The role of migrant workers in the ASEAN region is crucial to the economies of the region. The mobility of labour enables workers to move around countries in southeast Asia to work in various sectors such as construction, plantation, manufacturing, domestic work and services.
Within the ASEAN region, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam are the major “supplier” of foreign labor, whereas, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand are the major “receiving” countries where the migrant workers go to work. Malaysia sees the largest number of migrant flows in the region. Migrant workers fill critical labour shortages in nations where there are not enough domestic workers. On the one hand, businesses gain as they are in a position to produce more goods, thereby boosting their productivity. On the other hand, the remittances sent by migrant workers back home support their families and also stimulating the economies of home countries.
However, despite their economic contributions migrant workers face several public health challenges which often put their health and even lives at risk. Workers face occupational hazards due to dangerous nature of their work. These include the risk of injury, exposure to toxins and not to mention the long working hours that could be physically demanding. At times, there are as many as 8 to 12 persons housed in a single room or dorm. These overcrowded and often unsanitary housing contributes to the spread of infectious diseases. Financial constraints and the pressure to send money back home further exacerbates the situation as it prevents them to seek proper medical disgnosis and treatment. Isolation, discrimination, sometimes undocumented status, impacts the mental health of these migrant workers.
ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers is a document adopted by ASEAN member countries in 2007 that outlines the responsibilities of both receiving and sending states in ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights of migrant workers. The document also acknowledged the right of each member state’s right as a sovereign state to determine its migration policies. While of the obligation of the receiving states is to ensure the provision of fair employment conditions and access to legal systems, the sending states had an obligation to offer alternative employment opportunities, worker protection, and reintegration upon........