Co-organised by the Mekong Migration Network, Cambodian Women Crisis Centre and Legal Support for Children and Women
Phnom Penh Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
16-17 September 2019
Migration mechanisms
1) Provide more flexible and accessible channels for regularization of immigration status and assistance.
2) Simplify regularization procedures to reduce processing time and decrease costs
3) Advocate for long-term employment contracts
4) Uphold maternity rights of migrants as well as protect their children to ensure they are supported and do not face discrimination when accessing social services.
5) Avoid imposing restrictions or bans on women migrating. Bans have the opposite effect on protecting women.
Information Dissemination
1) Proactively use social media to disseminate information on social protection programmes of destination countries and countries of origin
2) Ensure consistency and quality of Pre-Departure Trainings PDTs as well as on-site/ post-arrival trainings and briefings upon return, and information on social protection programmes is included.
3) Expand outreach through the use of social networks (e.g. other migrants and organisations)
4) Make all materials related to social protection programmes available in different ethnic languages and easy to understand
5) Government of COO make information regarding licenses of RA, history of complaints, violations/fines, revocation or suspension of licenses, publically available and accessible to prospective migrants.
Overseas Assistance and Labour Attaches/ counsellors
1) Build the capacity of labour attaches/counsellors, develop a comprehensive curriculum to train labour attaches/counsellors that includes modules on gender sensitivity, behaviours and attitudes, and encourage deployment of more female labour attaches/ counsellors.
2) Develop support systems for migrants suffering from mental health issues
3) Ensure the establishment of contingency-planning by COO that addresses the needs of migrants at times of crises i.e. natural disasters;
4) Provide timely and responsive assistance to migrants. including an effective complaint mechanism that ensures coordination and streamlined referral systems between relevant stakeholders in destination countries and countries of origin
5) Improve communication and cooperation between labour attaches/ counsellors and CSOs, to understand the needs of migrant communities and share information, with due respect to privacy
6) TORs for Labour Attaches/counsellors should mandate their role to assist migrant workers in destination countries access social protection and governments of COO should provide oversight for effective implementation of their mandates.
Roles and Responsibilities of Recruitment agencies
1) Provide timely trainings, share accurate information (regularly updated) specifically on social protection programmes, access to healthcare, how the contributory system works (i.e. salary deductions), benefits, as well as generally on relevant topics such as working conditions, employment contracts, cultures of respective countries, labour rights and safety.
2) Develop a better monitoring system to ensure recruitment agencies comply with standards set out in laws.
3) Develop a better monitoring system to ensure recruitment agencies abide by codes of conduct.
4) Provide assistance to migrant workers on-site in destination countries and upon return in a timely manner
International cooperation
1) Uphold commitments to implement provisions in bilateral or multilateral agreements
2) Develop standard operating procedures that guarantee rights and entitlements of migrant workers as stipulated in MOUs
3) Lobby for the formation of a subcommittee under the ASEAN Committee on Migrant Workers to develop a framework for the mobility of social protection
4) Collectively negotiate with and advocate to destination countries to ensure portability of social security benefits and at very least, ensure that migrants are able to recuperate contributions made through lump sum amount totalling the contributions to pension schemes during period of employment.
Assistance upon return
1) Develop a transparent and accessible quantitative, qualitative and data-based monitoring system to inform the enhancement of social protection in countries of origin with the participation of different stakeholders
2) Take steps towards establishing a welfare fund for migrants in all countries of origin in appropriate time
3) Provide assistance to migrant workers upon return in a timely manner
Social Protection Programmes in Countries of Origin
4) COO develop inclusive social protection programmes that migrants can voluntarily participate in and access when abroad
5) Establish flexible money transfer systems such as enabling migrants to contribute to social security systems through digital systems