| Background
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- Over the course of time, labour migration has become a key component in the development of countries through the significant contribution brought about by migrant workers, who in many countries in the Asia and Middle East region, comprise a large portion of the economy’s workforce. According to the 2017 estimate of the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are around 163.8 million migrant workers across the globe, 20.4 % of which belong to the Asia-Pacific region. In the 2020 Asia-Pacific Migration Report, it was found that between 2009 and 2019, remittances to the region rose from $183 billion to $330 billion, nearly half of the 2019 global total of $717 billion, significantly contributing to the GDP of both origin and destination countries. It is then necessary that as an essential member of the population, migrant workers are able to exercise their agency and are able to freely access the same opportunities granted to native citizens of the country. Beyond being a key contributor to economic growth, the voice, participation, and social inclusion of migrant workers must be warranted on the basis that these are fundamental human rights which they are entitled to, as guaranteed by international human rights conventions. Oftentimes, this becomes challenging to achieve due to many barriers encountered by migrant workers such as in language, restrictions in mobility, and primarily, the temporary nature of labour migrants in the Asia-Pacific region.
While migration policies are an integral part of many national strategies in recognition of the role of migrant workers, there continues to be gaps that need to be bridged in terms of ensuring that migrants are not only guaranteed their rights and entitlements as workers but to also ensure that these policies enable them access to services, spaces, and opportunities that provide them a sense of social belonging and inclusion which they would normally experience in their country of origin. Much of these policies, while under the intention of granting the basic needs of migrant workers, tend to only further create a norm of exclusion for migrant workers in countries of destination. An example of this can be seen in living arrangements such as in countries like Singapore and Malaysia, where migrant workers are housed in dorms and often in an area that is separate from where local citizens mainly reside. Even tend to influence the way migrant workers are perceived and treated within the society, often leading to discriminatory narratives and practices.
As an international covenant, the UN Sustainable Developmental Goals encapsulates the principle of ‘leaving no one behind’ within its transformative agenda. However, while a huge portion of migrants have resided in countries of destination for long periods of time, they remain in the same status as when they first arrived, without any opportunity to acquire citizenship or permanent residency in the country of destination, some even eventually placed in situations of irregularity. This isolates migrant workers from the opportunity to freely participate in social, economic, and political processes of the country of destination they reside in.
As the COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to migrant workers, severely impacting not only their livelihood but also their overall safety and well-being, these non-inclusive policies become more harmful to migrant workers who need to be protected during a time of extreme vulnerability. They have become more excluded and marginalized, especially as nations shift their attention to prioritizing nationals as they form state responses and policies to address the pandemic. Through this parallel session in the 2021 Gwangju Democracy Forum, the discussion will aim to highlight how states can aim to achieve social cohesion by integrating the voice and participation of migrants across all sectors of society.
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| Speakers
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- Moderator: Ayessa Nilong (Program Assistant, Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), Philippines)
- Presenters / Panelists
- BINOD KHADRIA, Former Professor of Economics, Education and International Migration, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- ELLENE SANA, Executive Director, Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA), Philippines
- ESWARI DAS, Research Associate and Policy Analyst, Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)
- MISUN KIM, Executive Director, Migrant Health Association in Korea WeFriends (member of JCMK, South Korea)
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