ASEAN Urged to Protect Undocumented Workers
MANILA: The Philippines has urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ senior labor officials to work for the protection of migrant workers, especially the undocumented ones who are susceptible to falling prey to abuse, and exploitation.
Philippine labor secretary Rosalinda Baldoz issued the call to the ASEAN’s 11th Senior Labor Officials Meeting, citing the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, GMA News reported.
“As stipulated in the ASEAN Declaration, receiving, and the sending states shall, for humanitarian reasons, closely cooperate to resolve the cases of migrant workers who, through no fault of their own, have subsequently become undocumented,” she reportedly said in a statement read by Undersecretary Reydeluz Conferido.
She also emphasized upon the obligation of receiving states to “provide migrant workers, who may be victims of discrimination, abuse, exploitation, or violence, with adequate access to the legal, and judicial systems of the receiving states.”
Baldoz also reportedly called on the ministers to uphold the rights and dignity of migrant workers, and family members already residing with them.
Also, she pointed out mobility will be inevitable in the ASEAN members’ shared borders, which may involve a 14-day visa-free entry privilege among ASEAN citizens, the report said.
She also reportedly exhorted the ASEAN authorities to have “practical procedures and protocols for dealing with the reality of migrants who have become undocumented through no fault of their own.”
The Philippines is hosting this year’s biennial SLOM. Senior labor officials from ASEAN member states, Japan, Korea, and China are visiting Manila for the event, GMA News reported.
Baldoz also urged the ASEAN SLOM to “build on past accomplishments,” citing the groundwork established during the 26th ASEAN Summit last April in Kuala Lumpur.
She also asked the ASEAN labor ministers to continue working on the finalization of an ASEAN Instrument in the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.
Baldoz was quoted as saying GMA News that a purely legalistic response may not be fully effective, and pushed for a coordinating mechanism to let government agencies work for justice.