1. Enhancing Labor Migration Management in the Greater Mekong Subregion
Training Program on
Enhancing Labor Migration Management in the Greater Mekong Subregion
Copyright© International Organization for Migration 2012 

2. MODULE 4: International migration law framework for the protection of migrant workers and International cooperation for facilitation of labour migration (IOM)
4a. Migrants’ civil rights, employment related rights and other rights
4b. Universal and regional legal frameworks
4c. and 4d. Developing labour migration policies in countries of origin and destination
4e. The GMS initiatives on a migration framework
This module guides participants by going through the steps of migration concepts which are broken down into fundamental elements of migration: types of migration, migration response in ASEAN and GMS, Migration and Development and Migration Trends and Patterns.
Having this understanding, the latter session provides migration into the context of ASEAN region and further to the GMS, where participants are from. The session poses guiding questions in leading participants to analyze migration from the GMS framework while considering broader global governance structure. Participants have a chance to examine, through discussions, bilateral labour arrangements, including Memorandum of Understandings which frames labour mobility in the subregion reflecting ILO’s principle elements of bilateral agreements.
Copyright© International Organization for Migration 2012 

3. Copyright© International Organization for Migration 2012
Learning Objectives 4e
To learn issues and gaps exist in the subregion.
To propose activities to tackle those issues.
To share views in utilizing legal framework exist in the subregion
This module guides participants by going through the steps of migration concepts which are broken down into fundamental elements of migration: types of migration, migration response in ASEAN and GMS, Migration and Development and Migration Trends and Patterns.
Having this understanding, the latter session provides migration into the context of ASEAN region and further to the GMS, where participants are from. The session poses guiding questions in leading participants to analyze migration from the GMS framework while considering broader global governance structure. Participants have a chance to examine, through discussions, bilateral labour arrangements, including Memorandum of Understandings which frames labour mobility in the subregion reflecting ILO’s principle elements of bilateral agreements.
Copyright© International Organization for Migration 2012 

4. 4e. The GMS initiatives on a migration framework
Copyright© International Organization for Migration 2012 

5. Economic integration and labour mobility
Important to speed-up the transition towards knowledge-based economy and enter the competition for global talents to be competitive in AEC 2015
To rely on cheap low-skilled labour increases competitiveness in some sectors, but slows the integration process
In view of AEC 2015, GMS must ensure its competitiveness as a whole.
Intra-GMS investment should create centres of excellence throughout the countries:
facilitating the emergence of sub-regional skill specialisations and incentivise the movement of skilled labour within the GMS
Attract sector-related talents from outside GMS 5

6. Economic integration: skills and talents
Recognition of skills is central to economic integration and in the competition for global talents:
Mechanisms for skills recognition have to be designed
Skill recognition mechanisms also decrease the risk of brain drain induced by de-skilling
Highly skilled migrants need attractive environment (visa, family members, land ownership, competitive research sector) 6

7. Irregular migration – trafficking - smuggling
Irregular migration needs to be reduced; it undermines sovereignty, reduces the benefits of migration, distorts labour markets and makes migrants vulnerable
Regular channels are costly and complicated; migrants often prefer to pass through brokers
Recruitment practices associated to trafficking especially women and men in the fishing sector
Irregular migration being difficult to estimate, this makes it difficult to have control on labour market. Also, this favors informal and illegal networks and rings while national sovereignty on labour market is undermined, with repercussions on economy.
Regular status is thus profitable for migrants and for countries.
It gives access to protection from arbitrary detention or expulsion. In Thailand it gives access to public health services. However, both regular and irregular labor migrants face risks and vulnerability due to weak enforcement of labor standards
The large proportion of migrants in the region makes it important to ensure access to health and education for their children: migrants as well as countries of destination will benefit from this
Access to social protection for migrants and their families is thus a major issue in GMS, intimately related to the regularization process.
Regularization is a costly and difficult process for migrants and penalties against employers who hire irregular migrants are generally poorly enforced.
In Thailand, before 2009 only migrants who were already registered could apply for work permit: for this reason, the number of work permit renewals was decreasing since In 2009 the registration was opened to new migrants, and more than 1 million registered.

8. Data are scattered among ministries and institution
Knowledge gap
Insufficient data to analyze migration and formulate policies  benefits of labour migration for the region not being maximized
Data are scattered among ministries and institution
Qualitative data are important to understand the social structures driving and driven by migration 8

9. Include migration into the national regional development agenda
Labour mobility and regional development
Recognize that migration is related to market integration and liberalization  goods, services, investment and migrant workers
Include the social dimensions of migration in the integration process; recognize pros and cons and the rights of migrant workers
Include migration into the national regional development agenda
Strengthen national and intra-regional collaboration on migration data.
Increase protection mechanisms for migrants in cross-border settings
Conduct labor awareness campaigns for potential migrant workers in three districts of Cambodia and Lao PDR and other countries in the subregion
Set up monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which involve representatives from different stakeholders to provide safety nets for migrants across borders in the subregion
Provide pre-departure and pre-employment orientation through Migrant Resource Center and other existing public and private facilities
Develop user-friendly information materials on existing legal instruments including MOU and bilateral agreements to help migrants to understand migration procedures
Strengthen capacity and legal framework in managing labor migration in the GMS
Conduct expert-level review in analyzing implementation of existing MOU in the subregion
Conduct capacity building training in order to improve understanding and knowledge of government officials dealing with migration issues
Introducing monitoring system at the migrant workers’ work places can be encouraged in order to minimize exploitation at the work place.
Review inspection capacities of relevant ministries and develop standard operating procedures
Develop a guide to improve coordination mechanisms among different ministries dealing with migration
Develop a subregional labor market information system to capture and analyze market trends
Review the effectiveness of cross-border provincial agreements between Thailand and Cambodia and Lao PDR
Design and implement gender-sensitive migration policies in order to facilitate safe migration and reduce vulnerability of women migrants, especially those engaged in domestic work
Enhance social protection for migrants and their families
Review access to basic social services for migrant workers and their families in countries of destination
Develop network support systems for migrants and their families
Conduct information campaigns for migrants and migrants families
Conduct awareness raising programs for migrant workers in regards to the right to create associations and unions in order to claim their rights
Promote Ethical Recruitment and Employment
Review existing framework to regulate recruitment agencies and identify key obstacles to minimize migration costs
Assess lessons learnt to identify good practices which exist in the subregion that reduce costs incurred through recruitment phases
Organize workshop for representatives of private recruitment agencies to promote ethical recruitment practices
Strengthen Return and Reintegration Support to Migrants
Review support mechanisms for return and reintegration
Develop schemes to recognize skills obtained from countries of destination
Conduct a pilot project to provide counseling and vocational training assistance to migrants upon their return, which allow countries of origin to harness the skills that migrants acquire while working abroad
Provide a certification programme for migrants to obtain certified skills while working
Increase Knowledge Management Mechanisms
Organize an expert-level meeting to identify research gaps in understanding and analyzing the socio and economic impacts of migration such as those impacts upon demography, labor market information, and political drift
Assess the impact and utilization of remittance and knowledge sharing on products and services related to remittance channeling and utilization in the subregion
Conduct research in order to analyze the impact of border mobility and suggest policy recommendations
Develop information system to capture migration flows on cross border mobility
Effective Use of Remittance
Assess money transfer mechanisms in the subregion and identify challenges in irregular ways of money transfer
Increase awareness and knowledge about the effective use of remittance through conducting financial literacy programs targeting migrants’ households

10. Increase protection mechanisms for migrants in cross-border settings
Conduct labor awareness campaigns
Set up monitoring and evaluation mechanisms
Provide pre-departure and pre-employment orientation through Migrant Resource Center and other existing public and private facilities
Develop user-friendly information materials on existing legal instruments
Strengthen registration and identification cards for migrant workers (especially under MOUs with TH)  increase number of regular, documented migrant workers.
Enhanced protection and enforcement to promote regular migration  better integration of migrants
Better governance through: pre-departure training, information, standardization of training and skills, access to social services and portability of benefits, remittance transfer channels, productive return

11. Strengthen capacity and legal framework in managing labor migration in the GMS
Conduct expert-level review in analyzing implementation of existing MOU in the subregion
Conduct capacity building training
Introduce monitoring system at the migrant workers’ work places can be encouraged
Review inspection capacities of relevant ministries and develop standard operating procedures
Develop a guide to improve coordination mechanisms among different ministries dealing with migration
Develop a subregional labor market information system to capture and analyze market trends

12. Enhance social protection for migrants and their families
Review access to basic social services for migrant workers and their families in countries of destination
Develop network support systems for migrants and their families
Conduct information campaigns for migrants and migrants families
Conduct awareness raising programs for migrant workers in regards to the right to create associations and unions in order to claim their rights

13. Promote Ethical Recruitment and Employment
Review existing framework to regulate recruitment agencies and identify key obstacles to minimize migration costs
Assess lessons learnt to identify good practices which exist in the subregion that reduce costs incurred through recruitment phases
Organize workshop for representatives of private recruitment agencies to promote ethical recruitment practices

14. Strengthen Return and Reintegration Support to Migrants
Review support mechanisms for return and reintegration
Develop schemes to recognize skills obtained from countries of destination
Conduct a pilot project to provide counseling and vocational training assistance to migrants upon their return, which allow countries of origin to harness the skills that migrants acquire while working abroad
Provide a certification programme for migrants to obtain certified skills while working

15. Increase Knowledge Management Mechanisms
Organize an expert-level meeting to identify research gaps in understanding and analyzing the socio and economic impacts of migration such as those impacts upon demography, labor market information, and political drift
Assess the impact and utilization of remittance and knowledge sharing on products and services related to remittance channeling and utilization in the subregion
Conduct research in order to analyze the impact of border mobility and suggest policy recommendations
Develop information system to capture migration flows on cross border mobility

16. Effective Use of Remittance
Assess money transfer mechanisms in the subregion and identify challenges in irregular ways of money transfer
Increase awareness and knowledge about the effective use of remittance through conducting financial literacy programs targeting migrants’ households

17. Thank you!
Yuko Hamada
Senior Labour Migration/Migration and Development Specialist
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Copyright© International Organization for Migration 2012