News & Updates

18 December 2017 International Migrants Day Migrant Forum in Asia Statement   More than 247 million migrants are crossing international borders to search for safer and better future. Migrants are often exposed to situations that make them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. As media and communication advance, the large movement of people has been magnified and is now recognized ...

MFA arranged a dialogue for the members of the Asia Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Labour Migration with Congressman John Bertiz, House of Representatives, Philippines and Ms. Cecilia Lero from the Office of Congressman Tom Villarin to provide space for parliamentarians to exchange experiences and to identify parliamentary strategies for ratification and domestification of C189. The dialogue was ...

1 Million Cambodian Migrant Workers in Thailand Might Miss Voting Registration About 9.6 million Cambodians are now eligible to vote, according to the National Election Commission for the next commune elections scheduled for 4 June, 2017. Although registration procedures have been somewhat simplified and a new electronic voter list will replace the old controversial one, eligible voters ...

Members of the Asian Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Labour Migration representing Bangladesh, Cambodia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea and Sri Lanka gathered in Kuala Lumpur on 13-14 November 2015 for its 5th Annual Assembly to discuss how they could actively engage in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that UN Member States adopted ...

The 4th Annual Meeting of the Asian Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Labour Migration was convened in Kathmandu, Nepal from 8-9 November 2014. There were 40 participants to the conference, which included current and former Members of Parliament, Parliamentary staff, representatives from civil society and trade unions and select expert resource speakers. Countries represented were Bangladesh, Cambodia, ...

Advisory Committee Meeting and Fact Finding Mission
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

On 14-16 April 2014, the Advisory Committee of the Asian Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Labour Migration met in Kuala Lumpur for their second meeting and to conduct a ‘fact-finding’ mission in Malaysia. The 7 participants included current members of parliament, parliamentary staff and former parliamentarians from Cambodia, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Pakistan. The delegation heard from civil society, trade unionists, current migrant workers in Malaysia, representatives from the National Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM), and members of the Malaysian Bar council on the situation of migrant workers in the country. 

On February 26th, the House of Representative called the first hearing of 2014 to follow up on deliberations from 2013. The meeting, chaired by congressmen Walden Bello, included the continuation of deliberations on the Sex for Flight scheme, updates from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) on the anticipated ‘mega recruitment agencies’ in Saudi Arabia, ...

Beginning in June 2013, the Philippines has drawn international scrutiny with the Sex for Flight scheme. Congressmen Walden Bello exposed the alleged scheme where Filipino Mission officials in Saudi Arabia allegedly promised repatriation for female overseas Filipino workers in exchange for sexual favors.

Hon. Mu Sochua and Hon. Son Chhay recently requested the Singaporean and Malaysian embassies to immediately furnish copies of bilateral agreements on migrant workers with Cambodia to their offices. Hon. Mu Sochua and Hon Son Chhay are both members of the official opposition in Cambodia, the Cambodia National Rescue Party as well as the Asian Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Labour Migration.

The Asian Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Labour Migration met for the 7th consecutive year in Bangkok, Thailand on November 22-24th, 2013. The conference was organized by Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), Friedrich‐Ebert‐Stiftung (FES), Congressional Committee on Overseas Workers’ Affairs (COWA), and UN Women for the convening of the largest parliamentary conference since its inception in 2007.