Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Friday endorsed a Philippine-initiated framework aimed at strengthening the return and reintegration of migrant workers across the region, marking a significant step in coordinated labor policy among the bloc’s member states.
The ASEAN Guidelines on the Effective Return and Reintegration of Migrant Workers, developed under Philippine leadership through the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), were formally submitted for leaders’ notation at the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s chairship.
The guidelines had previously been adopted by the ASEAN Labor Ministers Meeting before being elevated to the summit level.
In a chair’s statement released Saturday, the Philippines said ASEAN leaders supported the document, describing it as an “important step” toward promoting sustainable livelihoods for returning Southeast Asian nationals.
“The checklist will serve as a regional guide for ASEAN countries to strengthen policies that support the safe return and reintegration of migrant workers,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said Saturday.
The framework was developed in response to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and is designed as a voluntary, strategic tool for member states to address, mitigate and manage the impact of health emergencies, geopolitical tensions, and natural or human-induced crises on migrant workers.
The DMW said the initiative seeks to improve coordination, monitoring, benchmarking and evidence-based policymaking across the 10-member bloc, particularly during periods of crisis affecting workers abroad.
The department added that it plans to collaborate with relevant government agencies to lead regional workshops and capacity-building activities to help ASEAN states implement the guidelines and facilitate the orderly return of their nationals.
Southeast Asia is home to millions of overseas workers, many of whom faced severe hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic when border closures and economic shutdowns left large numbers stranded or unemployed abroad.
