EU and ASEAN Collaborate on Safe and Fair Labour Migration

Strategic Insights -

The European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have jointly addressed the issue of labour migration, aiming to protect the rights of 7.1 million ASEAN migrants in the region. A 2nd ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Safe and Fair Labour Migration brought together over seventy policymakers, practitioners, and representatives of civil society and international organisations to explore ways to better protect the rights of migrant workers, ensuring their valuable contribution to sustainable economic development. The launch of awareness-raising campaign videos for the ASEAN Safe and Fair Migration Campaign highlighted the importance of information and education in empowering migrant workers.

Key Takeaways:

  • The ASEAN Safe and Fair Migration Campaign aims to equip prospective and current migrant workers with reliable and comprehensive information to help them prepare better for migration and safeguard against exploitation.
  • The campaign has developed audio-visual products (AVPs) in eight languages, including English, Khmer, Bahasa Indonesia, Laotian, Burmese, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese, to reach a broader audience.
  • The 2nd ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Safe and Fair Labour Migration acknowledged that increasing mobility of migrant workers requires a joint response, a continuous improvement on the governance of labour migration, and strengthening of regional migration measures.
  • The Dialogue recognized the crucial role information and education play in the empowerment of millions of migrant workers across the region.
  • The ASEAN Secretariat, Philippines Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippines Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), European Union (EU), and International Labour Organization (ILO) have collaborated to promote the protection and welfare of overseas migrant workers.
  • The EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership underlines the collective commitment to addressing the common challenges, including through cooperation to protect and advance the rights of migrant workers.

Statistics:

  • 7.1 million ASEAN citizens are migrant workers in the region.
  • The Labour Migration in the Region is reaching pre-pandemic levels, requiring the region's existing labour mobility management systems to be further developed to maximise migrants' contribution to socio-economic recovery and growth.
  • As of 2023, the Philippines Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has been promoting gainful employment opportunities and optimising the development and utilisation of the country's manpower resources.

Sources:

  • [European Union External Action Service](https://ceas.europa.eu/announcements/-80th-asean-eu-dialogue-safe-and-fair-labour-migration/210327_1_en.pdf)
  • [Association of Southeast Asian Nations](https://asean.org/)
  • [Philippines Department of Labor and Employment](https://www.dole.gov.ph/)
  • [Philippines Department of Migrant Workers](https://www.dmw.gov.ph/)
  • [International Labour Organization](https://www.ilo.org/)
  • [International Organization for Migration](https://www.iom.int/)