Building Partnerships for Effectively Managing Labor Migration: Lessons from Asian Countries

Abstract

This report analyzes labor migration trends in Asia and emphasizes the importance of partnerships to promote effective labor migration management. It addresses temporary migrant worker programs, focusing on the Republic of Korea’s Employment Permit System and Malaysia’s Electrical and Electronics industry. It also highlights the key role multilateral and bilateral agreements play in protecting migrant workers’ social security entitlements. Key issues covered are how these partnerships can provide safe, orderly, and fair labor migration, and, hence, a fair environment in Asia’s labor market. The four chapters capture the ideas, insights, and discussions from the “Eighth Roundtable on Labor Migration in Asia - Building Partnerships for Effectively Managing Labor Migration: Lessons from Asian Countries for the UN Global Compact on Migration”, hosted by Human Resource Development Korea in Incheon, Republic of Korea, in January 2018. The event, co-organized by the Asian Development Bank Institute, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the International Labour Organization, brought together regional experts and policy makers.