WUNRN
Please see 3 Parts of this WUNRN
Release on Migrants - Women & Girls.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
|
|
The
labor-sending countries attending the Colombo Process include Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. The countries of destination include Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Yemen, as
well as Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore.
(Abu Dhabi, January 20, 2008) – When labor ministers from 22 Asian and Middle Eastern countries meet in Abu Dhabi this week to discuss Asian contract migrant workers, they should address widespread violations of migrant workers’ rights, Human Rights Watch said today.
Both
labor-sending and labor-receiving countries benefit from migration, but abuse
of workers’ rights remains rampant. These abuses include recruitment-related
deception, unpaid wages, confiscation of passports, and, in some instances,
physical violence.
On January 21 and 22, the United Arab Emirates will host the labor ministers in
the latest round of the Colombo Process, a series of regional consultative
meetings of government officials focused on issues relating to Asian contract
migrant workers. On January 23 and 24, these discussions will continue in the
Gulf Forum on Temporary Contractual Labor. This is the first time a
labor-receiving country is hosting the Colombo Process.
“It is encouraging that representatives from countries that send and receive
migrant workers will sit at the same table,” said Nisha Varia, senior
researcher for the women’s rights division of Human Rights Watch. “To make the
talks successful, officials must tackle badly flawed immigration policies and
gaps in labor laws that expose migrants to abuse.”
Tens of millions of Asian men and women work as fixed-contract migrant workers
in both Asia and the Middle East, typically in domestic work, construction,
manufacturing and agriculture. These workers meet the very high demand for
cheap labor in countries such as Saudi Arabia, and send home billions of
dollars in remittances to their home countries. For example, Indians living
abroad sent home US$24.6 billion in fiscal year 2006. In Sri Lanka, remittances
are the second-highest source of foreign exchange.
However, poorly monitored labor recruitment agencies may often overcharge
migrants, leaving them heavily indebted. Many labor-receiving countries tie
migrant visas to their employers, making it all but impossible to switch
employers when they experience abuse. These countries also exclude domestic
workers from the labor laws, leaving them open to abuse with few avenues for
redress.
“Governments should establish regional minimum standards to avoid an unhealthy
race to the bottom in labor conditions,” said Varia. “Greater cooperation is
essential on a number of fronts, including creating mutually respected
employment contracts and mechanisms to enforce them.”
“Too often, workers sign one contract in their home country, and migrate to
find they have to sign a new contract with lower wages and worse labor
conditions,” Varia explained.
On December 18, International Migrants’ Day, networks and organizations
representing hundreds of migrants’ rights groups, women’s rights groups, and
human rights groups across Asia, including Human Rights Watch, issued a letter
to governments participating in the Colombo process, calling on them to
implement key reforms. These include the following:
The
labor-sending countries attending the Colombo Process include Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. The countries of destination include Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Yemen, as well
as Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore.
================================================================
To leave the list, send your request by email to:
wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com. Thank you.