDOS: Example of Good Practice Enabling Network for Support and Redress Philippines: Orientation on Resource Centers Sri Lanka & Bangladesh: Stay-facilities at destination Information on: Embassies in destination countries, on their role in supporting nationals; Human rights organizations in destination countries; Migrants’ associations and trade unions in destination countries;

PDOS: Example of Good Practice Sustainability Favourable Institutional Structure Migrants’ Welfare fund Coordinated Effort: GO, NGO, IO, PS

PDOS: Example of Good Practice Gender sensitive policy Entertainers: COPE in the Philippines Female Household Workers Entertainers: Special legal Protection and Training Sri Lanka Philippines Bangladesh

Way Forward Decentralization Focus on rights Destination specificity Breaking away gender stereotype Focus on Reintegration The origin and destination countries must come together to ensure that PDOS is seen as a Comprehensive process to make Migration safer and beneficial for all.

Thank you and Welcome to Discussion…..