TY - GOVDOC T1 - Vulnerable foreign workers who are victims of abuse A1 - Government of Canada,  Y1 - 2019/07/15/ UR - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/permit/temporary/vulnerable-workers.html Y2 - 2019-07-30 ER - TY - PCOMM T1 - Lettre de la Députée Poirier sur la santé des enfants né de parents sans statut A1 - Poirier, Carole Y1 - 2017/11/23/ ER - TY - GOVDOC T1 - Federal Budget 2017 - Temporary foreign workers CY - Canada PB - Canadian Governement N2 - udget 2017 comes at a time of tremendous change and opportunity. All around the world, people are embracing innovation and the opportunities it brings—opportunities to rethink everything from how we manage the demands of work, to how we build our cities, to how we grow our economy. With those innovations will come opportunities—a real and fair chance to build better lives for ourselves and for our children. At the same time, technological change can also create anxiety—among workers who worry if their jobs will disappear due to automation, and among parents who watch their children interact with the world using devices and platforms that didn’t exist just a decade or two ago. To make the most of these opportunities, and to offer reassurance and real help to those who worry about being left behind, we need to equip Canada’s current and future workers with the tools they will need to succeed in the new economy. That includes making sure that every Canadian can get the training they need to find and keep good, well-paying jobs. At the same time, there is growing competition from other countries around the world that are eager to make their own mark as innovators. It’s time for our country to prosper from the hard work and ingenuity of Canadians. Canada’s new Innovation and Skills Plan is the plan to get there. A1 - Cabinet (Liberal Party of Canada),  Y1 - 2017/// KW - families KW - budget KW - Temporary Foreign Worker Program KW - TFWP KW - students KW - Budget 2017 KW - Middle Class KW - Economic KW - Canadian citizen KW - market KW - employment insurance KW - education KW - Canada Labor Code KW - indigenous KW - Innovation KW - Disabled people UR - http://www.budget.gc.ca/2017/docs/plan/chap-01-en.html#Toc477707331 Y2 - 2017-03-29 ER - TY - GEN T1 - Canadian produce industry meets with Members of Parliament CY - Canada PB - Farms.com N2 - The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) and Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) recently met with Members of Parliament in Ottawa to discuss important issues impacting the country’s fresh fruit and vegetable sector. A1 - Flammini, Diego Y1 - 2017/// KW - Workers KW - health KW - Temporary workers UR - http://www.farms.com/ag-industry-news/canadian-produce-industry-meets-with-members-of-parliament-033.aspx Y2 - 2017-03-07 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - L’intelligence artificielle au service de l’immigration CY - Montréal PB - Radio-Canada N2 - Le processus d'immigration peut être long et fastidieux. Amir Morajev, d'origine iranienne, en sait quelque chose. Il a donc décidé de développer un outil qui facilite les démarches grâce à l'intelligence artificielle. Morajev a décidé d’améliorer son programme initial pour faire une partie de ce que font les avocats, c’est-à-dire déterminer l’éligibilité des candidats pour l’un des 60 programmes d’immigration, puis remplir toute une série de formulaires et mettre sur pied le dossier d’immigration. A1 - Mathys, Catherine Y1 - 2017/// KW - Workers KW - immigration KW - students KW - migration process KW - articifial intelligence UR - http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1015243/lintelligence-artificielle-au-service-de-limmigration Y2 - 2017-03-06 JA - Radio-Canada ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Des orphelines nicaraguéennes pour prendre soin de nos aînés CY - Montreal N2 - Après avoir recruté des centaines de machinistes, mécaniciens et soudeurs en Amérique centrale, un entrepreneur québécois s’apprête à former des orphelines du Nicaragua dans le but de les faire venir travailler au Québec comme aides familiales. A1 - Porter, Isabelle Y1 - 2017/// KW - Aide familiale Nicaragua orpeline UR - http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/actualites-en-societe/488454/des-orphelines-nicaragueennes-pour-prendre-soin-de-nos-aines?utm_source=infolettre-2017-01-05&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=infolettre-quotidienne Y2 - 2017-01-13 JA - Le devoir SP - 1 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - BREAKING NEWS: Deportation order against migrant activist Gina Bahiwal cancelled N2 - After an outpouring of support from all across Canada, the deportation order for migrant activist Gina Bahiwal has been cancelled. Huge thanks to everyone who took the time to write letters of support; grassroots public pressure makes a difference. Gina’s struggle was also supported by dedicated work from her lawyer, Richard Wazana of Wazana Law. Y1 - 2017/// KW - Incarceration of migrant workers UR - https://harvestingfreedom.org/2017/01/13/breaking-news-deportation-order-against-migrant-activist-gina-bahiwal-cancelled/ Y2 - 2017-01-13 JA - Haversting freedom SP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Leamington, Ont. migrant worker receives last-minute deportation reprieve CY - Windsor N2 - Gina Bahiwal had her bags packed to return to the Philippines when she learned she could stay in Canada.A Leamington, Ont. migrant worker had her bags packed in anticipation of her impending deportation this Sunday when she learned it had been cancelled at the last minute.Gina Bahiwal came to Canada from the Philippines in 2008 under the Temporary Foreign Workers Program and worked packing vegetables, as a housekeeper and in the fast food industry. Y1 - 2017/01/13/ KW - Deportation UR - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/gina-bahiwal-migrant-worker-leamington-not-deported-1.3935481 Y2 - 2017-01-30 JA - CBC News SP - 1 M2 - 1 SP - 1 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Migrant workers caravan hits Toronto en route to Parliament Hill CY - Toronto N2 - Foreign workers who do work Canadians won’t call for labour rights and an end to exploitation.As symbols go, the schedule of the “Harvesting Freedom Caravan” that hit Toronto on Sunday could hardly have been better designed.Activists campaigning for an end to exploitation of migrant workers in Canada set out on Labour Day weekend from the Ontario town of Leamington, home to the largest concentration of agricultural greenhouses in North America.They aim to conclude in Ottawa — where they say the problem must be addressed — just before Thanksgiving weekend, when Canadians across the country will be preparing to chow down on what the caravaners describe as the fruits and produce of injustice. Y1 - 2016/// KW - Harvesting Freedom Caravan UR - https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/09/25/migrant-workers-caravan-hits-toronto-en-route-to-parliament-hill.html Y2 - 2016-09-30 JA - Thestar.com SP - 1 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Resilience and determination Gulf Coast organizations defending worker and immigrant rights in the aftermath of Katrina CY - America PB - Oxfam A1 - Oxfam America,  Y1 - 2016/// UR - https://www.oxfamamerica.org/static/oa3/files/resilience-and-determination.pdf Y2 - 2016-06-13 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Hong Kong - Submission to the Legislative Council Panel on Manpower N2 - Between May and October 2012, Amnesty International interviewed 50 Indonesian migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong. In March 2013, further interviews were conducted with 47 returnees in Indonesia who had worked in Hong Kong as domestic workers.1 All of the interviewees were women. The issues raised are not limited to Indonesians, but reflect the problems faced by the wider community of migrant domestic workers irrespective of nationality. Amnesty International’s research demonstrates that placement agencies in Hong Kong employ coercive practices to maintain control over migrant domestic workers (e.g. the confiscation of identity documents, manipulation of debt and restrictions on freedom of movement). In this way, they compel migrant domestic workers to work in conditions where they are exposed to exploitation, forced labour, threats and physical/psychological violence. Hong Kong placement agencies work in close partnership with Indonesian recruitment agencies, but they are separate organizations and come under the jurisdiction of the HKSAR authorities which have a responsibility to monitor and regulate them, and ensure that they are operating in full compliance with the laws in the Hong Kong SAR. The following outlines specific abusive practices, which in combination amount to trafficking and forced labour A1 - Amnesty International, International Secretariat,  Y1 - 2016/// UR - https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/4000/asa170052014en.pdf Y2 - 2016-03-14 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - La commission des relations de travail confirme l’accréditation de l’unité agricole de la section locale 1518 des TUAC chez Floralia A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2016/03/10/ UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30983:la-commission-des-relations-de-travail-confirme-l-accreditation-de-l-unite-agricole-de-la-section-locale-1518-des-tuac-chez-floralia&catid=9720&Itemid=6&lang=fr Y2 - 2016-03-15 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Honoring Dr Kerry Preibisch A1 - McLaughlin, Janet Y1 - 2016/02/02/ UR - http://www.policynote.ca/honouring-dr-kerry-preibisch/ Y2 - 2016-02-14 JA - Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative (CCPA) ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Les Coûts émotionnels de la mondialisation sur les travailleurs agricoles temporaires au Québec et leur famille N1 - Selon l'ONU, en 2010, environ 214 millions de personnes vivaient en dehors de leur pays d’origine, soit plus de trois pour cent de la population mondiale. L’Organisation internationale pour les Migrations (OIM) a récemment précisé qu’environ 105 millions de personnes parmi ces personnes résidaient en 2010 dans 70 pays différents afin de travailler sans toutefois s’être vu octroyé un permis de résidence permanente dans le pays d’accueil (p.11). Ces travailleurs migrants génèrent un apport net de 90 milliars dans leur pays d'acceuil (p. 11). 44115 traveilleurs étrangers temporaires en 2012 (p. 15) IS - 4 CY - Montreal PB - REDTAC-(im)migration A1 - Campos-Flores, Linamar Y1 - 2015/12/01/ T3 - Working papers du REDTAC-(im)migration ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Swept Under the Rug: Abuses against Domestic Workers Around the World IS - vol. 18, no. 7 PB - Human Rights Watch A1 - Human Rights Watch,  Y1 - 2015/// KW - Trafficking KW - Forced Labour KW - Wage Exploitation UR - https://www.hrw.org/report/2006/07/27/swept-under-rug/abuses-against-domestic-workers-around-world Y2 - 2015-11-06 ER - TY - PAMP T1 - Temporary Foreign Workers Know Your Rights! N2 - Employment Standards are the laws in Ontario that cover non-unionized workers. Every province has its own set of laws. The Ministry of Labour is the provincial government body that enforces the laws that cover workers in Ontario. This is where workers can file claims to get their unpaid wages. The Ministry of Labour is very clear - workers are covered by the law and are able to file claims “regardless of an employee’s citizenship or immigration status in Canada”. Below is a very basic and limited overview of your rights at work. A1 - Migrant Workers Alliance for Change,  Y1 - 2015/09/01/ UR - http://www.migrantworkersalliance.org/resources/resourcesforworkers/ Y2 - 2016-01-29 ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - NEW TOOL - MAP of support services to mig workers (all econ sectors) N2 - MAP of Canadian organizations providing support service to temporary foreign workers (all employment sectors) Updated twice/year (June 15 and Dec 15) A1 - MigrantWorkersRights-Canada,  Y1 - 2015/08/14/ UR - https://tmwpngocanada.cartodb.com/viz/04abac66-faac-11e4-8fbf-0e853d047bba/embed_map Y2 - 2015-08-14 ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - NEW TOOL - MAP of support services to mig workers (domestic work) N2 - MAP of Canadian organizations providing support service to temporary foreign workers (domestic work) Updated twice/year (June 15 and Dec 15) A1 - MigrantWorkersRights-Canada,  Y1 - 2015/08/14/ UR - https://tmwpngocanada.cartodb.com/viz/dbfac464-faab-11e4-8f22-0e9d821ea90d/embed_map Y2 - 2015-08-14 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - UFCW Canada advocates for migrant workers at Labour Rights Week in Oaxaca PB - UFCW A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2015/03/03/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30477:ufcw-canada-advocates-for-migrant-workers-at-labour-rights-week-in-oaxaca&catid=9598&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2015-04-01 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Ottawa to relax foreign worker rules at universities A1 - Chiose , Simona Y1 - 2015/02/13/ UR - http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-to-relax-foreign-worker-rules-for-at-postsecondary-institutions/article23001549/ Y2 - 2015-03-04 JA - The Globe and Mail ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Civil Society Contributions to the Special Rapporteur’s Report to the UN Human Rights Council on Migrant Labour Recruitment CY - Quezon City, The Philippines PB - Migrant Forum in Asia, Open Working Group on Labour Migration & Recruitment N2 - The UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants will dedicate one of his 2016 reports to the Human Rights Council on international labour recruitment. His office requested inputs from civil society to contribute to the substance and analysis of his report. In response, the Open Working Group circulated a call for inputs among its membership and hosted online discussions via email, online forums, Facebook, and Twitter. The inputs collected have been aggregated into a full report to the Special Rapporteur. The report outlines recommendations on migrant labour recruitment from CSO and migrant community perspectives. Y1 - 2014/10/31/ KW - labour recruitment KW - CSOs KW - recommendations UR - http://recruitmentreform.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/OWG-Report-to-the-SR-FINAL.pdf Y2 - 2014-11-28 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Live-In Caregivers Reveal Confidential Government Plans, Call for Permanent Status PB - Canadians for an inclusive Canada A1 - Canadians for an inclusive Canada,  Y1 - 2014/// ER - TY - NEWS T1 - UFCW Canada battles Quebec legislation that strips rights of agriculture workers A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2014/09/15/ KW - Projet de loi 8 UR - http://ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30239:ufcw-canada-battles-quebec-legislation-that-strips-rights-of-agriculture-workers&catid=9551&Itemid=98&lang=en Y2 - 2014-09-17 JA - UFCW Canada ER - TY - ADVS T1 - Death of a farm worker N2 - At 3 min 05 Ivan Guerrero footage; Death of Ivan Guerrero in May 2014 by dorwning. It took 3 days before his death was declared; Living and working conditions A1 - CBC News - Montreal,  Y1 - 2014/09/09/ KW - Ivan Guerrero UR - http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Montreal/ID/2513175438/ Y2 - 2014-09-10 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - UFCW Canada outlines migrant worker crisis to Inter-American Commission on Human Rights A1 - UFCWCanada,  Y1 - 2014/08/25/ KW - IACHR KW - Mexican migrants UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30207:ufcw-canada-outlines-migrant-worker-crisis-to-inter-american-commission-on-human-rights&catid=9543&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2014-09-04 JA - UFCW Canada ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Les TUAC Canada portent la crise des travailleurs migrants devant la Commission interaméricaine des droits de l’homme N2 - Le syndicat le plus influent du Canada se joint à divers groupes de la société civile pour débattre de la crise des droits des migrants mexicains Y1 - 2014/08/25/ KW - migrants mexicains KW - CIDH UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30207:ufcw-canada-outlines-migrant-worker-crisis-to-inter-american-commission-on-human-rights&catid=9543&Itemid=6&lang=fr Y2 - 2014-08-26 JA - TUAC Canada ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Group pushes for permanent residency status for temporary foreign workers N2 - EDMONTON - A group supporting temporary foreign workers had stern words for federal politicians on Tuesday, likening government changes to the program to the abuses of migrant workers in the early 20th century. A1 - Dawson, Tyler Y1 - 2014/08/20/ KW - Temporary Foreign Workers KW - Human Rights KW - Human rights KW - government KW - program KW - human rights UR - http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Group+pushes+permanent+residency+status+temporary+foreign+workers/10131832/story.html?__federated=1 Y2 - 2014-08-31 JA - Edmonton Journal ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Liberals introduce law to protect vulnerable workers in Ontario N2 - Labour Minister Kevin Flynn revives Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act that would clamp down on employers and employment agencies that violate workers’ rights A1 - Benzie, Robert Y1 - 2014/07/17/ UR - http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/07/16/ontario_government_introduces_law_to_protect_vulnerable_workers.html Y2 - 2014-07-17 JA - Toronto Star ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Steelworkers Welcome Decision Accepting Temporary Foreign Workers' Human Rights Case A1 - CNW,  Y1 - 2014/07/10/ UR - http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1385387/steelworkers-welcome-decision-accepting-temporary-foreign-workers-human-rights-case Y2 - 2014-07-11 JA - CNW ER - TY - RPRT T1 - UFCW Canada calls on Mexican government to stop gender-based discrimination against migrant agriculture workers PB - UFCW A1 - UFCWCanada,  Y1 - 2014/07/10/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4098:ufcw-canada-calls-on-mexican-government-to-stop-gender-based-discrimination-against-migrant-agriculture-workers&catid=550&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2014-07-15 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - How a little Alberta union helps temporary foreign workers become Canadian N2 - The Red Deer-based food workers' union took an unusual step at the start of the program Y1 - 2014/05/08/ UR - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/how-a-little-alberta-union-helps-temporary-foreign-workers-become-canadian-1.2629710 Y2 - 2014-05-09 JA - CBC News ER - TY - RPRT T1 - AWA provides accidental death insurance for migrant workers / L’ATA fournit une assurance de décès accidentel aux travailleurs migrants PB - TUAC Canada A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2014/05/03/ UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3994:awa-provides-accidental-death-insurance-for-migrant-workers&catid=528&Itemid=6&lang=fr Y2 - 2014-06-24 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - S.A.M.E. tour a tremendous success raising awareness of migrant issues PB - UFCW A1 - UFCWCanada,  Y1 - 2014/04/22/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3972:s-a-m-e-tour-a-tremendous-success-raising-awareness-of-migrant-issues&catid=524&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2014-04-26 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Resist the “Divide and Rule” tactics against the working class in Canada PB - Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians N2 - It is important to include the temporary foreign workers in the social movement and not to divide the working class. A1 - Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians,  Y1 - 2014/04/07/ KW - Temporary Foreign Workers KW - Union KW - Federal government KW - working class UR - http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=e617ae3b6feb8bc2392578496&id=cf811131e8&e=e2d74a7522 Y2 - 2014-05-05 T3 - National Statement ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Les TUAC Canada rencontrent des autorités guatémaltèques pour les sensibiliser à la question des droits des travailleurs migrants PB - TUAC Canada A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2014/04/04/ KW - Syndicat KW - Guatemala KW - Programme des travaillleurs étrangers temporaires KW - collaboration KW - droits UR - http://tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3954:les-tuac-canada-rencontrent-des-autorites-guatemalteques-pour-les-sensibiliser-a-la-question-des-droits-des-travailleurs-migrants&catid=521&Itemid=98&lang=fr Y2 - 2014-04-09 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - La grande escroquerie canadienne! Argument économique en faveur du rétablissement complet des prestations spéciales d'assurance-emploi pour les travailleurs participant au PTAS N1 - En décembre 2012, le gouvernement conservateur de Stephen Harper a fortement diminué l’accès aux prestations de maternité, aux prestations parentales et aux prestations de compassion de l’assurance-emploi (auxquelles on donne aussi le nom de prestations spéciales de l’assurance-emploi) en limitant l’admissibilité à ces prestations aux travailleurs autorisés à vivre et à travailler au Canada pendant l’année, ce qui, donc, n’est pas le cas des travailleurs saisonniers. Avant ce changement de politique, les travailleurs agricoles migrants inscrits au Programme des travailleurs agricoles saisonniers (PTAS) cotisaient au programme de l’assurance-emploi depuis 1966 et n’ont commencé à recevoir des prestations de maternité, des prestations parentales et des prestations de compassion qu’en 2003, lorsque des défenseurs des droits des travailleurs les ont informés qu’ils avaient droit aux prestations spéciales en vertu de l’assurance-emploi. L’admissibilité complète aux prestations spéciales devrait être offerte de nouveau aux participants au PTAS immédiatement, non seulement parce que ces travailleurs cotisent à l’assurance emploi et méritent l’accès aux prestations, mais aussi parce que les travailleurs participant au PTAS versent des milliards de dollars au gouvernement canadien et dans l’économie du pays tout en soutenant des milliers d’emplois dans les villes, les localités et les régions du Canada (p2) Le PTAS se distingue par le fait que les employeurs peuvent demander à reprendre des travailleurs spécifiques, de façon à ce qu’ils retournent à la même ferme lors de la saison de travail suivante. Ainsi, 79 % des travailleurs mexicains sont rappelés personnellement par leur employeur et 75 % de ces travailleurs ont plus de six années d’expérience au sein du programme De plus, les restrictions imposées aux travailleurs participant au PTAS, soit les permis de travail restreints, le caractère temporaire du programme, l’incapacité des travailleurs à faire venir leur famille, le manque d’accès à la résidence permanente, diffèrent énormément des restrictions imposées aux générations précédentes de travailleurs blancs européens. Ces limites sont les conséquences d’inquiétudes racistes voulant que les travailleurs antillais ne puissent pas s’adapter à la vie canadienne, ainsi qu’aux craintes faisant croire que l’arrivée massive de nombreux travailleurs noirs provenant des Caraïbes allait faire changer la composition démographique du pays sur le plan racial . En imposant des restrictions sur les travailleurs agricoles étrangers, le gouvernement canadien s’est finalement assuré de recruter et de retenir une main d’œuvre « non libre ». (p3) La légitimité du PTAS s’appuie sur son caractère invisible. Les travailleurs arrivent dans des zones rurales isolées et leurs familles n’ont pas l’autorisation de les accompagner pendant leur séjour. Le travail agricole est extrêmement difficile, sous-payé et dangereux; par conséquent, les travailleurs temporaires sont un peu en compétition avec d’autres groupes vulnérables comme les immigrants de première génération, les travailleurs âgés, les jeunes étudiants et les travailleurs saisonniers. le système permet de l’abus systématique et de l’exploitation. Ces difficultés sont liées au fait que leur travail ne leur permet pas de mobilité, au manque de possibilités d’intégration à la société canadienne et à la difficulté à accéder aux institutions canadiennes dont le rôle est de protéger les travailleurs. Chose curieuse, ces trois difficultés prennent forme grâce à un cadre juridique établi autour du caractère temporaire du programme : le manque de main-d’œuvre, s’il existe réellement, est permanent et structurel. Plus précisément, ces difficultés ont pour origine le besoin d’une main-d’œuvre prête à accepter de faire de nombreux compromis et fiable, ce qu’on ne peut obtenir que par la restriction sévère de la marge de manœuvre du travailleur au sein du marché de l’emploi. Rémunération et conditions de travail : malgré la politique du PTAS en matière de rémunération, il arrive souvent que les travailleurs migrants reçoivent un salaire inférieur à celui des travailleurs canadiens et EDSC ne publie pas les critères utilisés pour établir les taux annuels payés aux travailleurs participant au PTAS. Il n’y a pas de rémunération pour les heures supplémentaires dans le secteur agricole. La réglementation provinciale concernant le maximum d’heures de travail dans le secteur agricole n’existe pas et même si le contrat en vertu du PTAS impose un maximum de jours et d’heures de travail, ces critères sont rarement respectés. Accès aux soins de santé : la peur d’un rapatriement constitue la raison principale énoncée par les travailleurs lorsqu’ils ne déclarent pas une maladie ou un accident qui entraîne la nécessité de médicaments ou d’une intervention médicale (CERIUM, 2010). De plus, bon nombre d’employeurs, de représentants et de travailleurs dans le domaine de la santé ne connaissent pas très bien les conditions de protection en matière de santé du PTAS et, très souvent, les travailleurs ne reçoivent pas de traitements complets, sont retournés à leur domicile ou reçoivent des soins de qualité inférieure aux normes; dans tous ces cas, on ne respecte pas l’esprit du programme (Amar et coll., 2009). Lois inadéquates en matière de santé et de sécurité au travail : Bon nombre de provinces choisissent de ne pas appliquer les lois sur la protection en matière de santé et de sécurité aux travailleurs étrangers. Aucun accès aux institutions canadiennes : le rôle de l’agent de liaison comme représentant des travailleurs, tel que le contrat le décrit, est une entrave sérieuse à l’accès des participants aux institutions canadiennes car il fait office d’agent « filtrant » les plaintes, les questions et les demandes en lien avec les relations de travail et les problèmes de santé et de sécurité au travail, d’hébergement, de rémunération et de fin d’emploi. (p5) Pendant de nombreuses années, on a illégalement refusé de verser des prestations aux travailleurs étrangers temporaires en s’appuyant sur les conditions de leurs permis de travail. Ce paragraphe stipule que pendant leur séjour à l’extérieur du Canada, les travailleurs participant au PTAS ne sont pas considérés comme étant « aptes et disponibles au travail et (sont) incapables d’obtenir un emploi convenable », même si leur statut d’immigration et les conditions imposées par le programme les forcent à quitter le pays à la fin de leur contrat. Toutefois, jusqu’à tout récemment, la Loi et ses règlements ne donnaient aucune directive relativement aux prestations spéciales d’assurance-emploi. Depuis 2003, les centres de soutien de l’Alliance des travailleurs agricoles (ATA) et d’autres groupes de défense des immigrants informent les travailleurs participant au PTAS de leurs droits et ont commencé à remplir des formulaires de demande de prestations en leur nom. Cette initiative a aidé les travailleurs participant au PTAS à récupérer une partie des prestations pour lesquelles ils cotisaient depuis 1966.Le 9 décembre 2012, EDSC a annoncé une réforme légère au Règlement sur l’assurance-emploi. Le règlement amendé n’exclut pas de façon spécifique les travailleurs étrangers de l’assurance-emploi, mais impose l’obligation de posséder un permis de travail valide et un numéro d’assurance sociale pour être en mesure de percevoir les prestations spéciales. La réforme n’exclut pas les travailleurs étrangers temporaires du régime d’assurance-emploi : les travailleurs doivent encore à cotiser au régime au même titre que les travailleurs canadiens et les résidents permanents, mais sans avoir l’accès complet aux prestations régulières ni aux prestations spéciales. (p6) Le discours public du gouvernement décrivait l’octroi de prestations spéciales aux travailleurs temporaires comme « incompatible avec les principes de base du programme d’assurance-emploi, qui vise à fournir un soutien temporaire du revenu afin que les travailleurs puissent retourner sur le marché du travail au Canada. » Cependant, les prestations spéciales, plus précisément les indemnités de congé de maternité et parental, ne visent pas à compenser une perte temporaire d’emploi, mais à fournir un soutien économique à des fins spéciales comme l’adoption ou le soin d’un enfant. Par conséquent, les principes, lorsqu’il est question de congé de maternité ou parental et des prestations de compassion, ne portent pas sur « l’aptitude et la disponibilité au travail et l’incapacité à obtenir un emploi convenable ». Il est aussi intéressant de noter qu’il n’y a aucune mention de la citoyenneté dans la Loi sur l’assurance-emploi (p7). Les contrats de travail pour l’embauche de travailleurs du Mexique et des Antilles exigent aussi que les participants ayant au moins cinq ans d’expérience consécutive avec le même employeur reçoivent une « paie de reconnaissance » de 4,00 $ par semaine jusqu’à concurrence de 128 $ par saison, mais les travailleurs mexicains âgés n’ont pas droit à la paie de reconnaissance s’ils reçoivent une paie de vacances (p10). L’une des injustices fondamentales découlant de la décision du gouvernement Harper de restreindre l’accès aux prestations de maternité et parentales ainsi qu’aux prestations de compassion de l’assurance-emploi aux participants du PTAS est le fait que ces travailleurs et leurs employeurs cotisent à l’assurance-emploi depuis 1966 et continuent de procurer des dizaines de millions de dollars au système de ce programme social chaque année (p12). Restreindre l’accès aux prestations régulières, comme les prestations versées pendant le congé parental, malgré le fait que ces travailleurs cotisent à coups de dizaines de millions de dollars au système de l’assurance-emploi, est un acte de discrimination et d’abus flagrant des travailleurs les plus vulnérables au Canada. En vertu des nouveaux règlements de l’assurance-emploi, les travailleurs participant au PTAS continuent d’y cotiser au même titre que les travailleurs canadiens et les résidents permanents, mais n’ont pas le droit de recevoir des prestations régulières et ont un accès extrêmement restreint aux prestations spéciales. Il suffirait justement de penser à un consommateur qui serait forcé de contracter une assurance automobile tout en sachant qu’il ne pourra jamais bénéficier de la protection en vertu de son régime. (p32) PB - TUAC/UFCW et AWA A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  A1 - AWA/ATA,  Y1 - 2014/03/15/ UR - http://tuac.ca/templates/ufcwcanada/images/directions14/march/1420/The-Great-Canadian-Rip-Off-An-Economic-Case-for-Restoring-Full-EI-Special-Benefits-Access-to-SAWP-Workers-FR.pdf Y2 - 2014-03-18 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - CCR’s Resolutions on Migrant Workers PB - Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés / Canadian Council for Refugees N2 - Right to unionize and to bargain collectively Res.: 2 , Nov 2014 Whereas: The freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are internationally recognized as fundamental principles and rights in the workplace; Some jurisdictions in Canada effectively prevent workers from unionizing or collectively bargaining based on their immigration status or sector of employment; Therefore be it resolved: that the CCR advocate that all workers, regardless of sector of employment or immigration status in Canada, have the right to unionize and to bargain collectively. Extending labour protections to all workers Res.: 3 , Nov 2014 Whereas: In Canada, some workers are excluded from labour protections such as labour standards and workers compensation, health and safety protections and effective anti-reprisals protections, based on their immigration status; Some jurisdictions in Canada explicitly exclude categories of workers such as domestic workers and agricultural workers, who are disproportionately migrant workers; Therefore be it resolved: that the CCR advocate that all workers regardless of status in Canada and of type of work have access to the full range of labour rights and protections, including provincial labour and employment standards, health and safety standards, and workers compensation. Expanding economic immigration to workers of all skill levels Res.: 1 , Nov 2014 Whereas: The rampant expansion and continuous demand for the low-skilled (now low-wage) streams of the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) make it clear that the labour shortages being filled are long-term and not temporary; The 2011 rule limiting migrant workers in the low-wage stream of the TFWP (previously known as the low-skilled pilot project) to four years of work in Canada, was intended to reinforce the temporary nature of the program, despite the continuing nature of the demand; The above time limits, which only apply to workers in the low-wage stream, exacerbate existing vulnerabilities; Canada’s traditional immigration approach was focused on nation-building through permanent immigration that met the broad range of labour needs across the Canadian economy; all workers were part of the national project; Canada’s shift towards temporary labour migration promotes a two-tiered, stratified society; Therefore be it resolved: that the CCR call for Canada’s economic immigration program to be expanded to reflect the broad social, cultural, linguistic and environmental needs of the Canadian labour market by including workers of all skill levels. Caregivers, Live-in Status and Family Reunification Res.: 4 , Nov 2011 Whereas: The live-in caregiver program currently requires workers to live in the employer’s home; Living in the employer’s home creates a greater possibility for sexual and labour exploitation; The program does not allow family members to accompany the worker until they fulfill their required hours, thereby leading to family separation for a minimum period of 2 years; Therefore be it resolved: that the CCR request that: “The live-in” requirement be removed from the conditions of the program; Caregivers’ families be allowed to accompany them or join them in Canada at any point during their participation in the program. Equitable Enforcement Res.: 4 , Nov 2010 Whereas: Temporary Foreign Workers are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse with numerous documented cases; Their vulnerability is increased by contraventions of IRPA committed by employers and recruiters; There are limited or no resources for mandatory monitoring and enforcement; When there is no system of enforcement, Temporary Foreign Workers are the ones penalized, resulting in further victimization; Therefore be it resolved: That the CCR: Advocate for provincial governments to protect Temporary Foreign Workers’ rights through workplace audits and enforcement of appropriate legislation, including criminal, against employers and recruiters. Advocate that the federal government: Prosecute recruiters and employers who contravene IRPA. Put in place a mechanism and systems to protect rather than penalize Temporary Foreign Workers who have contravened IRPA as a result of victimization by recruiters and employers; Enter into international agreements whereby Canada and the source countries of Temporary Foreign Workers agree to prohibit the charging to the workers of recruitment and placement fees. No to the changes on timelines in Temporary Foreign Workers Program Res.: 2 , Nov 2010 Whereas: Changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program to be implemented in April 2011 will impose a four year limit on the stay of Temporary Foreign Workers and a four year delay before they are able to participate again in the program; This will increase the undocumented workforce and thus increase the vulnerability of workers; Therefore be it resolved: That the CCR oppose the limit on duration of Temporary Foreign Workers’ stay and the imposed time period to re-apply for the program. Mandatory Monitoring System on Temporary Foreign Workers Res.: 3 , Nov 2010 Whereas: The monitoring system implemented by CIC as part of recent changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program is voluntary and therefore ineffective; Abuses of Temporary Foreign Workers by employers are widespread and have been well documented; Therefore be it resolved: That the CCR advocate that the federal government enforce a mandatory monitoring system for the employers of Temporary Foreign Workers. Temporary Foreign Workers and Welcoming Communities Initiative Res.: 3 , Dec 2009 Whereas: The federal Temporary Foreign Workers Program frustrates the attempts of communities to attract and retain population permanently, and contradicts the goals of CIC’s Welcoming Communities Initiative and similar initiatives of other jurisdictions; The goals of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act promote immigration to build the future of Canada; The CCR supports access to permanent residency for temporary workers; Many concerns have been raised about lack of equitable access for temporary workers to permanent residency through the underutilized Canadian Experience Class; Therefore be it resolved: That CCR advocate for the federal Temporary Foreign Workers Program to be brought into alignment with the Welcoming Communities Initiative’s and similar initiatives of other jurisdictions goals of cohesiveness, social inclusiveness and retention of population permanently. Temporary Foreign Workers Res.: 4 , May 2008 Whereas: The Temporary Foreign Worker program has greatly expanded; There have been numerous incidents of worker abuse and exploitation; When spouses and children accompany Temporary Foreign Workers, there are very limited options for them; Therefore be it resolved: That the CCR request CIC: To stop restricting Temporary Foreign Workers to specific named employers, giving them the same rights to labour mobility as other Canadian workers; Issue work permits to accompanying spouses and children of Temporary Foreign Workers. Canadian Experience Class Res.: 2 , May 2008 Whereas: CIC is considering implementing a new “Canadian Experience” Class; CIC has indicated that this proposed new class will be restricted to highly skilled workers; Therefore be it resolved: That the CCR: Express to CIC that this class be open to all applicants regardless of skill level. Express to the Quebec government that it should to give temporary foreign workers access to permanent residence class without regard to skill levels. Formally adopt the position paper prepared for the consultation with CIC on the proposed class as its formal position on the class. Right to permanent residence for migrant workers Res.: 4 , Nov 2007 Whereas: Emphasis on temporary rather than permanent migration creates a class of vulnerable and disposable workers; Canada’s immigration program should be revised to ensure that those who are able and willing to fill labour market needs can qualify as immigrants; Therefore be it resolved: That the CCR demand that all those with temporary work permits, in all the different classes, have the right to apply for permanent resident status at the same time as they apply for the work permit, and should have the right to bring family members as is currently being done in Ontario for the Provincial Nominee Program. Migrant and temporary workers Res.: 6 , Nov 2005 Whereas: The Canadian government denies seasonal agricultural workers and foreign temporary workers the right to apply for permanent residence status through these programs; This right is available through the live-in caregiver program; Therefore be it resolved: That the CCR demand: Access to secure permanent resident status for these workers and their families. Improved working and housing conditions for these workers. That provincial governments enforce the rights guaranteed to migrant workers under provincial employment and human right laws, rather than abdicating this responsibility to foreign governments. Temporary Work Permits – Rights of workers Res.: 4 , Nov 2004 Whereas: Workers on temporary work permits are not aware of their rights under the program and the charter; Many workers are not permitted by employers to retain their personal documentation such as passport, return air ticket and health card. Therefore be it resolved: That the CCR demand that CIC and HRSDC: Ensure that temporary workers are fully informed of their rights under the program before or when they enter Canada; Ensure that temporary workers are given control of their own papers. Temporary Work Permits – Terms and conditions Res.: 3 , Nov 2004 Whereas: CIC changes the terms and conditions of temporary work permit programs every year; This information is not made available to NGOs or others that try to assist individuals on temporary work permits. Therefore be it resolved: That the CCR demand that CIC to make any change in terms and conditions publicly available as soon as such changes are made. A1 - Canadian Council for Refugees,  Y1 - 2014/// UR - http://ccrweb.ca/en/resolutions?term_node_tid_depth_1=901&title=&term_node_tid_depth_op=or&term_node_tid_depth=877&field_res_whereas_value_op=%3D&field_res_whereas_value= Y2 - 2015-03-11 T3 - CCR’s Resolutions on Migrant Workers ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Mark Dance: Among the migrant workers in Canada Y1 - 2014/03/10/ UR - http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/03/10/mark-dance-among-the-migrant-workers-in-canada/ Y2 - 2014-03-18 JA - The National Post ER - TY - RPRT T1 - UFCW Canada joins allies to request IACHR hearing into the violation of TFW labour rights PB - UFCW A1 - UFCWCanada,  A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2014/03/05/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3900:ufcw-canada-joins-allies-to-request-iachr-hearing-into-the-violation-of-tfw-labour-rights&catid=510:directions-14-17&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2014-03-05 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Human and labour rights of Mexicans absent from NAFTA Summit PB - UFCW A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2014/02/21/ UR - http://ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3882%3Ahuman-and-labour-rights-of-mexicans-absent-from-nafta-summit-&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2014-02-25 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - En la víspera de la cumbre del TLC, Mexico relanza su batalla legal en contra de los trabajadores migrantes mexicanos en Canadá PB - PR Newswire A1 - PR Newswire,  Y1 - 2014/02/18/ UR - http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/en-la-vispera-de-la-cumbre-del-tlc-mexico-relanza-su-batalla-legal-en-contra-de-los-trabajadores-migrantes-mexicanos-en-canada-246071991.html Y2 - 2014-02-20 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Migrant workers greeted by winter weather get help from Centre A1 - CBC News ,  Y1 - 2014/01/09/ UR - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/migrant-workers-greeted-by-winter-weather-get-help-from-centre-1.2490805 Y2 - 2014-01-25 JA - CBC News - Windsor ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Portée des traités de l’Organisation des États Américains et autres traités internationaux relatifs aux droits des migrants au Canada N2 - I. Organisation des États Américains II. Organisation des Nations-Unies III. Organisation Internationale du Travail Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://droitstravailleursmigrants.wordpress.com/2013/12/22/portee-des-traites-de-lorganisation-des-etats-americains-et-autres-traites-internationaux-relatifs-aux-droits-des-migrants-au-canada/ Y2 - 2013-12-29 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Quelques obligations des employeurs agricoles N2 - Quelles sont les raisons et quelle est la portée de l’obligation pour l’employeur de fournir une carte d’assurance maladie, une carte d’assurance RBC et une formation de l’UPA à ses employés agricoles temporaires ? A1 - (Im)Migrant Workers Rights,  Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://droitstravailleursmigrants.wordpress.com/2013/11/14/quelques-obligations-des-employeurs-agricoles/ Y2 - 2013-12-29 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Projection du documentaire “La fin de l’immigration” Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://droitstravailleursmigrants.wordpress.com/2013/11/02/projection-du-documentaire-la-fin-de-limmigration/ Y2 - 2013-12-29 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - From Private Homes to Public Action: 10 Years of the Domestic Workers Action Group PB - Domestic Workers Action Group (DWAG) Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://vimeo.com/80260359 UR - http://www.mrci.ie/our-work/domestic/ Y2 - 2013-12-17 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - AAMS Remembers - Still fighting for freedom PB - Alliance Against Modern Slavery N2 - War and Freedom are often spoken of together. This Remembrance Day we remember those who are not free. Those whose lives contain many battles, military or otherwise. We hope that next Remembrance Day, through our efforts and the efforts of allies against modern slavery around the world there will be more free people and fewer battles to fight. Join us in the war against modern slavery by participating in training, attending our conference, providing a donation, or volunteering! In This Issue Tell Your Friends Ally Against Modern Slavery Slavery in the News Upcoming Events Freedom Funds Help support our initiatives to research, educate, and aid in partnership in order to end slavery in Canada and around the world. A1 - Alliance Against Modern Slavery,  Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://myemail.constantcontact.com/AAMS-Remembers---Still-fighting-for-freedom.html?soid=1107701499977&aid=0aU6S-KI8rs#fblike Y2 - 2013-12-11 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Update: Migrant workers win Employment Insurance case at Federal Court of Appeal / Los trabajadores migrantes ganan el caso sobre el seguro de desempleo ante el Tribunal Federal de Apelaciones PB - ISAC and Niagara North Community Legal Assistance N2 - On November 19, 2013, the Federal Court of Appeal granted 102 court applications brought by over one hundred seasonal agricultural workers who argued that they were wrongly denied Employment Insurance parental benefits. The workers were represented by the Income Security Advocacy Centre and Niagara North Community Legal Assistance. A1 - Niagara North Community Legal Assistance,  A1 - ISAC,  Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://s3.amazonaws.com/migrants_heroku_production/datas/1421/Migrant_Workers_EI_bulletin_-_FCA_update_-_Nov_25_2013_-_ENGLISH_original.pdf?1386795504 Y2 - 2013-12-11 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - "Yes, We Did It!" How the World's Domestic Workers Won Their International Rights and Recognition PB - Women in informal Employment : Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) N2 - On June 16, 2011, the worlds domestic workers and their supporters achieved a major step forward in extending worker and human rights. On that day, representatives of governments, employers and trade unions, meeting at the annual International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland, voted for a new Convention to protect the worlds domestic workers. This booklet outlines the how Convention C189 was achieved and the lessons that can be learnt for others who wish to promote a global society based on equality, justice, respect and rights for all. In particular, this booklet focuses on and celebrates the role of domestic workers themselves and that of their organizations as the fundamental players in making their own history. ********************************************** El 16 de junio de 2011, las trabajadoras del hogar y sus aliados dieron un enorme paso en la ampliación de los derechos humanos y de los trabajadores. Ese día representantes de gobiernos, empleadores y sindicatos, reunidos en la Conferencia Internacional del Trabajo (CIT) en Ginebra, Suiza, aprobaron un nuevo convenio para proteger a las trabajadoras del hogar de todo el mundo. Esta guía explica como el convenio C189 fue obtenido y qué lecciones pueden extraer quienes quieran promover una sociedad basada en la equidad, la justicia, el respeto y los derechos para todos. En particular, esta guía pone atención el rol de las trabajadoras del hogar y sus organizaciones, siendo protagonistas fundamentales de su propia historia que ellas mismas construyeron. A1 - Mather, Celia Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://wiego.org/resources/yes-we-did-it-how-worlds-domestic-workers-won-their-international-rights-and-recognition UR - http://wiego.org/sites/wiego.org/files/resources/files/Mather_Yes%20we%20did%20it!_2013.pdf Y2 - 2013-12-09 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - MIGRANTE calls for permanent residency for TFWs in Tim Hortons case/Dec 15 community rally in Fernie PB - Migrante BC A1 - Migrante Canada,  Y1 - 2013/12/07/ UR - http://www.migrantebc.com/2013/12/14/migrante-calls-permanent-residency-tfws-tim-hortons-case/ Y2 - 2013-12-17 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Migrant Workers respond to proposed Ontario law PB - Migrant Workers Aliiance for Change A1 - Migrant Workers Alliance for Change ,  Y1 - 2013/12/05/ UR - http://www.migrantworkersalliance.org/migrant-workers-respond-to-proposed-ontario-law/ Y2 - 2013-12-05 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - New protections for Ontario workers announced today PB - Workers Action Center A1 - Workers Action Center,  Y1 - 2013/12/05/ UR - http://www.workersactioncentre.org/updates/new-protections-for-ontario-workers-announced-today/ Y2 - 2013-12-05 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Temporary Foreign Workers in QC Launch Their Own Association A1 - Cooke, M Y1 - 2013/11/25/ UR - http://basicsnews.ca/2013/11/temporary-foreign-workers-in-qc-launch-their-own-association/ Y2 - 2013-11-27 JA - Basic News ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Crean la ATTÉT: Los trabajadores extranjeros temporales se unen para defender sus derechos CY - Montreal A1 - Redaccion NM,  Y1 - 2013/11/25/ UR - http://noticiasmontreal.com/116530/crean-la-attet-los-trabajadores-extranjeros-temporales-se-unen-para-defender-sus-derechos/ Y2 - 2013-12-17 JA - Noticias Montreal ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Group forms to aid migrant workers A1 - Sutherland, Anne Y1 - 2013/11/23/ JA - The Gazette ER - TY - RPRT T1 - UFCW Canada participates in Mexico National Migration Forum / Participation des TUAC Canada au Forum national sur la migration tenu au Mexique PB - UFCW A1 - UFCWCanada,  A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2013/11/13/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3755%3Aufcw-canada-participates-in-mexico-national-migration-forum-&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2013-11-26 T3 - UFCW Press releases ER - TY - RPRT T1 - UFCW Canada participates in Mexico National Migration Forum Mexico City PB - UFCW A1 - UFCWCanada,  Y1 - 2013/11/13/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3755%3Aufcw-canada-participates-in-mexico-national-migration-forum-&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2013-11-14 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Exploited for profit, failed by governments : Indonesian migrant domestic workers trafficked to Hong Kong N1 - **: The inability to find new employment in the two-week time limit leaves migrant domestic workers with little choice but to remain in abusive and/or exploitative conditions or accept jobs with unfavourable work conditions in order to maintain their immigration status. In 2006, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women,370 raised concerns that the Two-Week Rule pushes “foreign domestic workers to accept employment which may have unfair or abusive terms and conditions in order to stay in Hong Kong” ...In addition to increasing migrant domestic worker’s vulnerability to exploitative and abusive working conditions, the Two-Week Rule also significantly impedes their ability to access redress mechanisms in Hong Kong -p.76 CY - London PB - Amnesty International N2 - The workers are not tied to a single employer. However, if they leave their employer, they only have 2 weeks to find another, or else they fall under irregular status, a policy which acts similar to employer bondage. A1 - Amnesty International, International Secretariat,  Y1 - 2013/// KW - Trafficking UR - https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/ASA17/029/2013/en/ Y2 - 2015-11-04 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Les travailleurs de Novafruit unissent leur voix aux TUAC 501/ Agriculture workers at Novafruit in Montreal join the union, UFCW 501 PB - UFCW A1 - UFCWCanada,  A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2013/10/27/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3724:agriculture-workers-at-novafruit-in-montreal-join-the-union-ufcw-501&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2013-10-29 ER - TY - ADVS T1 - ESL classes for Migrant farm workers? Niagara region PB - Manifest Your Voice A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  A1 - AWA/ATA,  A1 - S.A.M.E.,  Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aszBrH9TQk Y2 - 2013-10-25 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - American Union Signs Historic Agreement in Mexico to Protect Migrant Workers' Rights in the USA A1 - Marketwire,  Y1 - 2013/10/11/ UR - http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/american-union-signs-historic-agreement-mexico-protect-migrant-workers-rights-usa-1840495.htm Y2 - 2013-10-18 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Provincial Migrant Workers Campaign Launch #MakeItRight #InTogether PB - Migrant Worker Alliance for Change N2 - We are launching a new provincial campaign to ensure migrant workers have the same rights and benefits as all Ontarians. For too long Ontario's laws have excluded migrant workers. This affects us all. It’s time to #MakeItRight. We are #InItTogether. A1 - Migrant Workers Alliance for Change,  Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9de587703062110954e080261&id=43a1f275bc Y2 - 2013-10-09 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Simcoe AWA centre celebrates 10th Anniversary/ Célébration du 10e anniversaire du centre de l’ATA de Simcoe PB - UFCW and Agricultural Workers Alliance (AWA) A1 - UFCWCanada,  A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2013/09/23/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3672%3Asimcoe-awa-centre-celebrates-10th-anniversary&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2013-09-24 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Canada's best union leading force at Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Health Fair PB - UFCW A1 - UFCWCanada,  Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3636%3Acanadas-best-union-leading-force-at-seasonal-agricultural-workers-health-fair&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2013-09-09 T3 - UFCW ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Leading unions in Canada and Mexico renew commitment, combined efforts in advancing migrant worker rights/ Les principaux syndicats du Canada et du Mexique renouvellent leur engagement et leur collaboration à la promotion des droits des travailleurs migrants A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2013/09/04/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_multicategories&view=article&id=3626:leading-unions-in-canada-and-mexico-renew-commitment-combined-efforts-in-advancing-migrant-worker-rights-&Itemid=98&lang=en Y2 - 2013-09-04 ER - TY - GEN T1 - 12 recommendations to end migrant and undocumented worker poverty in Ontario. PB - Migrant Worker Alliance for Change A1 - Migrant Workers Alliance for Change ,  Y1 - 2013/08/26/ UR - http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9de587703062110954e080261&id=ecb6a712e0 Y2 - 2013-08-28 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - 2013 UFCW Canada Migrant Workers Scholarships PB - UFCW A1 - UFCWCanada,  A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2013/08/20/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_chronocontact&Itemid=321&lang=en UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2058&Itemid=278&lang=en UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_chronocontact&Itemid=277&lang=en UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_chronocontact&Itemid=318&lang=en Y2 - 2013-08-20 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Demande d’accréditation syndicale pour une autre unité de négociation de travailleurs agricoles au Québec / Application filed for another Quebec agricultural unit PB - UFCW and Agricultural Workers Alliance (AWA)W A1 - UFCWCanada,  Y1 - 2013/07/26/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3578%3Aapplication-filed-for-another-quebec-agricultural-unit-&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2013-07-31 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Aidez-nous à tenir le Centre travailleurs et travailleuses immigrants ouvert! PB - CTI A1 - Centre des travailleurs et travailleuses immigrants (CTI) ,  Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://iwc-cti.ca Y2 - 2013-07-11 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Migrant Worker’s Death Deserves a Coroner’s Inquest N1 - The Office of Chief Coroner had stated that it was satisfied with the police report that the accident was a result of Mr. Peart’s actions and thus no investigation was needed. With the help of Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW), the Peart family continued pushing for a coroner’s inquest to no avail. Finally in 2005 the family and J4MW filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal claiming that the Coroner’s Act was being applied in a discriminatory way with regards to migrant workers, as the province demands mandatory inquests for some workers and excludes others. According to J4MW the death of a migrant worker has never been the subject of a coroner’s inquest. CSAWP migrant workers are caught in a cycle of permanent recruitment where they may never obtain citizenship rights or job security. They can be dismissed/repatriated to their home country for any reason without recourse, which can include situations where workers are injured or raise concerns about their safety. PB - Workers Action Center N2 - On Friday June 28, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal will hold the last hearing on Mr. Ned Livingston Peart’s case. Mr. Peart, a migrant worker who came to Canada through the Commonwealth Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Program (CSAWP), was crushed to death in 2002 while working on a tobacco farm near Brantford. When the Peart family requested a coroner’s inquest into his death their request was denied. A1 - Workers Action Center,  Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://www.workersactioncentre.org/updates/migrant-workers-death-deserve-a-coroners-inquest/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WorkersActionCentre+%28Workers+Action+Centre%29 UR - https://www.facebook.com/events/139021249629141/?ref=22 Y2 - 2013-07-11 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Protesting TFW Policy N2 - Foreign Temporary Workers policy drives down wages, job security. “By gutting the public sector, the Conservatives are ensuring there will be no meaningful oversight and no real change to this wage-suppression program,” said USW National Director Ken Neumann. A1 - United Steelworkers ,  Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://sgnews.ca/2013/06/20/protesting-ftw-policy/ Y2 - 2013-07-11 JA - Straight Goods News ER - TY - RPRT T1 - S.A.M.E. ACTIVISTS BRING MIGRANT AWARENESS TO THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS PB - TUAC A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2013/06/26/ UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3522%3Asame-activists-bring-migrant-awareness-to-thousands-of-students&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=fr UR - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIucWDjc3aQ&feature=player_embedded&list=UUf2hpnNKd9QbNuZxee7rDKw Y2 - 2013-07-12 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - S.A.M.E calls out to students looking to make a difference this summer! PB - S.A.M.E A1 - S.A.M.E.,  Y1 - 2013/06/26/ UR - http://www.thesame.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86:same-calls-out-to-students-looking-to-make-a-difference-this-summer&catid=39:news&Itemid=63 UR - http://www.thesudburystar.com/2015/01/28/human-trafficking-case-in-sudbury-falls-apart Y2 - 2013-07-15 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Port Hope Community Health Centre lauded for migrant farm worker help N2 - Port Hope Community Health Centre's clinical manager, Lydia Rybenko, and John Hassan show off the centre's Partner of the Year Award, received from the New Canadian Centre in Cobourg in recognition of its work providing health care to seasonal migrant farm workers. June 21, 2013. Submitted Photo PORT HOPE -- Migrant farm workers in west Northumberland looking for health-care services need look no further than the Port Hope Community Health Centre. After three years as a partner with the New Canadians Centre in Cobourg, the Toronto Road health centre in Port Hope has been recognized as Partner of the Year by the NCC for the health centre's ongoing support of the NCC's Migrant Farm Workers Project. A1 - Northumberland News,  Y1 - 2013/06/25/ JA - NorthumberlandNews.com ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Community and Labour and Activists Demand Real Change to Temporary Foreign Worker Program PB - United Steelworkers A1 - United Steelworkers ,  Y1 - 2013/06/10/ UR - http://www.everyoneschance.ca/news/press-release-community-and-labour-and-activists-demand-real-change-to-temporary-foreign-worker-program/ Y2 - 2013-06-18 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Migrant worker speaks of poor B.C. conditions N2 - Before “buying local” at the grocery store, a coalition of temporary foreign agricultural workers wants B.C. residents to know farmhands are increasingly made up of migrant employees working in undesirable conditions. A1 - Mui, Michael Y1 - 2013/05/30/ UR - http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2013/05/30/migrant-worker-speaks-of-poor-bc-conditions Y2 - 2013-06-14 JA - 24 Hrs Vancouver ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Manitoba to provide health benefits to seasonal migrant workers N2 - The province shocked advocates rallying outside the legislature for Manitoba’s migrant farm workers today when Immigration Minister Christine Melnick announced health coverage will now be provided for the estimated 400 seasonal workers who plant and harvest Manitoba produce every year. A1 - Winnipeg Free Press,  Y1 - 2013/05/15/ UR - http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Manitoba-to-provide-health-benefits-to-seasonal-migrant-workers-207589181.html Y2 - 2013-05-17 JA - Winnipeg Free Press ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Des groupes communautaires réclament une meilleure protection envers les travailleurs précaires PB - Centre des travailleurs et travailleuses immigrants (CTI) A1 - Centre des travailleurs et travailleuses immigrants (CTI) ,  Y1 - 2013/04/30/ UR - http://iwc-cti.ca/fr/meilleure-protection-envers-les-travailleurs-precaires/ Y2 - 2013-04-30 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Dhaka issues smart cards for migrant workers CY - Dhaka PB - Daily Prime News Y1 - 2013/// KW - Smart Card KW - migrant workers protection UR - http://www.dailyprimenews.com/details.php?id=9004 Y2 - 2013-04-29 JA - Daily Prime News ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - Migrant Workers Help Line CY - South Korea PB - Korea4expats Y1 - 2013/// KW - Helpline for Migrant Workers UR - http://www.migrantok.org/english/viewtopic.php?p=347&sid=5412fd900e2eb749533e07391dc3e96e#347 UR - http://www.korea4expats.com/article-migrant-workers-help-line.html Y2 - 2013-04-29 ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - ISRAEL: New report highlights exploitation of migrant workers PB - IRIN Humanitarian news and analysis Y1 - 2013/// KW - Exploitation KW - Asian migrant workers KW - Israel UR - http://www.irinnews.org/Report/86808/ISRAEL-New-report-highlights-exploitation-of-migrant-workers Y2 - 2013-04-28 ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - Qatar Foundation implements welfare standards to guarantee workers' rights PB - AMEinfo Y1 - 2013/04/25/ KW - migrant workers KW - Migrant Workers KW - Migrant workers KW - Qatar KW - initiative UR - http://www.ameinfo.com/qatar-foundation-implements-welfare-standards-guarantee-339042 Y2 - 2013-04-26 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - UAE migrant workers sing out in new film PB - Aljazeera A1 - Safdar, Anealla Y1 - 2013/04/20/ KW - migrant workers KW - Migrant Workers KW - Migrant workers KW - Labor Camp KW - film KW - UAE UR - http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/04/20134187154412406.html Y2 - 2013-05-01 JA - Aljazeera ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Kerala Survey on Migrant Workers to Start in May CY - Doha, Qatar PB - Gulf Times Y1 - 2013/04/17/ KW - migrant workers KW - Migrant Workers KW - Migrant workers KW - Kerala KW - National wide Survey UR - http://www.gulf-times.com/Mobile/India/185/details/349451/Kerala-survey-on-migrant-workers-to-start-in-May Y2 - 2013-04-26 JA - Gulf Times ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Middle East’s exploitative labour market PB - The Daily Star Y1 - 2013/04/11/ KW - migrant workers KW - Migrant Workers KW - Migrant workers KW - Middle-East UR - http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/middle-easts-exploitative-labour-market/ Y2 - 2013-04-25 JA - The Daily Star ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Migrant Worker Recruitment & Protection – Model Legislation PB - B.C. Employment Standards Coalition A1 - B.C. Employment Standards Coalition,  Y1 - 2013/03/28/ UR - http://bcemploymentstandardscoalition.com/new-model-legislation-backgrounder-for-bc-migrant-worker-recruitment-protection/ UR - http://bcemploymentstandardscoalition.com/ Y2 - 2013-03-28 ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - Contesting Racially Stratified Wages in the GCC PB - migrantrights Y1 - 2013/03/28/ KW - Wage stratification UR - http://www.migrant-rights.org/2013/03/28/contesting-racially-stratified-wages-in-the-gcc/ Y2 - 2013-04-05 ER - TY - ADVS T1 - Discrimination and dangers faced by migrant workers in Canada N2 - Tens of thousands of migrant workers are being forced to pay up to two years of their salary to work in Canada. Their documents are being seized when they arrive here, and they are often finding themselves if worse jobs than they were promised. With entire families back home in debt to pay these fees, many workers are reluctant to complain about bad bosses. This must stop. A1 - Migrant Workers Alliance for Change,  Y1 - 2013/03/27/ UR - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_Svs6UVBSY Y2 - 2013-04-02 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Subsidised housing for needy migrant workers CY - Sri Lanka PB - Daily News Y1 - 2013/03/25/ KW - Sri Lanka KW - housing subsidization KW - needy migrant workers UR - http://www.dailynews.lk/2013/03/25/news20.asp Y2 - 2013-04-28 JA - Daily News ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Protect female migrant workers: Experts CY - Dhaka, Bangladesh PB - The Daily Star Y1 - 2013/03/19/ KW - female migrant workers KW - government responsibility UR - http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/protect-female-migrant-workers-experts/ Y2 - 2013-03-20 JA - The Daily Star ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Reforms needed to grant temporary workers more protection A1 - Weiler , Anelyse A1 - Otero, Gerardo Y1 - 2013/03/16/ JA - The Vancouver Sun ER - TY - PCOMM T1 - What Will the Minister of Labour Do for Migrant Workers? A2 - Labor Minister Mr Naqvi PB - Migrant Workers Alliance for Change Y1 - 2013/03/07/ KW - Letter to labor minsiter UR - http://www.migrantworkersalliance.org/what-will-the-minister-of-labour-do-for-migrant-workers/ Y2 - 2013-04-03 ER - TY - GOVDOC T1 - Labor Attaches CY - Bangladesh PB - • Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) N2 - This article is about labor wing and labor attaches which contains functions of labor wing, problems of Bangladeshi manpower, dealing with death case, visit to workers accommodation, promotion of overseas employment, protection workers interest, welfare to the community, policy matters, special emphasis to protect the women migrants, welfare fund, sending remittance in legal channel, awareness raising, rules and regulations in migration. Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://www.bmet.org.bd/BMET/resources/notice/2013.pdf Y2 - 2013-02-27 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Backgrounder: Migrant Worker Recruitment & Protection – Model Legislation PB - B.C. Employment Standards Coalition N2 - 1) Introduction The BC Employment Standards Coalition (the “Coalition”) was established in November, 2010 to develop and advocate for public policy that protects fundamental workplace rights, improves employment standards, and ensures effective enforcement of those rights and standards. In British Columbia, the Employment Standards Act (“ESA”) provides the minimum standards for working conditions in the province. Non-unionized employers cannot contract out of the ESA. Not all workers in BC have the ability or bargaining power to negotiate fair and reasonable working conditions on their own behalf. Consequently, many workers in BC, especially non-unionized workers within the vulnerable worker groups including Temporary Foreign Workers), rely solely on the ESA. As such, robust employment standards legislation is a critical tool in protecting and advancing workersʼ rights and working conditions. However, the Coalition is of the view that the current ESA falls short in its protection of vulnerable worker groups. One of the objectives of the Coalition is to develop model legislation that modernizes the ESA through amendments in order to broaden the protection of workers. This backgrounder and the attached model legislation deal specifically with the ESA as it applies to Temporary Foreign Workers (“TFWs”). A1 - Clark, Linnsie Y1 - 2013/02/25/ UR - http://bcemploymentstandardscoalition.com/new-model-legislation-backgrounder-for-bc-migrant-worker-recruitment-protection/ UR - http://bcemploymentstandardscoalition.com/ Y2 - 2013-03-28 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - In Mexico migrants organisations denounce Canadian government policy N2 - Justicia for Migrant Workers along with US and Mexican migrant workers’ rights organizations denounced the Canadian government for stripping away employment insurance benefits to migrant workers and demanded the full restoration of these benefits. A1 - Migrant Workers in Canada,  Y1 - 2013/02/22/ UR - http://migrantscanada.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/un-mexico-migrants-organisations-denounce-canadian-govmt-policy/ Y2 - 2013-02-25 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Pick this Fight Y1 - 2013/02/21/ UR - http://www.nowtoronto.com/mobile/story.cfm?c=191324 Y2 - 2013-02-25 JA - NOW Magazine ER - TY - ADVS T1 - Recruitment cost in Bangladesh:Challenges of Governing Migration in Challenges of Governing Migration in Countries of Origin CY - Bangladesh PB - RMMRU N2 - This power point is about understanding the significance of recruitment cost to the overall migration experience of the semi and low skilled Bangladeshi migrants, Understand fees charged by the private recruiting agencies in Bangladesh and the employers and/or intermediate in the GCC countries, an analysis of sources of migration finance and conditions of loans, an assessment of time required, in work months, to pay off the loan obtained to finance migration, understand the role of recruiting agencies in the migration process of Bangladesh and in projecting the migrants, assess current regulatory process of recruiting agencies, policy recommendations to sending receiving countries to address the high recruitment costs and to regulate recruiting agencies or intermediaries in both sending and receiving ends. Y1 - 2013/// KW - Bangladesh KW - recruitment cost KW - migration finance UR - http://www.unescap.org/sdd/meetings/beirut-June2011/Siddiqui-RMMRU-migration-costs.pdf Y2 - 2013-02-20 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - An Act for migrant workers soon CY - India PB - Time of India Y1 - 2013/02/20/ KW - Drafting KW - Migrant Welfare Social Security Act KW - Protecting the labour rights of migrants UR - http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-20/thiruvananthapuram/37199538_1_migrant-labourers-migrant-workers-lakh-migrants Y2 - 2013-03-20 JA - Time of India ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Gender Analysis of Migration from Bangladesh N2 - This paper is about the trend of women migration in Bangladesh, wages of women migrants, benefits accruied through migration from Bangladesh, cause of women migration from Bangladesh, Demand of women workers from Bangladesh, vulnerability of women in migration, problems of women migration in Bangladesh, policy measures in women migration in Bangladesh, remittances from women migrants, awareness campaign of women migrant workers, creation of human power facilities, skill training for women in foreign employment: need present perception, issues in gender-sensitiveness of migration and recommendation. A1 - Islam, Md. Nurul Y1 - 2013/// UR - http://www.bmet.org.bd/BMET/resources/Static%20PDF%20and%20DOC/publication/Gender%20Analysis%20of%20Migration.pdf Y2 - 2013-02-19 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Malaysia to recruit Bangladeshi workers with minimum cost CY - Bangladesh PB - Bangladesh Sangbad Sangtha N2 - DHAKA, Sept 13 (BSS) - Malaysia has agreed to recruit Bangladeshi workers soon under the government-to-government (G to G) process with a minimum immigration cost of Taka 30,000 and at a maximum cost of Taka 40,000. Minister for Labour and Employment, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said this at a press conference emerging from a meeting with visiting Malaysian Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam at the Expatriate Welfare Bhaban here today. Under the process, immigration cost for a Bangladeshi worker would not exceed more than Taka 30,000 and workers will be recruited primarily for five years and then the job contacts will be extended for another five years, said the minister while explaining the details of the draft agreement. In this regard, a draft of agreement has already been signed between the two countries and then a memorandum of understanding (MoU) also will be signed between Malaysia and Bangladesh after approval of the draft agreement by the Malaysian cabinet within the next 90 days. High officials of the ministry, including Ministry of Expatriate and Overseas Employment Secretary Dr Jafar Ahmed Khan, Bangladeshi envoy to Malaysia AKM Atiqur Rahman, among others, attended the function. About the recruitment process, the visiting Malaysian Human Resources Minister said, "Our government has decided to re-look into the possibility of recruiting the Bangladeshi workers." "The recruitment process would be done on the basis of the G to G concept," he told reporters. Dr Subramaniam said the G-to-G concept would minimise the role of the middlemen as the workers will be recruited directly through registration. He said it will help to a great extent the Bangladeshi job-seekers. Earlier, a nine-member representatives of Malaysian Government, led by Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam, arrived to Bangladesh for a two-day visit on Sept 12. The high profile Malaysian representative also called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday. Under the G to G process, the Bangladeshi workers will have to register their names at the Union Information Centres with a fee of Taka 80 each. "None will be allowed for recruitment in Malaysia without creating a data bank," said the visiting minister. Before departure for Malaysia, he said the workers must have to participate in an orientation course and they will have to learn Malay language, culture and social norms and practices of Malaysia. Prior to this, the G to G process was started in the country with an immigration cost of Taka 8,000 to Taka 12,000 for each of the worker, said Engineer Mosharraf adding that the G to G process had never been implemented during the regime of the four- part alliance government when the immigration cost to Malaysia for a worker was between Taka 2 lakh to Taka 4 lakh. Y1 - 2013/02/16/ KW - Bangladesh KW - Malaysia KW - Minimum Cost for migrant workers UR - http://www1.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=0&id=279146$date=2012-09-13&dateCurrent=2012-09-15 Y2 - 2013-02-16 JA - Bangladesh Sangbad Sangtha ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Tripartite Meeting on Fire Safety in the Workplace in Bangladesh CY - Bangladesh PB - International Labor Organization N2 - A tripartite meeting on fire safety in the work place in Bangladesh was organized jointly by the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the ILO on 15 January 2013. It was attended by the tripartite constituents of the ILO- the government, employers and workers. It included the Ministry of Labour and Employment, NCCWE, BEF, BGMEA, BKMEA, BNC and other government ministries and departments. The tripartite meeting discussed different issues related to fire safety. Following the daylong deliberations, a tripartite statement of commitment was adopted and signed at the meeting. The signed statement expresses great sadness the loss of lives at Tazreen Fashions Ltd. It highlighted the necessity of tripartite actions to prevent similar occurrences in the future. It calls for promoting the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187), the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155), and other instruments of the ILO relevant to the framework for occupational safety and health; In the statement, the Government, Employers’ Organizations (BEF, BGMEA and BKMEA) and Workers’ Organizations (NCCWE,BNC) have committed to fully abide by all relevant laws, regulations and procedures aimed at ensuring fire safety at the work place. They have also committed to actively develop, promote and implement collaborative, participatory, and transparent mechanisms to ensure fire safety in Bangladesh. As a first step in this regard, they affirmed to work together to develop a National Tripartite Action Plan on Fire Safety by the end of February 2013, with a view to taking comprehensive action aimed at preventing any further loss of life, limb and property due to work place fires and fire-related accidents and incidents. They called upon the international and national partners and stakeholders, including international development organizations, brands/buyers, donor agencies, and non-governmental organizations, to assist them in implementing the National Tripartite Action Plan on Fire Safety, once finalized. In this respect, they requested the International Labour Organization (ILO) to assist them in organizing the necessary consultation meetings and technical support. Y1 - 2013/// KW - Bangladesh KW - Working conditions KW - clothing and textile industries KW - manufacturing KW - safety management UR - http://www.ilo.org/dhaka/Informationresources/Publicinformation/Pressreleases/WCMS_201610/lang--en/index.htm Y2 - 2013-02-16 T3 - Working conditions, clothing and textile industries, manufacturing, safety management Regions and countries covered: selected, Bangladesh ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - Qatar: Promises, Little Action on Migrant Workers’ Rights PB - Human Rights Watch Y1 - 2013/02/07/ KW - migrant workers KW - Migrant Workers KW - Migrant workers KW - Improvement KW - condition UR - http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/07/qatar-promises-little-action-migrant-workers-rights Y2 - 2013-04-29 ER - TY - MGZN T1 - Global Forum & Bangladesh: The Situation and Obligations of Bangladesh Migrants N2 - With an area of 147,570 square km, Bangladesh is overpopulated with 140 million people. Less than half of its population is said to live below poverty level. A high rate of unemployment and the demand for foreign exchange has led to government policies to promote migration of workers to labor deficit countries. But we think with importance that Migrant worker issues are most important for our social, economical, education & development. A1 - Ahmed, Sheikh Nasir Y1 - 2013/01/30/ KW - migration KW - Bangladesh KW - poverty KW - Government Policies KW - Social Development KW - Economic Development KW - Education. UR - http://www.globaleducationmagazine.com/global-forum-bangladesh-situation-obligations-bangladesh-migrants/ Y2 - 2013-03-18 JA - Global Education ER - TY - RPRT T1 - The Student School lance la toute première section du réseau SAME pour les élèves du secondaire A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2013/01/29/ UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3229:the-student-school-launches-first-ever-same-high-school-chapter&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=fr UR - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vTIBN_M0dTA Y2 - 2013-02-01 ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - Qatar 2022 World Cup will exploit migrant workers, says report N1 - The World Cup due to be played in Qatar in 2022 will be "a crucible of exploitation and misery" for poorly paid migrant workers who will toil on the country's construction sites, the campaigning organisation Human Rights Watch will warn in a report due to be published on Thursday. In its World Report 2013, HRW is expected to say workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal and other south Asian countries suffer forced labour, low pay, insanitary and overcrowded living conditions and other violations of their human rights when they arrive to work in Qatar, one of the world's richest countries. HRW says the Qatar government has not fulfilled pledges made when Fifa awarded the World Cup to the country, to improve the conditions for workers who will build nine new stadiums and massive infrastructure projects for the tournament. Although there are concerns within the football establishment about players and supporters enduring the heat of Qatar if the tournament is played in the summer of 2022, HRW argues no similar care is being taken for the workers labouring in that summer heat every year. HRW, which published an extensive report into workers' human rights in Qatar in June, found that some workers have to live in "overcrowded and unsanitary labour camps", which lacked clean water, ventilation or air-conditioning, "crucial elements for adequately minimising the risk of heat stroke". Many of the 1.2 million migrant workers, who form 88% of the country's population, suffer the kafala sponsorship system, which ties them to a single employer. That means they cannot change jobs without the consent of that employer, other than in exceptional cases, and to leave Qatar they need the sponsoring employer to grant an exit visa, which can be refused. Employers "routinely" confiscate workers' passports, HRW says. "Qatar has some of the most restrictive sponsorship laws in the Gulf region and forced labour and human trafficking are serious problems," the HRW World Report will state. "The government has failed to address shortcomings in the legal and regulatory framework despite the initiation of many large-scale projects for Qatar's 2022 World Cup." Qatar's bid included commitments that the situation of workers in the country would be improved but HRW argues little progress has been made. There remains no legal right to form or join a trade union and no minimum wage. Sharan Burrow, the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, said that, combined with the kafala system, workers are suffering "forced labour" in Qatar. "The World Cup in 2022 was awarded by Fifa to a country which treats workers as modern-day slaves," Burrow said. Calling on Qatar to improve its labour laws and practices, including outlawing recruitment fees charged to workers, she cited figures from the Nepal government that 200 Nepali migrant workers died last year working in Qatar. "More workers will die building World Cup infrastructure than players will take to the field," Burrows predicted. The Qatar 2022 supreme committee told the Guardian it has nearly finalised a "migrant worker charter" for all World Cup-related projects, that it will include labour requirements in its tender documents and work with HRW and other stakeholders to seek "the highest health and safety and worker welfare standards to the benefit of all major projects in Qatar". The Qatari government, contacted via the embassy in London, did not respond to the Guardian's request for comment on the issues raised by Human Rights Watch. CY - London PB - Theguardian Y1 - 2013/01/29/ KW - Exploitation KW - World Cup Commitment UR - http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jan/29/qatar-2022-world-cup-exploit-workers Y2 - 2013-04-05 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Le réseau SAME établit un nouveau partenariat au Collège Loyalist A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2013/01/14/ UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_multicategories&view=article&id=3203:same-builds-new-partnership-at-loyalist-college-&Itemid=98&lang=fr Y2 - 2013-02-01 T3 - Bulletin hebdomadaire du président national des TUAC Canada, Wayne Hanley ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Tell Canada Don’t Be a Scrooge, Restore Migrant Workers Rights to Benefits CY - Georgetown, Guyanne PB - Guyana Publications Inc. N2 - In a surprise move the Canadian Federal government enacted a series of regulations that makes migrant workers no longer eligible for ‘Special Benefits’ under Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) scheme. The benefits included access to parental, maternity and compassionate care benefits while migrant workers were home in the off season. The benefits lasted up to 35 weeks, providing migrants with payments of 55% of their salary. While the government has taken away their eligibility for EI special benefits overseas, migrant workers will still be compelled to pay mandatory deductions from their pay stubs towards Canada’s Employment Insurance scheme. A1 - StabroekNews,  Y1 - 2012/12/24/ UR - http://www.stabroeknews.com/2012/features/12/24/tell-canada-dont-be-a-scrooge-restore-migrant-workers-rights-to-benefits/ Y2 - 2013-01-10 JA - StabroekNews.com ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Juripop, l'AAFQ et UES-FTQ annoncent la création d'une clinique juridique pour les femmes admises au Québec à titre d'aide familiale A1 - Juripop,  A1 - AAFQ,  A1 - UES-FTQ,  Y1 - 2012/11/29/ T3 - Communiqués de l'AAFQ ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Aides familiales résidantes: un centre de consultation juridique verra le jour A1 - Nicoud, Anabelle Y1 - 2012/11/28/ UR - http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/sante/201211/28/01-4598518-aides-familiales-residantes-un-centre-de-consultation-juridique-verra-le-jour.php Y2 - 2012-12-01 JA - La Presse ER - TY - NEWS T1 - ILO issues service directory for migrant workers CY - BEIRUT, Lebanon PB - The Daily Star Y1 - 2012/11/28/ KW - Domestic Workers KW - Claim Rights UR - http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Nov-28/196361-ilo-issues-service-directory-for-migrant-workers.ashx#axzz2RvvRtXeC Y2 - 2013-04-30 JA - The Daily Star SP - 4 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - The agony of migrant workers CY - Jalarta PB - The Jakarta Post Y1 - 2012/11/26/ KW - migrant workers KW - Migrant Workers KW - Migrant workers KW - Indonesia UR - http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/11/26/the-agony-migrant-workers.html Y2 - 2013-04-30 JA - The Jakarta Post SP - 6 ER - TY - ADVS T1 - Comparative Study of Overseas Workers Welfare Fund of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines N2 - The presentation is about comparing the welfare fund of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippine. The presenter also identifies the problems of the policies with social security schemes. A1 - TAN, EDITA E Y1 - 2012/// KW - Comparison KW - Welfare fund of Pakistan KW - Sri Lanka and the Philippine UR - http://www.ekon.go.id/media/filemanager/2012/06/27/f/i/file.pdf Y2 - 2012-11-25 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Solidarity or Exclusion? British Columbia Unions and Chinese Mineworkers N2 - fficials from the International Union of Operating Engineers and the Construction and Specialized Workers' Union (CSWU) have gone to court to try to cancel the company's authorization to employ Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs). Their rationale is clear. When interviewed on the CBC Radio One program As It Happens on November 21, Mark Olsen, the President of the Bargaining Council of BC Building Trade Unions, argued that Canadian workers should get preference for these mining jobs and that the Chinese workers already in BC should be sent home. A1 - Camfield, David Y1 - 2012/11/23/ UR - http://www.newsocialist.org/index.php/663-solidarity-or-exclusion-british-columbia-unions-and-chinese-mineworkers Y2 - 2012-12-01 JA - New Socialist ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Labor Migration from Bangladesh 2011: Achievements and Challenges CY - Dhaka, Bangladesh PB - RMMRU N2 - The report by RMMRU onLabor Migration from Bangladesh 2011: Achievements and Challenges gives the statistics on the total number of migrant workers from Bangladesh in the year 2011, the percentage of labor migration based on skill composition, the destination country. and remittances sent by the Bangladeshi migrant workers. The report also discusses legal cases of Bangladeshi migrant workers in the Arab countries. A1 - Siddiqui, Tasneem A1 - Billah, Md. Motasim Y1 - 2012/// UR - http://www.rmmru.org/events/2011/Migration_Trend_Analysis_2011_Achievements_and_Challenges_EN.pdf Y2 - 2012-11-21 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Migration of Women Workers from South Asia to the Gulf PB - UN Women, V.V Giri Labour Insititute N2 - UN women - 2012. "Released by UN Women and the V.V Giri Labour Insititute, the report Migration of Women Workers from South Asia to the Gulf analyses the processes, outcomes and problems associated with the migration of women workers from South Asian countries to the Gulf region, focusing on five major sending countries in South Asia – Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – and six major receiving countries of the Gulf region – Bahrain, Kuweit, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Highlighting the positive economic aspects of migration in South Asia, this report also addresses the areas where women continue to experience injustice, violence and inequality at various stages of the migration cycle." A1 - Thimothy, Rakkee A1 - Sasikumar, S.K. Y1 - 2012/// KW - Women KW - Rights and protection of migrants UR - http://apmagnet.ilo.org/resources/migration-of-women-workers-from-south-asia-to-the-gulf Y2 - 2012-11-21 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - UFCW CANADA and CONOFAM Sign Migrant Workers Protection Pact A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2012/11/07/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_multicategories&view=article&id=3095:ufcw-canada-and-conofam-sign-migrant-workers-protection-pact&Itemid=98&lang=en Y2 - 2012-11-14 T3 - UFCW Social Justice press releases ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Brief Paper: Labor Migration From Colombo Process Countries Good Practices, Challenges and Ways Forward IS - NO.1 PB - International Organization for Migration (IOM) N2 - Since 2005, the Colombo Process (CP) Member Countries have taken concrete, proactive steps to manage labour migration by, for example, amending existing regulations or adopting new legislation, creating new government structures dedicated to managing labour outflows, signing bilateral agreements (BAs) and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with key destination countries and launching innovative programmes and activities at various levels of government. Despite successes in key areas, challenges remain, especially surrounding implementation. There is often a gap between the stated aims of policy measures and their application on the ground, particularly in four key areas: dissemination of information, the recruitment process, welfare support to migrants (at all stages of the migration cycle) and maximizing the benefits of labour migration. Indeed, policymakers in CP Member Countries face a formidable task: creating efficient and equitable migration systems that benefit labour migrants and their families while contributing to long-term economic growth and development in both source and destination countries. Governments have many options as they work to meet these and other challenges. This brief highlights 10 potential areas of focus, such as (1) improving pre-departure orientation programmes, (2) developing and harmonizing recruitment regulations between origin and destination countries and (3) enhancing welfare support at destination. Success requires serious investments in building capacity to fill critical information gaps. To this end, we recommend a three-pronged strategy: developing knowledge based on policy-relevant research, formalizing practical policy dialogues and forging meaningful partnerships among the major actors in labour migration. A1 - Agunias , Dovelyn Rannveig A1 - Aghazarm, Christine Y1 - 2012/// KW - policy KW - recruitment process KW - welfare support to migrants KW - benefit of labor migration UR - http://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/ColomboProcessBrief.pdf Y2 - 2012-11-02 JA - Migrationpolicy ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Full Paper: Labor Migration From Colombo Process Countries Good Practices, Challenges and Ways Forward IS - No.1 PB - International Organization for Migration (IOM) N2 - Since 2005, the Colombo Process (CP) Member Countries have taken concrete, proactive steps to manage labour migration by, for example, amending existing regulations or adopting new legislation, creating new government structures dedicated to managing labour outflows, signing bilateral agreements (BAs) and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with key destination countries and launching innovative programmes and activities at various levels of government. Despite successes in key areas, challenges remain, especially surrounding implementation. There is often a gap between the stated aims of policy measures and their application on the ground, particularly in four key areas: dissemination of information, the recruitment process, welfare support to migrants (at all stages of the migration cycle) and maximizing the benefits of labour migration. Indeed, policymakers in CP Member Countries face a formidable task: creating efficient and equitable migration systems that benefit labour migrants and their families while contributing to long-term economic growth and development in both source and destination countries. Governments have many options as they work to meet these and other challenges. This brief highlights 10 potential areas of focus, such as (1) improving pre-departure orientation programmes, (2) developing and harmonizing recruitment regulations between origin and destination countries and (3) enhancing welfare support at destination. Success requires serious investments in building capacity to fill critical information gaps. To this end, we recommend a three-pronged strategy: developing knowledge based on policy-relevant research, formalizing practical policy dialogues and forging meaningful partnerships among the major actors in labour migration. A1 - Agunias , Dovelyn Rannveig A1 - Aghazarm, Christine Y1 - 2012/// KW - policy KW - recruitment process KW - welfare support to migrants KW - benefit of labor migration UR - http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=758 Y2 - 2012-11-02 JA - International Organization for Migration (IOM) ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Two embassies temporarily banned from bringing servants to Canada A1 - Lindell, Rebecca Y1 - 2012/11/01/ JA - Global News ER - TY - RPRT T1 - SAME – Building Bridges Between Communities A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2012/10/24/ UR - http://ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3077%3Asame-building-bridges-between-communities-&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2012-11-01 T3 - UFCW Canada Human Rights Department Release ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Migrant workers unsafe in Bahrain‚ says rights body CY - KATHMANDU PB - The Himalayan Times Y1 - 2012/10/21/ KW - migrant workers KW - Migrant Workers KW - Migrant workers KW - Bahrain KW - Nepal UR - http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Migrant+workers+unsafe+in+Bahrain%E2%80%9A+says+rights+body+&NewsID=351820 Y2 - 2013-04-26 JA - The Himalayan Times ER - TY - RPRT T1 - UFCW Canada and Michoacán's SEMIGRANTE sign new agreement A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2012/10/12/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3067:e-news-vol5-issue-38&catid=76:e-news-2012&Itemid=347&lang=en Y2 - 2012-10-15 T3 - AWA/ATA E-News ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Exploitation of seasonal migrant workers feared by unions CY - British Columbia A1 - The Globe and Mail,  A1 - Stueck, Wendy Y1 - 2012/09/25/ KW - migrant workers KW - Union KW - Migrant Workers KW - Migrant workers UR - http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/exploitation-of-seasonal-migrant-workers-feared-by-unions/article4565970/ Y2 - 2014-04-16 JA - The Globe and Mail ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Les TUAC Canada assistent à une session de formation au Michoacán sur les centres municipaux d'aide aux migrants A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2012/// UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2996:ufcw-canada-attends-michoacans-training-session-for-municipal-migrant-support-centers&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=fr Y2 - 2012-09-14 T3 - UFCW Social Justice press releases ER - TY - RPRT T1 - PROTECTING MIGRANTS DURING TIMES OF CRISIS: IMMEDIATE RESPONSES AND SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES IS - No.21 CY - Geneva PB - International Organization for Migration N2 - As part of IOM’s annual International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) – dedicated in 2012 to the theme Managing Migration in Crisis Situations – the IOM membership selected the topic “Protecting Migrants during Times of Crisis: Immediate Responses and Sustainable Strategies” as the focus of a workshop in Geneva, Switzerland, on 13 and 14 September 2012.1 The workshop was the second in a series that examines the relationship between humanitarian crises and human mobility. It focused on the situation of international migrants when their destination or transit countries experience upheavals or natural or man-made disasters. The workshop was attended by approximately 250 policymakers and practitioners from around the world with specialization in migration and displacement, humanitarian action, disaster management, protection and related issues. This document summarizes the main conclusions and key ideas for action which emanated from their discussions. 1. International migration will always be a factor in crises. Migration crises come in various shapes and sizes, but regardless of their nature or magnitude, the situation of migrants caught in crises has not received adequate attention in the past. Workshop participants recognized that, as human mobility intensifies around the globe, crises are increasingly likely to affect migrant populations in their countries of transit and destination. Bangladesh also urged that environmental migrants and climate-induced displacement be included in efforts to protect migrants in emergency and crisis. This was supported by representatives of countries in the Sahel region, where a severe drought aggravated the challenge of receiving large numbers of returning migrants. 2. Destination and origin countries need to factor their migrant population into planning for emergencies. For proper contingency planning, States need to know where migrants are, who they are, and how to reach them in the event of a crisis. Many participants stressed the long-standing, sometimes historic connections between countries that shape migration flows and patterns, for example in sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, however, they accepted that knowledge and data concerning migration is often lacking, hampering efforts to respond to migrants’ needs in the event of a crisis. Preparedness at a regional level would benefit from the development of specific, migrant-oriented early warning systems. Better training and preparation of migrants before leaving their country of origin can help them make informed decisions in the event of a crisis. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the protection and evacuation of Korean nationals during crises recently concluded between the Republic of Korea and IOM elicited great interest from participants as an example of an effective preparedness measure. 3. How migrants’ human rights are protected before a crisis will directly affect their level of vulnerability and exposure to abuse during a crisis. Participants identified both domestic legal frameworks and international norms as important mechanisms to strengthen the protection of migrants during crises. International Humanitarian Law and the International Labour Organization’s Convention on Domestic Workers were cited as particularly relevant in this context. The discussion also revolved around improving social protection for migrants, for example through insurance schemes, which can also help migrants and their families absorb any shocks as a result of crises. Participants expressed concern at illicit practices by recruitment agencies: for example, owing debt to a recruiter may limit migrants’ ability to leave or otherwise protect themselves during a crisis. Access to safety during crises is even further compromised for those already experiencing extreme human rights violations, such as trafficked persons and exploited migrants. 4. When stranded in a crisis situation, migrants are exposed to specific vulnerabilities. Several speakers, including from Bangladesh, the European Union (EU) and the United States, drew attention to the vulnerabilities and specific needs of migrant populations, which are not always sufficiently covered by the humanitarian system. In the event of a crisis, migrants experience numerous barriers to accessing protection and assistance, ranging from the practical (e.g. language) to the legal (e.g. irregular status). Participants stressed that gender differences affect how migrants are affected by and cope with crises. Women migrant domestic workers were mentioned as a potentially vulnerable group, as they often work in isolation and their mobility may be restricted. On the other hand, one should not underestimate migrants’ capacities to help themselves: participants from Benin, the Philippines and Sri Lanka cited examples of migrant communities who self-organized, supported each other and worked with embassies and local authorities to ensure their own safety and that of fellow migrants during crises. 5. States are using diverse strategies to reach out to migrants during crises. New technologies are opening up more effective channels to establish contact and disseminate information to migrants before and during crises. Countries such as Sri Lanka have started utilizing social media and mobile phone technology to communicate with their nationals abroad. Japan, with the support of IOM, has used multilingual radio broadcasting to disseminate information to migrant communities after the 2011 earthquake. Consular services need to be capable of dealing with emergencies, for example by training consular officials or by establishing specialized rapid response teams. Capacity-building and coordination among local authorities, international humanitarian actors and diplomatic missions can also serve to enhance in situ protection of migrant workers, short of a full evacuation. However, consular services can only be provided if countries are granted access during emergencies. • Where a country cannot maintain a large consular network, bilateral or regional partnerships between States, as concluded among countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), for example, have allowed countries to share consular responsibilities and to extend services to nationals of other States. 6. Return to the home country is sometimes inevitable to protect migrants caught in crises, but this is not without consequences. Many participants explained the steps and lessons learned in evacuating and repatriating their nationals from a country in crisis. They concluded that sometimes evacuation can be the best available tool to ensure the protection of migrants and to reduce the risk of prolonged displacement and other, more drastic humanitarian consequences. Evacuations are complex operations: they involve coordination among States, international organizations, civil and military actors, air carriers and border officials, to name a few. The Libya crisis in 2011 and the ongoing conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic have highlighted particular challenges related to the issuance of documents and securing exit visas for migrant workers. As stressed by representatives from Chad, Niger and South Sudan, large-scale returns can overwhelm a country’s capacity and resources to receive and reintegrate their nationals who often face unemployment, loss of assets, debt and emotional hardship. Returning migrant children – who may in fact have never lived in the country of their parents – may have difficulty accessing education. Families who had relied on remittances are suddenly left without income. • Numerous participants cited reintegration efforts such as private sector initiatives to generate employment (as done in Viet Nam), community-level reintegration strategies (such as the “Economic Heroes” of Sri Lanka), or counselling (by civil society organizations in the Philippines). • It emerged that many of those who returned home from the Libya crisis, in fact, aspire to migrate again. It was highlighted that solving the issue of stranded migrants requires long-term migration policies that go beyond crisis response. Several participants also underlined that development factors are inextricably bound up in any attempt to tackle the immediate and longer-term consequences of migrants caught in crises. 7. No one actor can ensure the protection of migrants during crises, requiring instead multiple levels of coordination. Coordination between States is indispensable, for example in information sharing, granting of consular access, affording temporary protection, or facilitating humanitarian border management to allow safe transit for populations fleeing crisis. Regional organizations have added the issue of migrants caught in crisis to their agendas: the African Union, ASEAN, the Colombo Process, the EU, the South American Conference on Migration, to name a few, have jointly tackled consular questions and the development and security consequences of migration crises. Crises also challenge different authorities within a State to harmonize their actions, such as different government departments, embassies and consulates, local and national authorities, civil defence actors, border and customs officials, and the military. Participants drew attention to the obligations of the private sector, such as migrant recruiters and employers, to ensure the rights and safety of migrant workers during crises. Others pointed to the scope for creative cooperation with the private sector, including in job creation for returned migrants. • Participants also called for closer coordination among international organizations, especially humanitarian, migration and development actors. For instance, speakers from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and IOM drew lessons from the 2011 Libya crisis concerning the coordination of evacuations. • Discussions also touched on the role of the media in crises, and the occasionally detrimental effects of sensationalist reporting in relation to the movement of people. Overall, the plight of international migrants stranded in crises in destination countries remains an invisible and underreported issue. Participants called for greater awareness-raising and further discussion, including in international forums such as the 2013 United Nations High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, the Global Forum on Migration and Development, and the World Economic Forum. Numerous participants recognized the central role of IOM – as the global migration agency – in responding to migration crises in which migrants are predominantly affected, with particular reference to the large-scale evacuations of migrant workers and their families from within and around Libya in 2011. In the same vein, several speakers called for better resourcing of IOM Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism, adopted by IOM Member States in 2011 to guarantee more immediate and flexible responses to migration crises on the part of IOM. The IOM Director General concluded the workshop indicating that the Organization will further build on the work undertaken in the IDM 2012, including at an IDM seminar in New York on “Migrants in Times of Crisis: An Emerging Protection Challenge” on 9 October 2012 and at the IOM Council Session in November 2012. Furthermore, an upcoming session of the IOM Standing Committee on Programmes and on 30–31 October 2012 will allow Member States to discuss in more detail IOM’s activities to assist and protect migrants caught in crisis situations and to review the progress made in developing an IOM Migration Crisis Operational Framework. Several delegations present at the IDM workshop referred to this operational framework, which will enable IOM and its partners to better respond to a migration crisis and address many of the issues raised during the workshop, and demonstrated their support for this IOM initiative. Y1 - 2012/09/14/ KW - Migration protection mechanism ER - TY - RPRT T1 - AWA celebrates Mexican, Central American and Caribbean Independence Days A1 - AWA/ATA,  Y1 - 2012/09/13/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3011%3Ae-news-vol5-issue-33&catid=76%3Ae-news-2012&Itemid=347&lang=en Y2 - 2012-09-14 T3 - AWA/ATA E-News ER - TY - RPRT T1 - UFCW Canada training workshop strengthens ties with Mexican state of Guerrero A1 - AWA/ATA,  Y1 - 2012/09/10/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_multicategories&view=article&id=3007:ufcw-canada-training-workshop-strengthens-ties-with-mexican-state-of-guerrero-&Itemid=98&lang=en Y2 - 2012-09-14 T3 - AWA/ATA E-News ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Bill against sexual harassment a boost to domestic workers’ PB - National Domestic Workers Movement A1 - Polanki, Pallavi Y1 - 2012/08/28/ KW - Domestic Workers KW - legal framework UR - http://ndwm.org/?page_id=295 Y2 - 2013-03-23 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - UFCW Canada supports migrant workers in Guatemala A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2012/08/24/ UR - http://ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2971%3Aufcw-canada-supports-migrant-workers-in-guatemala&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2012-09-01 T3 - UFCW Canada Human Rights Department Releases ER - TY - RPRT T1 - UFCW Canada/ AWA Victory for Guatemalan Migrant Workers in Quebec! A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  A1 - AWA/ATA,  Y1 - 2012/07/26/ T3 - AWA/ATA E-News ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - Thai migrants take recruiters to court CY - Thailand PB - International Labor Organization N2 - Tak Province, Thailand (ILO News) – Auto mechanic Pirom Boonyorat, 35, frowns as he recalls how his last stint as a migrant ended up in financial disaster. He had paid Thai recruiters 580,000 Baht (17,000 Euros at the time) to make employment and travel arrangements for a job in Spain. The recruitment agency told him he’d be paid 1,500 Euros a month and work for five years. His salary turned out to be half that much, and after one year there was no more work. Broke and with no prospects in Spain, Mr. Boonyorat returned to Thailand, furious with the recruiter. “I felt the company only wanted our money. They took no responsibility for their promises. They should have tried their best to find new jobs for us,” he said. Stories like this are not uncommon in Thailand, where recruiters, working on commission, often embellish the conditions of the jobs they arrange. But Mr. Boonyorat and others have now obtained compensation from the recruitment agency, thanks to an ILO project backed by the European Commission, which helped them take their cases to a Thai Labour Court. The project, “Going back – Moving on” aims at helping returning migrants in their economic and social reintegration. It also works with Thai lawyers to help migrants seek fair compensation if they feel they have been wronged. A breakthrough in migrant workers’ rights The financial redress marked a breakthrough in the way Thai courts view the rights of Thai migrant workers and the obligations of the recruitment companies that send them abroad. “More migrants are returning home and those who feel they were cheated are going to court,” said Siriwan Vongkietpaisan, a Thai lawyer who represented Mr. Boonyorat. The lawyer also acted on behalf of Oonjai Thiwong, who paid a recruiter 250,000 Baht (7,000 Euros at the time) for a job in Poland. In early 2012 the Thai Labour Court ruled in favour of Ms. Thiwong and 17 other women after their employer in Poland abruptly cancelled their contracts. Ms. Vongkietpaisan said she initially helped her clients negotiate directly with the recruiters but without success. “So we took the cases to court and we won better settlements.” Ms. Kusumal Rachawong, a coordinator for the ILO’s Economic and Social Empowerment of Migrants Project, said that “the ILO, with the support from the European Commission has proved that the labour rights of migrant workers can be protected by national laws even when they are working abroad.” “This is now recognized by the Thai courts,” he added. Ms. Thiwong met Mr. Boonyorat while she was pursuing her court case. The two former migrants are now married and expecting their first child. They have no immediate plans to work abroad, but say it’s still an option for the future now that they know their rights. Y1 - 2012/07/17/ KW - court for Thai migrant workers UR - http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/features/WCMS_185365/lang--en/index.htm Y2 - 2013-02-23 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Statement of solidarity with Filipino migrant workers and their class action suit against Denny's A1 - Coalition for Migrant Workers Justice (C4MWJ),  Y1 - 2012/// UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/26680998546/statement-of-solidarity-with-filipino-migrant-workers Y2 - 2012-07-14 T3 - CMWJ press releases ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Hermelindo and his family were successful in the first stage of their application for humanitarian and compassionate stay in Canada A1 - J4MW,  Y1 - 2012/07/05/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/26605172874/update-major-victory-in-the-case-of-hermelindo Y2 - 2012-07-14 T3 - J4MW Press releases ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Migrant Worker Community celebrates announcement that injured migrant will receive medical surgery A1 - J4MW,  Y1 - 2012/07/04/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/26510750046/migrant-worker-community-celebrates-announcement-that Y2 - 2012-07-14 T3 - J4MW Press releases ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Proposals by the Presidential Candidates on the Issue of Mexican Migrant Agriculture Workers in Canada PB - AWA/ATA A1 - AWA/ATA,  Y1 - 2012/06/26/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2884%3Ae-news-vol5-issue-23&catid=76%3Ae-news-2012&Itemid=347&lang=en Y2 - 2012-07-01 JA - AWA/ATA E-News ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Body-Mapped Stories of Latin American Undocumented Workers in the GTA PB - J4MW A1 - J4MW,  Y1 - 2012/06/19/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/25452103561 Y2 - 2012-06-20 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Chasing the golden goose CY - New Delhi, India PB - The Hindu Y1 - 2012/06/12/ KW - India KW - women migrant workers UR - http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/article3491672.ece Y2 - 2013-03-31 JA - The Hindu ER - TY - NEWS T1 - La vraie valeur de votre salade jardinière PB - Université de Sherbrooke A1 - Espin, Tery-Tanya Y1 - 2012/06/06/ UR - http://www.lecollectif.ca/la-vraie-valeur-de-votre-salade-jardiniere/ Y2 - 2014-02-18 JA - Le Collectif vol XXXV, no 17 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - India, Pakistan account for 71% of female migrants from South Asia CY - New Delhi, India PB - The Times of India Y1 - 2012/06/05/ KW - India KW - women migrant workers UR - http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-05/south-asia/32054776_1_labour-migration-migrants-south-asia Y2 - 2013-03-31 JA - The Times of India ER - TY - NEWS T1 - 'More Indian women migrating to Gulf for jobs' CY - New Delhi, India PB - Hindustantime A1 - Gupta, Moushumi Das Y1 - 2012/06/04/ KW - India KW - women migrant workers UR - http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/More-Indian-women-migrating-to-Gulf-for-jobs/Article1-866026.aspx Y2 - 2013-03-31 JA - Hindustantime ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Visas Inc: Corporate Control and Policy Incoherence in the U.S. Temporary Foreign Labor System CY - New York PB - Global Workers Justice Alliance N2 - Executive Summary According to the best guess of the U.S. government, somewhere between 700,000 and 900,000 foreign citizens are working in the United States on temporary visas.1 They work in every field, from low-skilled, low-wage jobs in agriculture, to specialty occupations in health care or information technology. They may be in the public sector, employed as teachers in an under-served school district, or in the most private sphere of the private sector, as domestic workers living in their employer’s home. The temporary foreign labor system that brings in these workers consists of dozens of visa categories and sub-categories, for apparently distinct purposes – cultural and educational exchange, employee relocation by multinational enterprises, U.S. based training programs and more. But the problems become apparent when we examine the structure as a whole – and in particular, its vulnerability to extreme misuse by employers eager to use foreign labor in ways that undermine established wages and working conditions in the U.S. As far as many of these employers are concerned, the entire framework is one undifferentiated avenue to source cheaper and more easily controlled labor: ——U.S. employers have substantial economic incentives, built into the visa framework, to hire foreign workers in place of a potential or existing U.S. workforce. These incentives may be embodied in regulations that exempt employers of certain visa workers from payroll taxes, for example – or a lack of regulation, enabling employers to pay foreign workers far lower wages than established for U.S. workers. ——Foreign workers are wholly dependent on their employer for their fragile status in the U.S. As a general matter, if they are fired, they must leave the country quickly, or face deportation. Combined with other tools of control, this creates a culture of fear that effectively prevents workers from reporting any abuse or exploitation. The temporary worker visa system is utterly chaotic, constantly metastasizing to develop more visa categories or carve-outs, in response to employer demands. While there is extensive evidence of self-interested employer lobbying to expand the system, or employer misuse of the existing system, the ultimate responsibility lies with the U.S. government. The United States made a deliberate choice to shape a foreign temporary labor system that is heavily privatized, with a minimal role for public regulation and oversight. The U.S. government’s delegation of control over the temporary foreign labor scheme to employers – in spite of the many critical public interests at stake – has had dire consequences. The U.S. government has long been aware of the enormity of the situation: for nearly every relevant visa category, internal governmental reviews document exploitation of foreign workers, and displacement of U.S. workers.. Unfortunately, regulatory reforms have typically been meager, in proportion to the problems. For example, while the U.S. State Department has acknowledged that many foreign domestic workers entering the U.S. in the employ of diplomats have been exploited, and even enslaved, it has failed to address the core vulnerability of these workers through provisions for better enforcement and monitoring. Today, the State Department merely requires that domestic workers have a written contract with the employer before they can be granted a visa to enter the U.S. Governmental oversight is further hobbled by diffusion of responsibility. Regulation and enforcement is distributed among multiple agencies – the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Labor – in seemingly haphazard ways that are not consistent across visa categories, and do not provide for coordination among the agencies. In the case of the majority of these visas, the one agency mandated to protect U.S. and foreign workers – the Department of Labor – has been excluded or pushed to the margins.. The absence of clear data further undermines both coordination and public accountability. Under the current framework, no one within the U.S. government – let alone the U.S. public – is in a position to grasp the dimensions of the temporary foreign labor system, or to analyze its impact. The fragmentation of oversight is linked intrinsically to the fragmentation of the framework. Rather than developing a coherent, unitary system, the U.S. government, responding piecemeal to employer demands, created a patchwork of visas subject to distinct rules. Although it is clear that employers have learned to exploit the interconnections between these visas, the government continues to treat them as entirely distinct of each other. This refusal to regulate the temporary foreign labor system in an integrated way is perhaps the most substantial obstacle to meaningful reform and oversight. In the absence of comprehensive attention, employers treat these visas interchangeably, substituting reliance on one for another as circumstances – such as increased oversight here, or additional fees there – dictate. Analysis and reform must therefore happen holistically, if abuse and misuse are to be reined in, with the recognition that these individual visas constitute a de facto temporary foreign labor system. The abuse and misuse associated with temporary foreign labor are closely linked to the larger crisis of decent work in the U.S. The shift away from full-time, living wage jobs as the standard for American workers, to ever more precarious employment, is only accelerating. The use of temporary foreign labor is not responsible for the crisis, but it is both a contributing factor and an alibi. Allowing foreign workers in the U.S. is premised on the absence of willing, qualified and available U.S. workers. In reality, however, U.S. workers are actively edged out, as this report documents, in several ways: ——Individual U.S. workers are not hired, or are fired on a pretext. A foreign worker is then hired instead. ——Employers exploit visas that were intended for other purposes, and thus do not require a prior effort to hire U.S. workers. As a result, in many cases, U.S. workers may not even be aware of their exclusion. ——U.S. workers are pushed out of entire industries and regions by the systematic erosion of wages and underlying work conditions. This is followed by the recruitment of foreign workers. Foreign workers, in turn, are vulnerable to abuse throughout their involvement with temporary work in the U.S. The problems begin prior to departure, and extend beyond their return to their home countries: Prior to departure, workers are in the power of recruiters, who promise them employment opportunities in the U.S. in exchange for a substantial fee. In the absence of U.S. government regulation of recruiters (through provisions holding U.S. employers liable for any abuses by their recruiters, for example), there is total impunity. Many workers have been defrauded by recruiters who take their fees and then disappear. Other problems include gross discrimination: women workers accounted for only 3.7% of visas issued for agricultural labor in 2010,2 though advocate interviews suggested that women could represent up to 40% of the pool of job-seekers. ——On arrival, workers face economic exploitation at the hands of employers who know that individuals on temporary work visas have no recourse against either abuse or retaliation. Illegal deductions and wage theft are extremely common. ——While working, occupational health and safety violations are frequent, especially among “unskilled” workers. The problems arise, in part, from the very fact that the U.S. government allows risky work to be categorized as “unskilled. —The impact of exploitation and abuse in the U.S. can be life long. For example, injured workers find it nearly impossible to access workers’ compensation benefits once they return to their home countries. The U.S. insistence on treating the temporary foreign labor framework as a series of private employment arrangements, rather than a governmental program, means that there are no agreements in place with foreign governments to enable social protection schemes, even though workers may have a legal entitlement. There are several measures that the U.S. government should take to fix the system: ——There are short-term steps that could translate into immediate improvements in oversight and governance. The Department of Labor must be integrated into regulation and enforcement of all visa categories that enable temporary work in the U.S. It must have the resources and powers to assess the potential displacement of U.S. workers, as well as to enforce appropriate wages and working conditions for foreign workers. In order to promote greater accountability to the public, the U.S. must release consolidated and consistent data in a timely manner about the use of these visas, including the names of employers currently recruiting foreign workers. ——In the medium term, the U.S. government should undertake a systematic and sustained review of the temporary foreign labor visas to bring them in line with broader U.S. labor market policy. A helpful model would be the “permanent, independent Commission on Foreign Workers,”proposed by former Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall and the Economic Policy Institute,4 to collect data on labor shortages, the use of temporary work visas, and the economic impact of temporary foreign workers in the U.S. ——The long-term goal of reform should be a single visa system with uniform oversight, to replace the current patchwork of visas, each subject to separate regulations. Consistent public administration, rather than the delegation of essential responsibilities to private entities, is critical. The U.S. should engage systematically with foreign governments whose citizens work here, and should conclude agreements that (1) provide for cooperation on preventing abuse, and (2) enable access to social security benefits and workers’ compensation schemes. The size and reach of the temporary worker visa system is evidence that U.S. immigration policy has moved away from its roots in permanent labor migration. This has happened largely without public debate or political acknowledgment. At a minimum, it is time to renew the national conversations related to broad issues of immigration and labor in the U.S. A1 - Sukthankar, Ashwini Y1 - 2012/06/03/ UR - http://www.globalworkers.org/our-work/publications/visas-inc Y2 - 2012-06-13 T3 - Global Workers Justice Alliance Reports ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Very first AWA centre celebrates 10th Anniversary in Leamington A1 - Agriculture Workers Alliance,  Y1 - 2012/// UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2839%3Avery-first-awa-centre-celebrates-10th-anniversary-in-leamington&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2012-06-01 T3 - AWA/ATA E-News ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Le Plan Nord: Quelle place pour les immigrants? PB - CAMO-Personnes immigrantes A1 - Opula, Lambert Y1 - 2012/06/01/ UR - http://www.camo-pi.qc.ca/infolettre/juin/plan_nord.php Y2 - 2012-07-01 JA - Focus Express ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Call for Action against migrant worker wage cuts! PB - J4MW A1 - J4MW,  Y1 - 2012/05/22/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/23559258205 Y2 - 2012-05-23 ER - TY - ADVS T1 - In defense of public legal education and information (PLEI) for migrant workers in British Columbia A1 - Contreras-Chavez, Angela A1 - RED Legal Network,  Y1 - 2012/05/18/ ER - TY - RPRT T1 - International Consultation on Ecumenical Advocacy for the Protection of the Human Rights of Migrant Workers in the Arabian Gulf Region N1 - An international consultation on Ecumenical Advocacy for the Protection of the Human Rights of Migrant Workers in the Arabian Gulf Region was held at Santhigiri Ashram, Alwaye, India from 28 April to 3 May 2012. The event was organized jointly by the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Christian Conference of Asia. The Consultation was an initiative of the CCIA as mandated through a working group’s study process to work towards an ecumenical response for the protection of the rights of Migrant Workers in the Arabian Gulf region. The Consultation was attended by thirty participants, representatives of Churches and migrant-serving institutions and organizations from sending and receiving countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, including ecumenical organizations and specialized ministries together with representatives of migrant workers from the Arabian Gulf countries. It provided a platform to discuss the problems and concerns related to the rights of migrant workers in the Arabian Gulf countries. in its deliberations, participants in the consultation reflected on the role of churches in addressing concerns regarding the rights of migrant workers, how best to raise awareness about their working and living conditions and that of their families in the Arabian Gulf states, and how to find collaborative ecumenical approaches among churches in labour-sending and labour-receiving countries, so as to stand in solidarity with migrant workers facing exploitation and violations of their human dignity and rights. Migration is a growing global phenomenon, and the International Organization for Migration estimates that there are some 80 million people around the globe who live and work as migrant workers. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has estimated that in 2010 there were about 105.4 million economically active migrants (including refugees) across the world, representing 44 per cent of the total migrant population. The discovery of oil in the 1950s and the more recent colossal infrastructure development in the Arabian Gulf have been accompanied by a rapid influx of labourers to this region, mainly from South and South East Asia, Africa and neighbouring Arab countries. These migrant workers have brought necessary foreign technologies, knowledge and skills to the region and in effect have become the primary labour force together with unskilled, domestic and irregular workers. However, while the sending and labour-receiving countries in the Arabian Gulf benefit from migrant labour, their exploitation and abuse remain a reality. Migrant workers in the Arabian Gulf countries often face gross violations of their rights, exploitation and at times violence leading even to death. The most vulnerable are the female domestic workers and unskilled and irregular labourers, being subjected to long working hours without rest, deplorable and inhuman working and living conditions, irregular pay, confiscation of travel documents and victimization by unscrupulous agents and employers. Many of them also undergo physical and sexual abuse and even rape. This is compounded by their lack of knowledge of the local language and migration procedures as well as ignorance of their basic labour rights. At times, on their arrival at a worksite unskilled migrant workers are compelled to sign new contracts in a language alien to them with changes made to suit the employer; sometimes specific clauses are included under which the worker is denied basic human rights. They often face discrimination on the basis of their ethnicity. Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers are forced to live in labour camps in deplorable and inhuman conditions. The “kafaala” system, which ties a migrant worker to an individual employer who serves as his/her immigration sponsor, has been compared to modern-day slavery and perpetuates the exploitation of migrant workers, often treating them as commodities, and many become victims of human trafficking. Migrant workers who leave their homes in the hope of improving their life situations often return disappointed and defeated and in some instances end their lives. However, against the backdrop of these dismal and appalling circumstances, progressive action on the part of various human rights organizations, intervention by the UN and advocacy on the part of other nations has led to the promulgation of employee-friendly laws in several Gulf countries. Though slow in implementation, these new laws are a ray of hope. The several safeguards brought about by these laws provide protection for temporary migrant workers against contract fraud, illegal recruitment fees, passport confiscation and restriction of movement. In addition, the new laws, if implemented and enforced, will ensure timely payment of monthly remuneration, work-hour limits, health care and safety regulations as well as new administrative procedures for the equitable treatment of contract workers. Despite the fact that the international human rights instruments and mechanisms, especially the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (ICRMW), was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1990 as a means of providing international protection for the rights of migrant workers and their families, most countries are yet to ratify this convention. This shows that most UN member states have yet to value the significance of the convention which sets out the basic rights and freedoms guaranteed to all migrant workers. The ILO C189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers 2011 is considered a milestone in this area. Our commitment to uphold the dignity of human life is based on our biblical and theological foundations and reiterated and called forth in Holy Scripture through the voices of the prophets, the ministry of Christ and in the letters of the apostles. In the Old Testament and New Testaments we are introduced to a central truth that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God - Imago Dei (Gen. 1:26–27; 5:1–3; 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7; James 3:9). Imago Dei names the personal and relational nature of human existence, and God calls us to act justly towards and on behalf of those whose Imago Dei is being threatened: their human dignity and rights are violated through exploitation. God calls us to stand in solidarity with these afflicted migrant workers and to be engaged in a mission of prophetic witness to uphold the rights and dignity of migrant workers. The prophetic call reminds us, “I am the Lord, and I have called you to be just and good. I will hold you by the hand and watch over you. And I will give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to all nations. You will open blind eyes. You will bring people out of prison, out of the prison where they live in darkness.” (Isaiah 42:6-7). The consultation, whilst acknowledging and deeply appreciating the support and pastoral care afforded by the churches both in the sending and receiving countries, makes further recommendations for ecumenical joint actions for strengthening global advocacy for the Protection of the Human Rights of Migrant Workers in the Arabian Gulf Region: We invite the support of all churches and the ecumenical movement to advocate for the ratification of the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (ICRMW), and ILO C189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers; to lobby through contacts with National Human Rights Commissions; to form advocacy partnerships with international human rights organizations, legal support mechanisms, NGOs, faith-based communities, trade unions and local civil society organizations; to lobby and advocate for the cancelation of the Kafeel system in Arabian Gulf countries; to form partnerships with the wider ecumenical community in their respective countries to work with local civil society and faith-based organizations; to provide pre-departure training, including vocational, language and legal rights awareness, for migrant workers, to provide legal counsel and educate workers about their rights before they depart for the destination country. We also invite all member churches to raise awareness among the expatriate congregations in the Gulf countries about the needs of migrant workers; and to provide training for church leaders in sending and receiving countries. PB - World Council of Churches Y1 - 2012/04/28/ KW - Migration issues KW - Consultation UR - http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/wcc-commissions/international-affairs/commission-on-international-affairs-policy/consultation-on-migrant-workers.html Y2 - 2013-03-30 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - MOVING TO SAFETY: MIGRATION CONSEQUENCES OF COMPLEX CRISES IS - No.20 CY - Geneva PB - International Organization for Migration N2 - As part of IOM’s annual International Dialogue on Migration – dedicated in 2012 to the theme Managing Migration in Crisis Situations – the IOM membership selected the topic “Moving to Safety: Migration Consequences of Complex Crises” as the focus of a workshop in Geneva, Switzerland, on 24 and 25 April 2012.1 The workshop was framed by the concept of “migration crisis” to describe large-scale, complex migration flows due to a crisis which typically involve significant vulnerabilities for individuals and communities affected. A migration crisis may be sudden or slow in onset, can have natural or man-made causes, and can take place internally or across borders. The workshop was attended by approximately 250 policymakers and practitioners from around the world with specialization in migration and displacement, humanitarian action, disaster management, protection and related issues. This document summarizes the main conclusions and key ideas for action which emanated from their discussions. 1. The concept of migration crisis captures contemporary realities where migration due to crises is a growing challenge for States, societies, migrants and international organizations. Participants recognized that crises and displacement have always happened and that the main drivers have largely remained the same. However, the scale of disasters, their propensity to create large population movements and the complexity of these movements mark important new challenges for existing response mechanisms. Participants affirmed that migration crises should be factored into global agendas of governments and international organizations. Workshop participants discussed various types of migration crises, including sudden large-scale events and slowly evolving situations, natural and man-made crises, and their internal and cross-border dimensions. They acknowledged the need to develop new strategies to address the nexus between crises and mobility trends and patterns. The effects of climate change already give rise to forced migration and to potentially large migration crises in the future. Temporary displacement due to natural disasters and the need for permanent migration solutions, especially where countries are affected by sea-level rise, were underlined as some of the most acute challenges. Adaptation efforts to forced migration induced by climate change and environmental factors are still lacking, according to workshop participants. 2. Humanitarian and migration policies can reinforce each other at all stages of crisis response and contribute to achieving longer-term development objectives. There was a call for developing policy options that better link humanitarian response to migration policy, and integrating them with development strategies in the longer term. Such policies should be based on human rights and humanitarian principles, respect for State sovereignty and international cooperation. It was recognized that the existing humanitarian system has produced well-developed mechanisms to coordinate international responses to emergencies, in particular as regards internal displacement due to natural disasters and conflict through the cluster approach. One successful experience shared at the workshop concerned the adoption of the cluster system at national level. Preparedness for migration crises remains uneven, although more and more, States are taking proactive steps to better anticipate crises and their migration consequences, including through disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management. Allocation of adequate resources was underlined as a particularly important element in this regard, as was the clear allocation of responsibility to act in a crisis when different government agencies are involved. In the emergency phase of a crisis, different migration management tools are relevant to ensure a humane and effective response to populations on the move. A few examples included temporary protection, expedited visa procedures, special humanitarian visas, stabilizing border areas, emergency consular services, emergency medical evacuation, and referral systems for persons with special protection needs. Regarding longer-term solutions, different avenues for restoring rights and dignity were explored, including as a means to prevent future forced migration. Some participants mentioned return and reconstruction, including empowering communities to engage in their own reconstruction or providing skills training to facilitate reintegration. Others highlighted the opportunities and challenges of local integration or resettlement elsewhere. • Migration’s role in transition and post-crisis recovery, and ultimately in development, was reflected in discussions on the impact of remittances on recovery. It was also illustrated by one innovative example of the creation of a special labour migration channel for a crisis-affected population. • Much discussion revolved around the emerging urban dimension of crises and displacement. This factor not only influences approaches to delivering assistance and providing protection, but can also change settlement patterns in the longer term. However, a focus on the urban dimension should not lead to the neglect of vulnerable rural populations affected by migration crises. 3. The interactions among vulnerability, agency and rights are essential for understanding and responding to migration crises. Vulnerability was a key theme: as a condition that may lead to displacement and that may be experienced by displaced persons. The discussions highlighted the need for better mapping of vulnerabilities and devising measures to reduce vulnerability. In this context, the workshop drew attention to the vulnerabilities of those unable to move during a crisis, who remain potentially trapped in dangerous circumstances. There was mention of the right to leave and seek safety and the potential of migration to be a coping and protection strategy. In contrast, neglecting the mobility behaviours of populations affected by crisis, including migration patterns which existed prior to the crisis, risks pushing communities into irregular and precarious migration routes. • One strong message that emerged from the debates concerned the agency, capacity and resilience of affected communities, including strengths and skills acquired through the crisis itself. Participants strongly cautioned against perpetuating the victimization of populations while delivering needed assistance. • The needs of host communities should not be neglected while providing tailored assistance to displaced populations, in the immediate aftermath of a crisis and in the long term. • Participants reiterated the importance of existing legal categories and protection mechanisms, as laid down in various binding and non-binding international instruments such as the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Numerous interventions reflected on the question of rights of those moving as a result of crises and how governments and other actors can ensure access to the full spectrum of rights in a migration crisis context. • Discussions also reflected a growing realization that existing categories for crisis-affected populations often do not capture the varied risks, vulnerabilities and human rights violations experienced by those displaced by crises. More flexible approaches in line with international human rights law, humanitarian law and protection principles were deemed potentially more realistic and useful. • The discussions touched on the need for appropriate data collection, needs assessment and vulnerability mapping, but also stressed that in conducting such exercises, and depending on the context, responsible actors should pay due consideration to protection and confidentiality concerns of individuals. 4. Migration crises call for strong, new and innovative partnerships. Participants acknowledged that responses to the migration consequences of crises should not be viewed as separate from humanitarian action. Close cooperation between different relevant players is thus indispensable. A resounding theme concerned the importance of partnerships to improve access to affected populations in large-scale, complex situations. This includes effective coordination amongst the primary actors in crisis response – primarily governments and different agencies and levels within government, the international humanitarian system, and local and international NGOs. In the context of cooperation and partnerships, participants highlighted a number of regional initiatives that can be relevant to migration crisis response, such as the 2010 Migration Principles adopted by the South American Conference on Migration, the European Civil Protection Mechanisms, the Colombo Process (in particular its 2011 Dhaka Declaration), and the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (“Kampala Convention”). Participants also deliberated the risks and opportunities of international involvement in crisis response. They stressed the value of international assistance in building capacities of States to fulfil their responsibilities to respond, assist and protect in times of crisis. Based on the deliberations summarized above, it was concluded that the concept of migration crises and a corresponding migration crisis management framework deserve further discussion and development. IOM will continue to offer a venue for its membership to advance this process, including through an upcoming session of the IOM Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance (SCPF) on IOM’s institutional and operational response to migration consequences of complex crises on Based on the deliberations summarized above, it was concluded that the concept of migration crises and a corresponding migration crisis management framework deserve further discussion and development. IOM will continue to offer a venue for its membership to advance this process, including through an upcoming session of the IOM Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance (SCPF) on IOM’s institutional and operational response to migration consequences of complex crises on 15 15 May 2012; a second IDM workshop on “Protecting Migrants during Times of Crisis: Immediate Responses and Sustainable Strategies” on 13 and 14 September 2012; an IDM seminar in New York on “Migrants in Times of Crisis: An Emerging Protection Challenge” on 9 October 2012; the eleventh session of the SCPF on an “Institutional framework to assist and protect migrants caught in crisis situations” in October 2012; and the IOM Council Session in November 2012. Y1 - 2012/04/25/ KW - climate change KW - Force and Voluntary Migration ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Report on the MIGRATION SITUATION of CAMBODIAN MALE and FEMALE LABORERS CY - Phnom Penh, Cambodia PB - Cambodia Development Resource Institute N2 - During the first four months of 2012, the number of complaints for interventions from migrants’ families was increased up to 5 times, compared to the same period of last year (the number of complaints ADHOC received during the first four months of 2012 is 141 cases, while it was only 23 cases for the same period last year). Migration occurred in two forms: legal and illegal migrations. General challenges faced by the two forms of migration include forced overwork, little or no rest time, untreated illnesses, torture, severe physical assault, underpayment, threats, being jailed, being forced to continue work illegally and the cut-off of relationship with family members. Among the 141 cases, some were from Malaysia, Thailand, South Africa, China, Singapore, Japan, Fiji and so on. While hardship and violations have happened on female migrant workers, the Royal Government of Cambodia decided to impose a freeze on sending of female migrant workers to Malaysia. This suspension has been regarded a punishment on some companies and agencies which failed to be responsible for migrant workers who were sent through them and who were faced with right violations. However, the mere announcement without establishing strict mechanisms in resolving the problems of migrant workers still working in Malaysia has caused grave concerns to their families in Cambodia, because they have not received any information about their children, spouse, or relatives working in those countries. This concern is the first reason for the increased number of complaints. Among the 141 cases, 94 (70%) filed complaints on the ground of the loss of contact with migrant workers to Malaysia. This was because after the government’s suspension, some private companies licenses to send workers to Malaysia have been revoked; some companies ended their business; while some became bankrupt. This has led to the loss of contact between migrant workers and their relatives. Moreover, the state’s mechanisms responsible for building links in the absence of the companies have not functioned effectively. Another reason of the mounting number of complaints was because right violation on male and females migrant workers in Malaysia has gotten even more deteriorating. As monitoring mechanisms and solutions by companies about migrant workers’ welfare before the suspension had been already weak; once the suspense was officially announced, nothing has been of help in regard with right violations which were constantly getting worse. According to ADHOC’s observation, Cambodian male/female migrant workers currently working in Malaysia are facing three major challenges: 1) loss of contact with the family because of company’s closure; 2) sever right violations; 3) being forced to continue to work. In order to resolve these challenges, the government shall immediately establish monitoring and protection measures to fill the gaps left by the companies after the freeze and their licenses revoked, to protect migrant workers’ rights. For illegal migrant workers (through brokers ), though few complaints were received and little information was known, they are even more vulnerable to violations, as no institution is in charge of monitoring their safety; they sometimes had to run away from police, they were under threats, they received low wages, they were forced to overwork. This has happened because they crossed border illegally, thus, sometimes were arrested and jailed, were enslaved, were unable to get back home. To resolve the aforementioned challenges, ADHOC would make the following recommendations: 1. The government, especially Ministry of Labor, shall push for the creation of MOU between the Royal Government of Cambodia and receiving countries to set forth working conditions between sending and receiving countries on the ground of human right principles on labor and social rights, more particular, the respect and application of international convention on the protection of migrant workers’ rights; and shall review MOU between Cambodia and Thailand by adding more human right-based responsibilities in receiving and crossing their countries for the sake of migrant workers’ benefit for the two countries to avoid human right violations. In that, Thai government should establish ‘during transit’ policy and urge the employers to be responsible for providing legal aids for illegal cross-border migrant workers. 2. A monitoring mechanism should be established to monitor migrant workers’ welfare in the country of origin and in receiving countries, especially Malaysia, in order to build communication between the workers and their family members during which companies/agents in charge close down their office; and the government should strengthen conflict resolution mechanisms and effectively prevent violations on migrant workers’ rights. 3. The government especially the Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Labor should increase vocational trainings as well as create more job opportunities, working conditions (decent wages in accordance with market price of goods) for our citizens in general and for people in rural areas in particular. Ministry of Interior should facilitate service fees and application process for passport, so that Cambodian citizens will find it easier to obtain legal and proper employment documents. 4. The government with Ministry of Labor in charge, in cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior should set up hotline system nationwide and in receiving countries, in order to rescue victims in a timely manner in the case of violations on both legal and illegal migrant workers. 5. Increase cooperation with ASEAN community and Great Mekong Sub-region in combating human trafficking, labor violation and modern slavery. 6. The government should push for the effective enforcement of Law on Social Security Scheme and enhance responsibilities of related institutions and stakeholders. Also, the government should push for effective enforcement on companies, agencies or individuals who violate laws. Y1 - 2012/// KW - Cambodian migrant workers KW - Human Rights Violation UR - http://www.dtp.unsw.edu.au/.../ADHOCImmigrationLaborReportApril2012ArtWorkEN03.pdf Y2 - 2013-04-20 ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - Asia/Middle East: Increase Protections for Migrant Workers PB - Human Rights Watch Y1 - 2012/04/16/ KW - 19 recieving and sending countries meeting KW - Abu Dhabi KW - Migration improvement UR - http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/04/15/asiamiddle-east-increase-protections-migrant-workers Y2 - 2013-04-03 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Nouvelle unité de négociation agricole au Québec / New agricultural bargaining unit A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2012/04/13/ UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_multicategories&view=article&id=2761%3Anew-agricultural-bargaining-unit-in-quebec&Itemid=98&lang=fr Y2 - 2012-04-14 T3 - Un communiqué du Service des droits de la personne des TUAC Canada ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Débat autour de la discrimination envers les travailleurs étrangers A1 - Nicoud, Anabelle Y1 - 2012/04/11/ UR - http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/national/201204/11/01-4514269-debat-autour-de-la-discrimination-envers-les-travailleurs-etrangers.php Y2 - 2014-02-20 JA - La Presse ER - TY - PAMP T1 - Travailleurs migrants au Canada: Main-d'oeuvre bon marché facilement abusée PB - Conseil Canadien pour les réfugiés N2 - Frais de recrutement exorbitants, heures supplémentaires imposées et non rémunérées, conditions de travail dangereuses, piètres conditions de vie... Ce ne sont là que quelques exemples des nombreux abus subis par des travailleurs migrants au Canada. Ce document de quatre pages peut être utilisé aux fins de sensibilisation et éducation publique A1 - Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés,  Y1 - 2012/04/01/ UR - http://ccrweb.ca/files/travailleursmigrants4pages.pdf Y2 - 2012-04-14 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Something is Better than Nothing: Enhancing the protection of Indian migrant workers through Bilateral Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding CY - Philippines PB - Migrant Forum in Asia N2 - This article is about recent interest in MOUs for cooperation on labor migration in Asia, Asia and bilateral MOUs on labor migration, the objectives of MOUs. India’s migration profile in South Asia and the context of MOUs, statistical profile of Indian migration, Indian migrant workers-features of vulnerability, bilateral cooperation: MOUs of India with destination countries, types of bilateral MOUs and agreements and the analysis of MOUs in term of its objective, scope of the agreements, job offeres and the employment contract (UAE, Oman), provisions for the protection and promotion of the welfare of workers, information provision and sharing, dispute resolution, joint committees for monitoring and follow up. This articles also focuses on applicable labor laws, absence of a normative framework to guide the MOUs, the MOUs confer disproportionate powers on employers, absence of enforcement mechanisms, non-operational Joint Committees. Moreover, it also talks about the ineffectiveness of MOUs and other mechanism that can be used to protect migrant workers. A1 - Wickramasekara, Piyasiri Y1 - 2012/// KW - Indian Migrant Workers KW - Memoranda of Understanding Effectiveness UR - http://www.globalmigrationpolicy.org/articles/labour/Something%20Better%20than%20Nothing%20-BLAs%20&%20MOUs%20for%20Indian%20MWs,%20WICKRAMASEKARA%20%20MFA%202012.pdf Y2 - 2013-03-25 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - La Cour suprême de la C.-B. s’est vu demander de museler la commission des relations de travail de la C.-B. face aux preuves incriminant le Mexique pour des pratiques d’exclusion PB - TUAC A1 - UFCW/TUAC Canada,  Y1 - 2012/03/24/ UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2736:bc-supreme-court-asked-to-muzzle-bc-labour-board-regarding-mexico-blacklisting-evidence&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=fr Y2 - 2014-02-20 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Students Seek Greater Recognition For Farm Workers Who Feed Our Country A1 - UFCWCanada,  Y1 - 2012/03/23/ T3 - UFCW Canada Human Rights Department Release ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Filipino migrant group calls for support for families of crash victims A1 - Migrante Canada,  Y1 - 2012/03/07/ T3 - Migrante Canada - campains ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - NUPGE solidarity adds to Migrant Workers Family Support Fund A1 - NUPGE,  Y1 - 2012/02/19/ UR - http://www.nupge.ca/content/4818/nupge-solidarity-adds-migrant-workers-family-support-fund Y2 - 2012-02-20 JA - NUPGE Press releases ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Media advisory: Community Rally/Action Around Migrant Worker Deaths A1 - J4MW,  Y1 - 2012/02/16/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/17733429086 Y2 - 2012-02-17 T3 - j4MW Press releases ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Migrant worker advocates speak out against recruiters PB - Migrants Canada N2 - In front of a packed room and numerous local journalists, migrant worker organizations wrapped up a two day conference on temporary foreign workers, holding a press conference this morning in Guatemala City. A1 - Solidarity Across Borders Montreal,  Y1 - 2012/02/14/ UR - http://migrantscanada.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/migrant-worker-advocates-speak-out-against-recruiters/ Y2 - 2012-02-15 T3 - News and info about migrants in Canada ER - TY - GEN T1 - Migrant workers conference kicks off in Guatemala A1 - Nieto, Roberto Y1 - 2012/02/12/ UR - http://migrantscanada.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/migrant-workers-conference-kicks-off-in-guatemala/ Y2 - 2012-02-13 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Death of 10 Migrant Workers: Family Day Action to Demand Justice for Migrant Farmworker Deaths A1 - J4MW,  Y1 - 2012/02/09/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/17312843708 Y2 - 2012-02-09 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - SHOULD WE IMPOSE A BAN ON SRI LANKAN HOUSEMAIDS GOING ABROAD? CY - Sri Lanka PB - Caritas Sri Lanka Y1 - 2012/01/16/ UR - http://www.caritaslk.org/index.php/news-stories/98-should-we-impose-a-ban-on-sri-lankan-housemaids-going-abroad.html Y2 - 2012-11-23 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Cambodian Domestic Workers in Malaysia: Challenges in Labor Migration Policy and Potential Mechanisms for Protection CY - Phnom Penh, Cambodia N2 - This paper will look at the challenges facing young Cambodian women who migrate to Malaysia as domestic workers. Section I will discuss the causes leading to the labor shortage in Malaysia and the difficulties in regulating this particular informal sector. The recruitment agency system for Cambodians is also detailed as well as the current working conditions for Cambodians in Malaysia. Section II will look at current legal mechanisms in place for workers, covering the domestic laws of Cambodia and Malaysia as well as international covenants, including a detailed analysis of the brand new Convention on Domestic Workers, adopted in June of 2011. Section III provides a case study of the Philippines where government regulation of the labor migration system has led to increases in remittances, worker protection and higher remuneration. Section IV concludes with recommendations for strengthening the labor migration system for Cambodians working in Malaysia. A1 - Léone, Elizabeth A. Y1 - 2012/01/15/ KW - Domestic Workers KW - Malaysia KW - Cambodia UR - http://usfca.edu/law/docs/cambodianworkers/ Y2 - 2013-04-20 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - LINKING INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA PB - Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific N2 - The accelerating integration of the global economy has stimulated an increase in the volume and types of international migration. Migration often has a significant impact on economic and social change both in countries of origin and in host countries. In spite of the hightened importance of international migration to development, national migration policies often fail to achieve maximum benefits because they do not adequately integrate migration in development strategies A1 - Huguet, Jerrold W Y1 - 2011/12/29/ KW - international migration and development UR - http://www.unescapsdd.org/sites/test/files/Linking%20International%20Migration%20and%20Development%20in%20Asia.pdf Y2 - 2013-04-06 JA - International Migration ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Remembering the workers who died in canada-Here abraham soto... Y1 - 2011/12/24/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/14727409478 Y2 - 2011-12-25 JA - J4MW Press releases ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Stop the Blacklisting of Migrant Workers PB - UFCW Canada N2 - UFCW Canada and the Agriculture Workers Alliance are calling on all activists to support an international campaign to stop the Mexican government from reaching across Canada's border to violate our labour laws, our Charter, and the human rights of Mexican migrant workers in Canada. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/12/19/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2564:stop-the-blacklisting-of-migrant-workers&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=342&lang=en Y2 - 2011-12-23 T3 - Issues ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Halte à l’exclusion de travailleurs migrants! PB - UF N2 - Les TUAC Canada et l’Alliance des travailleurs agricoles invitent tous les militants et militantes à appuyer une campagne internationale visant à empêcher le gouvernement mexicain de venir violer, au-delà de nos frontières, nos lois du travail, notre Charte et les droits de la personne des travailleurs migrants mexicains au Canada. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/12/19/ UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2564:stop-the-blacklisting-of-migrant-workers&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=342&lang=fr Y2 - 2011-12-23 T3 - Issues ER - TY - ADVS T1 - “Be it for few months or years. Almost every temporary... PB - Justice for Migrant Workers N2 - “Be it for few months or years. Almost every temporary foreign worker who comes to Canada wants to settle here permanently. And that’s not an easy task to accomplish. Government is continually raising the bar for them to qualify for the permanent residency in Canada. A pre-Christmas party for the temporary foreign workers was held in Edmonton. Babar Tahirkheli spoke with some of them about their concerns.” A1 - J4MW,  Y1 - 2011/12/07/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/13909104623 Y2 - 2011-12-08 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - "Stop the Blacklisting" protesters hold mock funeral outside Mexico Consulate in Vancouver PB - UFCW Canada N2 - VANCOUVER, BC - November 14, 2011 – About a hundred community and labour activists gathered outside the Mexico Consulate in Vancouver on Monday with coffins, tombstones and crosses, along with a petition to "Stop the Blacklisting" of Mexico migrant workers in Canada by the Mexico government. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/11/23/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2562:qstop-the-blacklistingq-protesters-hold-mock-funeral-outside-mexico-consulate-in-vancouver&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2011-12-23 T3 - Media & News ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Des manifestants tiennent des funérailles symboliques devant le consulat du Mexique à Vancouver dans le cadre d’une campagne dénonçant la mise à l’index de certains travailleurs migrants venant du Mexique PB - UFCW Canada N2 - VANCOUVER (C.- B.) – 14 novembre 2011 – Près d’une centaine d’activistes communautaires et de militants syndicaux se sont rassemblés lundi dernier devant le consulat du Mexique à Vancouver avec des cercueils, des pierres tombales et des croix ainsi qu’avec une pétition demandant que le gouvernement mexicain mette fin à l’exclusion dont sont victimes certains travailleurs migrants mexicains au Canada. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/11/23/ UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2562:qstop-the-blacklistingq-protesters-hold-mock-funeral-outside-mexico-consulate-in-vancouver&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=fr Y2 - 2011-12-23 T3 - Media & Nouvelles ER - TY - RPRT T1 - UFCW Canada addresses migrants' rights at Mexico workshop N2 - Recently, in the Mexico municipality of Tulcingo de Valle, in the State of Puebla, UFCW Canada shared its advocacy experience of working with migrants in Canada at a "Workshop on Basic Knowledge and Tools on Migration". It was one of series of workshops organized by the Citizens' Observatory on Public Policies Migrant - Puebla. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/10/31/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2546%3Aufcw-canada-addresses-migrants-rights-at-mexico-workshop-&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2011-11-11 T3 - UFCW Media and News ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Les TUAC Canada abordent la question des droits des migrants lors d’un atelier tenu au Mexique N2 - Récemment, dans la municipalité mexicaine de Tulcingo de Valle, qui est située dans l’État de Puebla,les TUAC Canada ont raconté leur expérience en matière de collaboration avec les migrants au Canada lors d’un atelier sur le thème « Connaissances et outils de base sur la migration ». Cet atelier faisait partie d’une série organisée par l’Observatoire citoyen des politiques gouvernementales sur les migrants de l’État de Puebla. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/10/31/ UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2546:ufcw-canada-addresses-migrants-rights-at-mexico-workshop-&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=fr Y2 - 2011-11-11 T3 - UFCW Media and News ER - TY - RPRT T1 - BC activists protest Mexico claim of immunity from blacklisting charges N2 - An October 17 media conference outside of Vancouver's Mexico Consulate drew dozens of UFCW Canada and AWA activists along with community allies — all calling for Mexico to stop hiding behind diplomatic immunity and face the charges that agencies of the Mexico government, as well as its Vancouver consulate, conspired with two agriculture operations in the Lower Mainland to blacklist migrant agricultural workers from returning to Canada because they were union sympathizers. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/10/26/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2541:bc-activists-protest-mexico-claim-of-immunity-from-blacklisting-charges&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2011-10-28 T3 - UFCW Canada Human Rights Department Release ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Manifestation de militantes et de militants de la Colombie-Britannique contre la prétention du Mexique à l’immunité le protégeant des accusations de mise de travailleurs à l’index N2 - Le 17 octobre dernier, une conférence médiatique se tenant devant le consulat du Mexique à Vancouver a rassemblé des dizaines de militantes et de militants des TUAC Canada et de l’ATA ainsi que des alliés communautaires. Toutes et tous étaient là pour demander au Mexique de cesser de se dérober en invoquant l’immunité diplomatique et pour exiger qu’il se justifie des accusations selon lesquelles des agences du gouvernement mexicain, de même que sa représentation à Vancouver, se seraient entendues avec la direction de deux exploitations agricoles de la vallée du Bas-Fraser, en Colombie-Britannique, afin de mettre à l’index des travailleurs agricoles migrants (ce qui les empêcherait de revenir au Canada) en raison de leurs sympathies syndicales. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/10/26/ UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2541:bc-activists-protest-mexico-claim-of-immunity-from-blacklisting-charges&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=fr Y2 - 2011-10-28 T3 - UFCW Canada Human Rights Department Release ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - THE 4th ASEAN FORUM ON MIGRANT LABOUR PB - Migrant Workers’ Connection Y1 - 2011/10/26/ KW - ASEAN FORUM ON MIGRANT LABOUR UR - http://www.workersconnection.org/articles.php?more=145 Y2 - 2013-04-18 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Participation des TUAC Canada et de l’ATA à une foire sur la santé pour travailleurs migrants asiatiques N2 - Les TUAC Canada et l’ATA ont récemment participé à un programme de sensibilisation doublé d’une foire sur la santé destiné à améliorer et à accroître l’accès des travailleurs agricoles étrangers temporaires d’origine asiatique aux services de santé, dans le cadre du Projet de promotion de la santé des travailleurs agricoles migrants d’origine asiatique. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/10/24/ UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2536:-ufcw-canada-a-awa-at-health-fair-for-asian-migrant-workers-&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=fr Y2 - 2011-10-28 T3 - UFCW Canada Human Rights Department Release ER - TY - RPRT T1 - UFCW Canada & AWA at Health Fair for Asian migrant workers N2 - UFCW Canada and the AWA recently participated in an outreach program and Health Fair to improve and increase access to health care services for Asian temporary foreign agriculture workers in Ontario, as part of the Asian Migrant Farm Workers’ Health Promotion Project. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/10/24/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2536:-ufcw-canada-a-awa-at-health-fair-for-asian-migrant-workers-&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2011-10-28 T3 - UFCW Canada Human Rights Department Release ER - TY - RPRT T1 - New PWC board fights domestic slavery in Canada N2 - To speak out against domestic slavery in Canada, the newly elected board of the Philippine Women Centre of BC will appear on CBC Vancouver news at 6 pm tomorrow, Oct. 11. A1 - Philippine Women Centre - BC,  Y1 - 2011/10/10/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/11307487089/new-pwc-board-fights-domestic-slavery-in-canada Y2 - 2011-10-14 T3 - Philippino Women Centre ER - TY - RPRT T1 - New no-cost life insurance benefit for AWA members N2 - English: In addition to the many benefits of Agriculture Workers Alliance (AWA) membership, AWA members are now also automatically covered, at no cost, by a new life insurance plan. As of September 6, 2011, a $2,500 benefit will be paid to the family of an AWA member who dies while contracted to work in Canada. Français: Outre les nombreux avantages de l’adhésion à l’Alliance des travailleurs agricoles (ATA), les membres de ce syndicat bénéficient désormais d’une couverture automatique que leur donne gratuitement un nouveau régime d’assurance-vie. À compter du 6 septembre 2011, une prestation de 2 500 $ sera versée à la famille d’un membre de l’ATA qui décède pendant qu’il travaille à contrat au Canada. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/09/23/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2482:new-no-cost-life-insurance-benefit-for-awa-members&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2011-09-23 T3 - UFCW Canada Human Rights Department Release ER - TY - RPRT T1 - New video petition calls on governments to Stop Migrant Exploitation Now! N2 - English: The 2011 Summer of S.A.M.E continues with a new video petition that is all about making a stand for human rights by calling on the country’s provincial and federal governments to “Stop Migrant Exploitation Now!” Français: L’organisation étudiante contre l’exploitation des migrants (Students Against Migrant Exploitation ou le groupe SAME) poursuit ses activités de l’été 2011 en présentant une pétition en vidéo, dont le but essentiel est de lutter en faveur des droits de la personne. Ainsi, dans cette vidéo, on exhorte les gouvernements provinciaux et le gouvernement fédéral à mettre immédiatement fin à l’exploitation des migrants. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/09/19/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2454%3Anew-video-petition-calls-on-governments-to-stop-migrant-exploitation-now-&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en UR - http://www.tuac.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2454%3Anew-video-petition-calls-on-governments-to-stop-migrant-exploitation-now-&catid=6%3Adirections-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=fr UR - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_aCYICkrQU&feature=player_embedded Y2 - 2011-09-23 T3 - UFCW Canada Human Rights Department Release ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Agriculture Workers Alliance now 10,000 members strong – and growing N2 - The Agriculture Workers Alliance (AWA) celebrated a major milestone at this year’s Labour Day Parade in Toronto. After four years of community outreach and non-stop organizing, the AWA recently surpassed the 10,000 member mark – confirming its role as the largest and most dynamic farm worker organization in Canada. A1 - UFCW Canada,  Y1 - 2011/09/13/ UR - http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2494:agriculture-workers-alliance-now-10000-members-strong--and-growing&catid=6:directions-newsletter&Itemid=6&lang=en Y2 - 2011-09-16 T3 - UFCW Media and News ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Minister touched by plight of women who got pregnant hoping to stay in Canada N2 - Employment Minister Thomas Lukaszuk has stepped up his push to get permanent status for temporary foreign workers in Alberta after hearing of recent cases of abuse of some Filipina women. A1 - Pratt, Sheila Y1 - 2011/09/09/ JA - Canada.com ER - TY - RPRT T1 - El Camino Hacia la Libertad PB - J4MW N2 - “El Camino hacia la Libertad” fue una peregrinaje histórico organizada por un grupo de trabajadores migrantes temporales de la zona de Leamington. Los trabajadores involucrados en la organización de la marcha eran en su mayoría mujeres de Tailandia y las Filipinas, aunque en el día de la marcha se unieron trabajadores Mexicanos y del Caribe de otras regiones de Ontario. A1 - Justicia for Migrant Workers,  Y1 - 2011/08/30/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/9612145147 Y2 - 2011-08-31 T3 - J4MW Pilgrimage Background in Spanish ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Migrant Worker Solidarity Caravan-First Stop: Niagara! A1 - J4MW,  Y1 - 2011/08/23/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/9324338478 Y2 - 2011-08-24 T3 - J4MW Press releases ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Pilgrimage to Freedom Caravan, 2011 N2 - Last year, over 150 migrant workers and their allies made history by marching over fifty kilometres, an equivalent of 12 hours, from Leamington to Windsor, Ontario demanding justice, respect and dignity for the hundreds of thousands employed under the auspices of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Programs. After years of harassment, intimidation and exploitation, migrant workers organized and took to the streets to stand up to these abuses. A1 - Justicia for Migrant Workers,  Y1 - 2011/08/19/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/9116389952 Y2 - 2011-08-19 T3 - Justice For Migrant Workers ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - IRREGULAR MIGRATION FROM CAMBODIA Characteristics, Challenges and Regulary Approach CY - Phnom Penh, Cambodia PB - Cambodia Development Resource Institute N2 - The study examines the characteristics, root causes and challenges of irregular migration from Cambodia and then discusses the regulatory approaches and policy options to manage it. It employed mixed approaches, including a survey of 507 households in six high-migration villages, focus group discussions with returned and intending migrant workers and in-depth interviews with government officers, migration experts and local community chiefs. Cross-border labour migration in Cambodia has evolved markedly over the last decade, from refugees during the 1980s and 1990s caused by civil war and political instability to a process that has considerable significance for the national economy and household livelihoods. This recent development makes the country a latecomer in management and administration of labour emigration, with policy and institutional frameworks that are relatively ineffective and weak. Labour migration policy was formulated very recently and remains at a nascent stage, lacking coherence. Regulation has been sporadic and limited, without comprehensive coverage. A lack of clear responsibilities and coordination and shortages of resources and capacity are common in institutions responsible for managing labour migration. Irregular migration, which is defined as illegal movement to work in another country or movement without authorisation to work, has been the most popular form among Cambodian workers seeking jobs abroad. This method is widely regarded as relatively secure, convenient and cheap: there are no waiting time, required documents or complicated recruitment procedures. Informal recruitment can be divided into two categories. The first is short-distance migration along the Cambodian-Thai border. The jobs are usually agricultural, which migrants learn about from pioneer migrant relatives, friends or villagers. These pioneers facilitate job placement and form networks linking the primarily rural households and the destinations in Thailand. The cost of migration ranges from USD3.00 to USD5.50. The second category is long-distance migration to Thailand or Malaysia to work on fishing boats or as construction or factory workers. In most cases, migrants travel in small groups with a broker who escorts them to the workplace. Migrants have to pay a facilitation fee of USD100–200 in advance. The causes of irregular migration are many, ranging from chronic poverty, lack of employment and economic hardship in community of origin to restrictive immigration policies in labour-receiving countries and lengthy, complex and expensive legal recruitment. The predominant factor is inability to afford the cost of legal recruitment. Most irregular migrant families have a lower economic status than regular migrants and live below the poverty line. While legal recruitment is expensive (USD700 to Thailand) and slow, informal recruitment takes only a few days and requires no or few documents. Cambodian irregular migrants are increasing. Some of them face abusive and exploitative situations, including sexual and physical harassment, debt bondage and threats of denunciation to the authorities, without access to legal protection. Some are also victims of human trafficking. According to UNIAP (2010), every year thousands of Cambodians are trafficked to Thailand. Men are often trafficked to work on fishing boats or as construction workers in harsh conditions. Women are trafficked to the entertainment industry, including prostitution. Why do states need policy on irregular migration? International migration, particularly irregular migration, is increasingly a major economic, social, political and security concern for a number of countries in the Asia-Pacific region (Bangkok Declaration). Irregular migration is a protection problem because many irregular migrants encounter abuse and exploitation with very limited or no social and legal protection. Irregular migration is also a management problem in both sending and receiving countries. Given the nature of migration in which people go to work in a host country without the legal documents required by that country, it is hard to monitor and provide social protection and necessary support services. How should states deal with irregular migration? There is an international consensus that irregular migration needs to be addressed in a holistic and comprehensive manner by looking at its causes, responding to its effects and improving international cooperation. i. Address the causes of irregular migration: Extreme poverty and lack of employment opportunities, high costs of legal migration, malpractice by some private employment agencies and activities of traffickers all push Cambodian workers to migrate irregularly. Interventions that address these push factors would reduce informal migration. a. Strengthen the development of communities of origin: Although there is not yet firm empirical evidence on the relationship between community development and migration, development might diminish migration by helping to overcome the reasons for irregular migration and make migration a free, positive and legal choice. Possible priority measures include increasing agricultural assistance; improvement of rural infrastructure; increasing access to natural resources and community participation in their management; strengthening public services, especially education and health; community skills training; and microfinance services. Development assistance needs to be targeted at communities having a high migration rate. b. Open legal migration opportunities: There is international consensus, as expressed in the 2003 ILO Asia Regional Tripartite Meeting in Bangkok, that easy and transparent legal migration opportunities could be part of an effective response to irregular migration. The most important priorities for Cambodia’s legal recruitment are to streamline administrative procedures, speed facilitation and reduce placement costs. In addition to accelerating the issuance of passports and visas, the paper suggests that information on the recruitment process and fees and allowable costs should be publicised. c. Regulate recruitment agencies: At the moment, Sub-decree 57 is the primary instrument. It lacks comprehensive coverage and clarity, especially regarding fees, training and workplace monitoring, supervision, compliance and penalties. Recruitment and placement need to be regulated through the licensing system, in which the responsibilities of agencies, conditions for recruitment, penalties for violation and performance guarantees should be clearly defined. The regulations should provide for cancellation of licences in case of malpractice and for criminal proceedings against serious offenders. d. Combat human trafficking: Preventing trafficking would help reduce irregular migration and protect migrants from slavery and severe exploitation. This research does not attempt to elaborate policy to combat trafficking, but its prevention can be CDRI Working Paper Series No. 58 3 aided by the following measures: being active in regional initiatives and working more closely with major destinations; strengthening law enforcement and the capacity of officers; and intensifying advocacy and awareness raising. ii. Protection and well-being of migrant workers: Migrant workers can be better protected through intensifying educational campaigns and expanding support services. a. Intensify education and awareness raising: Many migrants, especially irregular ones, are unaware of the practical, legal, social and economic consequences of moving to another country. Better information means better protection, and we therefore recommend intensified education and awareness raising before departure. Information can be disseminated through a combination of measures: _ National and provincial migration resource centres to register prospective migrant workers and provide information. The centres should be focal points to disseminate information and a place that migrants can telephone or visit for counselling. The information can be disseminated via booklets, posters, counselling, tours, mass media, meetings, workshops and seminars. _ Educational campaigns targeting communities with a high rate of irregular migration need to be strengthened. Given the inadequate resources of district and provincial labour offices, community-based NGOs and village or commune chiefs, monks and schoolteachers can play a vital role in providing information to migrants. b. Expand support services: There has been limited support for the protection and empowerment of migrant workers, particularly irregular migrants. Posting labour attachés in Thailand and Malaysia is one way to strengthen support. Their functions should include developing a strong working relationship with the host country on labour issues; monitoring the treatment of migrant workers; providing legal assistance against contract violations, abuse or exploitation; providing advice on problems with contracts or employment; and ensuring that irregular migrants are protected and facilitated in repatriation. iii. Strengthen international cooperation: Migration is inherently a multilateral issue that requires concerted efforts to address it. Irregular migration can best be addressed in bilateral and regional frameworks complementing national policy. a. Strengthen bilateral cooperation: Cooperation between sending and receiving countries proves effective in addressing irregular migration. This paper argues that Cambodia should work more collaboratively with Thailand and Malaysia on both streamlining legal recruitment procedure and regularisation programmes for irregular Cambodian workers. b. Toward an integrated Greater Mekong Subregion labour market: Cross-border labour movement across the GMS has been dynamic, yet there is no subregional regulatory or institutional framework to facilitate it. This paper recommends the integration of labour markets in the GMS. The initial step to achieve this is to include labour migration in the GMS-wide development agenda and then create an expert forum to explore the feasibility and provide recommendations to leaders. 4 Irregular Migration from Cambodia c. ASEAN economic integration and free movement of labour: Although migration and mobility should be among the priority issues in ASEAN, there has been little discussion of labour mobility or migration in meetings of labour ministers. ASEAN should adopt the ASEAN Framework Instrument as a legally binding document. ASEAN should also work toward a free flow of labour within the region and treat migration as a key development agenda by facilitating the free circulation of skilled and unskilled labour. A1 - HING , Vutha A1 - LUN, Pide A1 - PHANN, Dalis Y1 - 2011/08/19/ KW - illegal migrant Cambodian migrant workers UR - http://www.cdri.org.kh/webdata/download/wp/wp58e.pdf Y2 - 2013-04-19 ER - TY - GEN T1 - Simcoe Migrant Worker Health Fair-Volunteers Needed N2 - Call out for Volunteers- looking for Spanish as well as non Spanish speakers to help out with Simcoe migrant farm worker community health fair on Friday August 12. A1 - Justicia for Migrant Workers,  Y1 - 2011/08/04/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/8477495575 Y2 - 2011-08-05 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Labor Migration to Jordan from the Philippines and Sri Lanka Faces Significant Protection Gaps Despite Comprehensive Regulatory Systems, New MPI Report Concludes CY - WASHINGTON PB - Migration Policy Institution Y1 - 2011/07/28/ KW - recruitment agencies KW - Sri Lanka KW - Exploitation KW - the Philippines UR - http://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/2011_7_28.php Y2 - 2012-11-03 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Upcoming migrant Worker Health Fair in Simcoe A1 - J4MW,  Y1 - 2011/07/26/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/8098792587 Y2 - 2011-07-27 T3 - J4MW Press releases ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Migrant Farm Worker in Need of Support in Jamaica N1 - Lionel Campbell is a migrant farmworker and activist who was exposed to pesticides last summer while working on a Canadian farm. As a result of his injuries suffered in Canada, he has developed serious health problems including persistent pneumonia and liver damage. He was deported to Jamaica at the end of last year and he and his family are now struggling with his deteriorating health and extreme poverty. A1 - Justicia for Migrant Workers,  Y1 - 2011/07/14/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/7634976321 Y2 - 2011-07-15 T3 - J4MW Press releases ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - Fix Minimum Wages for Migrant Workers CY - Bangladesh PB - The Daily Star N2 - Speakers at a consultation yesterday called for fixing minimum wages for migrant workers and increasing cooperation between the labour sending and receiving countries to ensure rights of the workers who are the lifeline of the national economy. Terming that the rights of the migrant labourers should be the cornerstone of the overseas employment policy of Bangladesh, they said increasing collaboration among the government, civil society and the private sector is a must to promote the causes of the workers. Bangladesh chapter of Migrants' Forum in Asia organised the national consultation on 'Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD). WARBE Development Foundation, Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), Ain O Salish Kendra and Association for Community Development are the members of the chapter. The 2nd GFMD consultation will be held in October in the Philippines. Speaking as the chief guest, Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain said employers in the labour receiving countries should ensure that migrant workers receive minimum wages to make their temporary migration a success. Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training Director General Abdul Malek said all the stakeholders -- the government, private sector and civil society organisations -- should work together to promote the interest of migrant workers, because they are playing a significant role for the national economy. Former adviser Sultana Kamal said large-scale campaign should be initiated to create mass awareness on the process of migration and their rights. Prof. Tasneem Siddiqui of RMMRU emphasised on developing a database of returnee migrants so that their skills can be better utilised at home. RMMRU Coordinator Dr CR Abrar underscored the need for developing a platform of the labour sending countries to effectively negotiate with the receiving countries about a common minimum wage. WARBE Development Foundation Chair Syed Saiful Haque said the consultation provided an important opportunity to develop a national policy on migration and development that will include the voices of affected migrants together with advocates, government officials, media, remittance companies, recruitment agencies and trade unions. MFA Project Coordinator Debayani Kar presented a keynote paper, while BAIRA President Ghulam Mustafa, Salima Sarwar of Association for Community Development, BMET directors Selim Reza and Dr Nurul Islam, Dr Hamid Rashid and Baira member Abdul Alim also spoke. Y1 - 2011/07/11/ UR - http://www.mfasia.org/bangladesh/74-minimum-wages-for-migrant-workers Y2 - 2013-02-17 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - BUILDING A CULTURE Of CROSS-BORDER SOLIDARITY PB - Institute for Transnational Social Change UCLA N2 - Contents Introduction The Hidden History of Mexico/U.S. Labor Solidarity Labor Law Reform – A Key Battle for Mexican Unions Today The Rebirth of Solidarity on the Border Growing Ties Between Mexican and U.S. Labor Immigration and the Culture of Solidarity In Conclusion A1 - Bacon, David Y1 - 2011/06/28/ UR - http://j4mw.tumblr.com/post/7017224032 UR - http://www.cipamericas.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/culture-of-solidarity.pdf Y2 - 2011-06-29 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report - Brunei PB - United States Department of State Y1 - 2011/06/27/ KW - Domestic Workers KW - Brunei KW - Trafficking UR - http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4e12ee9037.html Y2 - 2013-03-30 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Exploited farm workers win reprieve in Windsor-there is so much more to this story-J4mw behind the scenes in this case... A1 - Lajoie, Don Y1 - 2011/06/20/ UR - http://www.windsorstar.com/life/Exploited%20farm%20workers%20reprieve%20Windsor/4975537/story.html Y2 - 2011-06-28 JA - The Windsor Star ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Labour migration in South Asia: A review of issues, policies and practices IS - 108 CY - Geneva, Switzerland PB - International Labor Organization N2 - Migration has been a long standing feature in South Asia especially between countries sharing common borders. Yet the Gulf boom in the early 1970s triggered a different type of labour movement from South Asia to the Middle East. The objective of this paper is to look at migration policy frameworks in South Asia and their implications for governance of migration, protection of migrant workers and maximizing development benefits of migration. I shall focus on overall policy issues, and provide only a broad sketch of the South Asian migration profile as a backdrop to the discussion of policy issues. The paper next reviews the major features and challenges of labour migration in South Asia. This is followed by a comparative review of different aspects of migration policy in Asia as reflected in the legislative and policy frameworks. The scope for a subregional approach to migration policy in South Asia is discussed next. The conclusions identify some priority areas for policy reform. A1 - Wickramasekara, Piyasiri Y1 - 2011/// KW - Migration issues KW - migration policy UR - http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---migrant/documents/publication/wcms_179642.pdf Y2 - 2013-04-06 ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - Protecting migrant workers’ rights CY - South Korea PB - The Korea Time Y1 - 2011/// UR - http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2011/04/137_84913.html Y2 - 2013-03-30 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Cambodia’s Labor Migration: Analysis of the legal framework CY - Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia PB - The Asian Foundation N2 - Section 1: Introduction The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) continues to develop policies concerning the migration of the Cambodian workforce overseas as a way of increasing domestic economic growth and combating unemployment. The primary destinations for Cambodian workers are South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand. As regular migration for labor increases so does irregular migration. The Report focuses on the migration of women to Malaysia (for domestic work) and men to Thailand (to work in agribusiness), analyzing the rules that govern regular migration while identifying legislation that can be employed to protect those who become victims during irregular migration and be used against those who perpetrate and profit from it. The stories ofSamneang (a Khmer man migrating to Thailand) and Sopheap (a woman recruited to work inMalaysia) are used toillustrate different processes of labor migration and how the relevant laws can be applied in these contexts. The characters have been created to serve the purposes of the report and, while based on the experiences of actual migrants, do not refer directly to specific individuals. Section 2: Licensing Recruitment Agencies (RAs) In Section 2 the requirements for regulation and licensing for recruitment agencies by the ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MoLVT) are considered. Sub-decree 57 (on the export of Khmer Labor to Work Overseas, 1995) is the primary source for licensing requirements. This section concludes that it is reasonable to conclude that brokers who are employed by or operating under the auspices of an RA, create civil liabilities under the RA’s license (in the event that the broker is not independently licensed) and that, in any event, when a crime is committed by a broker, liability may fall to both the individual broker and the RA. Section 3: Contracting/Recruiting Workers This section is split into two parts, the first of which identifies the laws that apply to the contracting and recruiting of regular migrant through licensed RAs (however, the Report’s case study also looks at the subject with the added element of recruiting underage workers). Section 3, Part 1 finds that where a contract is draft with an illegal premise at its heat, e.g where the workers is not yet 18 (as required by Sub-decree 57), the contract can be considered void from inception (under-Sub-decree 38) on the Law Referring to Contracts and other liabilities, 1988). There are also other argument that can assist a worker in voiding illegal, fraudulent or impossible contractual terms, including the argument that a provision that contractually binds a person to confinement, should be considered illegal and void. Article 3, Sub-decree 57 requires that all candidates for working overseas be at least 18 years of age. In the circumstances, where a minor is removed from their parents’ (or other guardians’) legal custody (by an RA broker) without legal justification or in a manner considered unlawful, the perpetrator may be liable to criminal charge under the Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation (2008) (LSHTSE) or Penal Code (2009). The second part of Section 3 considers Samneang’s story and considers the point at which a voluntarily irregular migrant can be considered a victim of Trafficking in Persons (TIP), concluding that a worker’s knowledge and intention to enter into the irregular migrant workforce does not preclude them from pursuing a TIP prosecution when the exploitation becomes clear at a later date. The relevant LSHTSE articles are considered in this section. Section 4: Training/Accommodation/Transport Section 4 considers the laws applicable to the training, accommodation and transport of regular and irregular migrant workers. The section identifies the provisions of Sub-decree 57 and Prakas 108 (2006) that state the RA is responsible for training workers on the work system, customs and traditions, and basic laws of the country in which they will be working, as well as health issues, safe migration and labor rights. The section also shows that where a worker has their freedom of movement restricted (during training for example), the perpetrator of the restriction may be guilty of the crime of confinement under the Penal Code. In addition, and in Samneang’s case, the LSHTSE criminalizing the act of harboring or transporting victims of TIP. In the event, therefore, that a guesthouse owner or driver can be shown to have known of the trafficked nature of the worker or the ultimate exploitative employment, they may be criminally liable. Section 5: Transit to/Arrival in Receiving Country This section identifies the criminal laws that may be employed in the event that a worker migrates using a forged or fraudulantly obtained passport. The section also looks at the domestic laws and those in receiving countries that provide a framework for labor migration, e.g. Sub-decree 39 (2009), which provides that all labor migrants in Cambodia are eligible for a fast-track passport. Even with the correct documents, many migrants choose irregular methods of migrating in order to avoid the costs associated with official channels.Ultimately, however, for those migrants who have travelled via irregular means and/or those with illegitimate documents, they will arrive in the receiving countries on the wrong side of the immigration laws. This may lead to arrest, detention and even punishment (which can include caning in Malaysia) and eventually deportation (often at the expense of the Section 6: Conditions of Work in Receiving Country Section 6 considers the conditions of work in the receiving countries, in particular as the Cambodian Labor Law (1997) does not apply to domestic workers in Cambodia or protect Cambodian migrant workers. Sub-decree 57 provides some terms that should be included in an employment contract, but there are very few minimum standards applied and little monitoring of conditions in receiving countries. The section goes on to consider that there may be civil and criminal claims that the worker can pursue against the RA in the event that the conditions of employment in the receiving country are significantly worse than those represented by the R A and there is evidence that the RA was aware of the actual conditions. Section 7: Repatriation to Cambodia Section 7 looks at repatriation of workers to Cambodia, primarily considering who is obliged to pay for repatriation in different scenarios. In the case of regular migration, the RA is obligated to noti fy the MoLVT 45 days before the worker is to return and the cost is to be borne by the RA or employer (albeit ultimately deducted from the worker’s wages). However, whether the worker initially migrated through irregular channels or left regular employment (voluntarily or not), there are large numbers of undocumented migrants who are arrested and detained as illegal immigrants under the laws of the receiving countries. Little is done to identify undocumented workers who are victims of TIP, and while there are an increasing number of domestic and bilateral commitments designed to protect victims of TIP, most only assist women and children, who are broadly identified as being the most vulnerable of victims. Section 8: Claim: Procedure/Remedies Section 8 considers the different paths that a claim may take, including a claim for compensation from the $100,000 surety under Sub-decree 57. The section also considers the reality that many workers with valid claims are dissauded from pursuing their claims (whether criminal or civil), as the RAs argue that the workers (or their families) had knowledge of, or were complicit in, an element of the irregularity, e.g. providing false identification documents. The RAs will also often allege that because the families still owe them money, it is the RAs that have the claim for compensation. This section looks at the criminal and civil laws that may be employed to counter these arguments in cases where the worker has genuinely suffered a loss and/or where the vulnerability of them/their family can be shown to have been exploited by the RA. Section 9: Conclusion The legal framework in Cambodia is struggling to keep up with the rapid evolution of labor migration trends, leaving thousands of migrant workers without the critical protections that robust monitoring and regulation should provide. As such, people are increasingly taking advantage of the growing space in which irregular migration can be pursued with little or no risk. For those workers keen to pursue this perceived path to economic stability, the lack of information and hidden pitfalls mean that few migrants are able to take steps to comprehensively protect themselves from dangerous situations or exploitation. The RGC has promised a new Sub-decree on migrant work (draft forthcoming), which is likely to enter the statute books shortly and the new Civil Code (2007) recently became enforceable. These two pieces of legislation will have a great impact on the protection of migrant workers. The Sub-decree is hoped to standardize the recruitment of migrants, in providing standard contract terms, training requirements and complaints procedures; the Civil Law will introduce the tort of negligence, which may be employed against those whose negligent recruiting or training causes harm to migrant workers. Stronger bilateral agreements with receiving countries and more coherent structures of monitoring and evaluation would also ensure that Cambodian workers are treated fairly and properly once they have left the country. Section 10: Legal Framework – Flowchart & Table of Legislation Each section of the Report starts with a flowchart showing the variables and activities that occur within that stage of the migration process, while identifying the various laws (civil, criminal and international) applicable thereto. Section 10 contains a master flowchart, which brings all of the section specific flowcharts together. The table that follows includes further information about each of the laws cited in the Flowchart. The table and flow chart are intended to create a quick guide for those readers looking to identify which laws may be applicable to scenarios at different stages in the migration process. Appendix B contains a A3 version of the master flowchart for further use in this regard. Y1 - 2011/// KW - Cambodia KW - Legal Framework Analysis UR - http://asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/LegalFrameworkLabourTrafficking.pdf Y2 - 2013-03-29 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Migration plays an important role in the Sri Lankan economy CY - Sri Lanka PB - The Sunday Leader Y1 - 2011/02/22/ KW - migration KW - Sri Lanka KW - remittance UR - http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/02/22/migration-plays-an-important-role-in-the-sri-lankan-economy/ Y2 - 2013-04-27 JA - The Sunday Leader ER - TY - PCOMM T1 - Sri Lankan Domestic Workers Stranded in Jordan A2 - H.E. Prime Minister Samir al-Rifai PB - Human Rights Watch Y1 - 2011/01/27/ KW - Sri Lankan Domestic Workers KW - Jordan UR - http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/01/27/sri-lankan-domestic-workers-stranded-jordan Y2 - 2012-11-23 ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - India/UAE: Use Visit to Raise Migrant Worker Issue PB - Human Rights Watch Y1 - 2010/11/22/ KW - India KW - Letter from Humang rights watch KW - migrant workers in UAE UR - http://www.hrw.org/news/2010/11/22/indiauae-use-visit-raise-migrant-worker-issue Y2 - 2013-03-21 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Migration and the Gulf CY - Washington, DC PB - The Middle East Institute N2 - The book is about labor migration to the GCC States, patterns, scale and policies, Sri Lankan migration to the Gulf, female breadwinners, domestic workers, migration and human rights in the Gulf, Kerala emigrants in the Gulf, migration workers in Kuwait, the international political economy of Gulf migration, remittances from GCC countries, remittances to kerala, labor camps in the Gulf States, Omanization policy and international migration in Oman. It is also about paradigm shifts in India’s migration policy toward the Gulf. Y1 - 2010/// KW - Labor Camp KW - migration trend in the GCC KW - Policies for migration UR - http://www.voltairenet.org/IMG/pdf/Migration_and_the_Gulf.pdf Y2 - 2012-10-29 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Small Places, Big Changes: Temporary Migration, Immigration and Family Reunification IS - Spring/printemps CY - Montréal PB - Association for Canadian Studies / Association d'études canadiennes N2 - This article explores the impact of migration, immigration and the process of family reunification in Brandon, Manitoba. The community has recently experienced an influx of temporary migrants to fill labour shortages at an expanding pork processing plant. The case is unique because “temporary” does not necessarily mean temporary; many temporary migrants transition into immigrants and reunite with their families. A1 - Moss, Alison A1 - Annis, Robert C. A1 - Bucklaschuk, Jill A1 - Moss, Alison A1 - Bucklaschuk, Jill A1 - Annis, Robert C. Y1 - 2010/// UR - http://canada.metropolis.net/pdfs/cdn_issues_CITC_mar10_e.pdf Y2 - 2011-09-23 JA - Canadian Issues/Thèmes canadiens SP - 33 M2 - 33 SP - 33-36 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Foreign Worker Recruitment and Protection: The Role of Manitoba’s Worker Recruitment and Protection Act IS - Spring/printemps CY - Montréal PB - Association for Canadian Studies / Association d'études canadiennes A1 - Allan, The Honorable Nancy Y1 - 2010/// UR - http://canada.metropolis.net/pdfs/cdn_issues_CITC_mar10_e.pdf Y2 - 2011-09-23 JA - Canadian Issues/Thèmes canadiens SP - 29 M2 - 29 SP - 29-32 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Ending the Exploitation of Migrant Workers In The Gulf IS - 2 PB - The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs N2 - Migrant laborers provide important services and support in our globalizing world. They provide a variety of menial and low-skill services in the private and public sectors. They work in factories, fish farms, households, plantations, and construction sites and serve as nannies, maids, cooks, sweepers, servants, and laborers both within and beyond their nation-state boundaries. In this article, I refer to migrant workers as those who have been, are, or plan to be engaged in work for wages in states which they are not nationals.1 According to a 2006 estimate by the International Labor Organization (ILO), "there are more than 86 million migrant workers in the world, 34 million of them in developing regions."'2 According to existing literature and media reports, migrant workers are exploited in most regions of the world. In this paper, I analyze the ways migrant workers are being victimized in their quest for better jobs in the Gulf states where some 10 million of them currently serve. Jobs resulting from this region's great wealth of oil and gas draw in tens of thousands of new migrants every year. Looking for a way out of poverty, migrant workers from developing countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Indonesia pay large fees to obtain labor intensive jobs in this region. While many of them are able to earn more than they would have earned in their native countries, many also suffer appalling abuse. In both the sending and receiving countries, migrant workers are often misled and exploited by intermediaries, sponsors, and employers. In numerous cases, the migrant laborers end up not only losing the investments they make in obtaining their jobs, but also their basic human dignity, health, and, in some tragic cases, even their lives. All too often, they are deprived of pay, forced to work, left in squalid living conditions, denied the freedom to move or change jobs, and subjected to physical and sexual abuse. Their exploitation violates both internationally established norms and basic principles of the Islamic faith that serve as the foundation of morality and law in these states. Migrant workers today are an extremely vulnerable group and are caught up in those of a vicious problem that is created and sustained by poverty, labor rackets, dynamics of globalization, and government inaction or corruption in both their home and host countries. Ending this problem is a moral imperative for both the governments that send and receive them. Robust policy prescriptions to put an end to this vicious problem are also available; yet, they are not being acted upon primarily due to a lack of social awareness about the plight of migrant workers. In the absence of a catalyst for action, ending the exploitation of migrant workers is not at the top of the public agenda in either the sending or the receiving countries. I therefore propose that "moral diplomacy" can serve as a catalyst to spark policy changes that can lead to the end of migrant labor exploitation. Migrant workers must be treated with human dignity, given fair wages on time, and guaranteed their fundamental human rights. Reforms of the migrant labor system must ensure that migrant workers have "decent work" which, in the ILO's terms, is "productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security, and dignity."3 These rights are rooted in the ethical and social justice traditions found not only in international law, 4 but in Islamic law5 and in the national legal systems of the Gulf states as well. I conceive of moral diplomacy broadly as diplomacy with ethical consciousness. Essentially, it is a strategic communication campaign that should have both conventional diplomatic and public/citizen-diplomatic dimensions. Anchored in the largely universally recognized moral values of those recognized in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, moral diplomacy can be conducted not just by professional diplomats but also by the world's citizens who care about human rights and believe in vulnerable people's right to decent work and life. Moral diplomacy need not take the form of moral didacticism; rather, it should focus on increasing transparency regarding the conditions of migrant laborers, highlighting the inconsistency of their treatment with both global and local values and norms, and promoting a social dialogue among all stakeholders that leads to greater awareness and a moral consensus for meaningful social reform. This paper develops the above argument, integrating research reports, media stories, and findings from my own fieldwork in the Gulf, which dates back to 2001. During my fieldwork, I observed migrant workers in their worksites, barracks, or on embassy premises. I have also interviewed corporate officials and local scholars, students, and community leaders to understand the problem from multiple perspectives. In addition, I have talked to many returning migrant workers and government officials in Bangladesh, a country which sends a large percentage of migrant workers serving in the Gulf States. Political realities in this region limit the ability of individuals and groups to collect and publish solid "scientific" data on labor issues. With broad quantitative data unavailable, qualitative inquiry and anecdotal analysis provides the best opportunity to develop an understanding of how migrant laborers are treated or victimized in this region. A1 - AUWAL, MOHAMMAD A Y1 - 2010/// KW - migrant workers KW - Migrant Workers KW - Migrant workers KW - UAE KW - Ending the Exploitation UR - http://dl.tufts.edu/file_assets/tufts:UP149.001.00071.00008 Y2 - 2013-05-01 VL - 32 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Social Protection for Migrant Domestic Workers in Cambodia: A Case Study PB - The Global Network Solidar N2 - The goal of this case study is twofold. First, this research aims to provide an understanding of the many difficulties migrant workers face. Second, this report seeks to examine the path to overcoming the previously stated challenges. The first chapter explores social protections in Cambodia. After a broad examination of social protections in Cambodia the focus is narrowed to those social protections affecting migrant workers. The subsequent chapter looks at the story of a woman named Vann Sinoun who was a Cambodian migrant worker. Vann Sinoun’s story illustrates in a very human way the hardships migrant workers face. The final chapter looks at the different advocacy strategies undertaken on behalf of migrant workers. The study concludes with a brief discussion of the steps that need to be undertaken to ensure social protections for Cambodians. Y1 - 2010/// KW - Domestic Workers KW - Cambodia UR - http://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ass/article/download/8797/7980 Y2 - 2013-05-01 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Policy on Labor Migration for Cambodia PB - International Labor Organization N2 - The labour migration policy document centres on cross-border migration for employment among Cambodian workers. Having described the general economic background, including employment trends, demographic transition, and cross-border movements of Cambodian migrant workers, the paper goes on to identify policy challenges confronting the Royal Government of Cambodia, and offers strategic considerations, policy options, and an action plan to be initiated by the concerned agencies. The policy document should also serve as a road map for the Government in its dialogue with donor communities, helping it to more effectively seek support for measures that promote migration’s positive development outcomes, while limiting its possible negative impacts. Cambodia’s economy has enjoyed sustained grow th, averaging 7 per cent annually for the period 1994-2004. It achieved even more remarkable annual growth of 11 per cent between 2004 and 2007. In 2008, favourable growth rates helped maintain and provide jobs for about 6.9 million workers. In 2009 and 2010,economic prospects have been overshadowed by the global economic crisis, which has reduced annual growth rates to 2.5 and 4 per cent, respectively. While fallout from the global financial crisis is expected to linger over the next few years, Cambodia should be able to resume its favourable growth over the medium term at an annual rate of 6-7 per cent. Ironically, this robust economic growth has not achieved equivalent employment growth. While economic growth averaged 6.8 per cent between 1994 and 2004, employment grew by only 3.3 per cent. The scenario was even more disappointing between 2005 and 2007, when an average 10.5 per cent growth in GDP contributed to only 2 per cent growth in employment. In the medium term, every 1 per cent growth in output is expected to generate only a 0.428 per cent growth in employment. In other words, even a relatively high growth rate is unable to generate more jobs for Cambodian workers. Unemployment among youth aged 15 to 24 years is becoming critical. The 2008 population census showed that youth unemployment, conventionally defined, stood at 3 per cent. It was a more serious problem in urban areas (8 percent) than it was in rural areas (2 per cent). Skills mismatches were prevalent, and many youth were not qualified for the available jobs. According to the 2008 census, the total population in Cambodia was 13.4 million. With an annual population growth rate of 1.54 per cent, and an estimated total fertility rate of 3.1, between 1998 and 2008, Cambodia’s population is expected to reach 19 million by 2020. Both the annual growth rate of the population and the fertility rate —1.2 per cent and 2.2, respectively— are higher than average for Southeast Asia. At 61.2 per cent, Cambodia’s dependency ratio— or the number of persons 15 years of age plus the number of persons aged 65 years or older per 100 persons aged 15 to 64 years— is also higher than the 50 per cent average for Southeast Asia. As a result of a baby boom in the mid- to late-1980s, Cambodia’s population includes a large proportion of young, and they are entering the labour force at a rate of about 250,000 persons per annum. Since economic growth and employment in Cambodia have been narrowly concentrated in the agricultural, garment, construction, and tourism sectors, the promotion of foreign employment through private and public employment services has provided a cornerstone for alleviation of unemployment, income enhancement, and poverty reduction. Thus, the current Ministerial Strategic Plan sets out the following main interventions: improved management of foreign employment; expanded protection of migrant workers; strong inter-ministerial coordination; and intimate international cooperation. Next to the Burmese, Cambodian migrant workers comprise the second-largest group of foreign workers in Thailand. Following the regularization programme introduced in 2004 by the Royal Thai Government, 110,025 Cambodian migrant workers obtained work permits for supposedly temporary jobs in Thailand. Many of these workers, moreover, were undergoing nationality verification to convert their status from quasi-legal to legal migrants. However, the recent official deployment of migrant workers to Thailand, as well as to other major labour-receiving countries, has been declining. In 2008, only 2,116 and 2,654 migrant workers were deployed to Thailand and Malaysia, respectively. An ILO study of migrant workers’ remittances indicated that Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand sent home cash remittances of about 833 baht per month, lower than those migrants from Myanmar and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. It is estimated that Cambodia migrant workers in Thailand sent home cash remittances of about 1.5 billion baht in 2008 (US$45 million). Forty per cent of Cambodia migrant workers in Thailand reported that remittances were the main sources of income for their family. Most remittances were spent for daily expenses, health care, and household appliances. Three main policy challenges for labour migration are identified in the paper: governance of labour migration; protection and empowerment of migrant workers; and harnessing of migration for development. Governance of labour migration includes issues relating to national labour migration policies and programmes, laws and norms, inter-state agreements, and multilateral processes. Good governance of labour migration refers to coherence in the areas of legal, policies, and institutional frameworks involving labour migration management. Policy challenges for migration governance include the development of a sound labour migration policy, a legal framework ,and the effective management of labour migration based on international instruments and social dialogue. The key policy recommendations are these: a) strengthening existing government agencies with resources to promote foreign employment and to protect the rights of migrant workers while at home and abroad; b) drafting comprehensive legislation governing the labour migration process and the protection of migrant workers; c) ensuring adequate protection for migrant workers by posting labour attachés to Cambodian Embassies and equipping them with the resources necessary to perform their duties; d) government adoption of the social dialogue approach and the involvement of key stakeholders, including government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, recruitment agencies, and civil society in formulating labour migration policy, programmes, and legislation; and e) government review of its policy on mandatory cash deposits of US$100,000 (non-interest earning) by recruitment agencies. Protection and empowerment of migrant workers includes protection against abuses, malpractice, and exploitation.To ensure well-informed migration, the Government needs to institutionalize pre-departure training and to disseminate information regarding the migration process, thereby enabling migrants to make informed decisions. Policy challenges for the protection of migrant workers include the adoption of the rights-based approach to prevention and protection against abusive recruitment practices, and the enforcement of national law and regulations in accordance with international labour standards and applicable regional instruments. The key policy recommendations are these: a) eliminating misleading propaganda and advertisements relating to labour migration, and establishing resource center in Phnom Penh and the provinces to provide pre-employment information regarding the labour migration process; b) implementing legislation and policies with effective enforcement mechanisms and sanctions to deter unethical recruitment practices, including provisions for the suspension or withdrawal of recruitment and placement licenses in cases of violation; c) establishing a list of placement fees and documentation costs payable by migrant workers; d) coordinating with labour-receiving countries for the adoption of standardized and enforceable employment contracts; e) improving the position of Cambodian migrant workers in the labour market by enhancing worker skills through relevant vocational training, both increasing their employment opportunities and reducing their vulnerability to exploitation; and f) providing effective remedies to all migrant workers in cases of rights violation, and creating accessible channels through which migrant workers can lodge complaints against abusive practices and fraud. Migration can affect development and growth through three mechanisms changes in labour supply; changes in productivity; and migrants’ remittances. For a labour-sending country, positive outcomes of successful deployment of workers include remittances, skills acquisition, lower unemployment, strong national foreign currency reserves, and poverty reduction. Policy challenges regarding labour migration for development include (1) mainstreaming labour migration issues in national development plans and in the country decent work programme, (2) establishing a rec ognition system for skills gained from abroad, (3) promoting the productive use of migrant workers’ remittances , and (4) providing return and reintegration services. The key policy recommendations are these: a) mainstreaming labour migration in both the national strategic development plan and the national employment policy; b) strengthening public and private employment services for counselling and matching demand for skilled labour and returned migrant workers; c) negotiating with the labour-receiving country the coordinated registration for returned/repatriated migrant workers at border points to facilitate their readmission (overland and by air); d) reducing costs of remittance transfers, and facilitating access to financial services; and e) promoting the acquisition of new skills abroad and minimizing brain drain in key economic sectors. Y1 - 2010/// KW - Cambodia KW - national and International legal mechanism for migrant workers UR - http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/documents/publication/wcms_145704.pdf Y2 - 2013-03-29 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Business and Migration Roundtable for Collective Action: Strengthening migrant workers protection in the supply chain CY - London, UK PB - The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), the International Business Leader Forum (IBLF) , and Ethical Trading Initiative N2 - The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) and the International Business Leader Forum (IBLF) held a routable discussion about the migration issues from different stakeholders. The roundtables aim to raise the debate on the role of private sector within migration in key sending and receiving countries, promote collective action on specific issues related to the protection of migrants’ rights which fall within companies’ spheres of influence, identify entry points for dialogue between business and government on related policy matters. The topics that brought in the roundtable discussion were exploring areas of risk to migrant workers in the recruitment process in both sending and receiving countries. Identifying common issues that migrant workers are facing in company supply chains. Identifying appropriate risk mitigation strategies in order to improve the protection of migration workers within the supply chain, explore cases of good recruitment practice by brands, suppliers and labor providers, possible ways for collective action in reducing abusive recruitment and employment practices in supply chain in South and South East Asia. Y1 - 2010/03/24/ KW - Roundtable Discussion UR - http://www.ihrb.org/pdf/Business_and_Migration_Roundtable_1_Strengthening_Migrant_Worker_Protection_In_Company_Supply_Chains_Report.pdf Y2 - 2013-03-30 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Migrant Workers and the Death Penalty in Bahrain & Saudi Arabia A1 - Rajab, Nabeel Y1 - 2010/02/24/ KW - Migrants KW - Bahrain KW - Saudi Arabia KW - Exploitation KW - Abuse KW - Death Penalty KW - migrants UR - http://www.caramasia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=857&Itemid=1 Y2 - 2012-10-29 JA - CARAM ASIA ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Aide familiale philipinne - La victoire de David contre Goliath CY - Montreal A1 - Santerre, David Y1 - 2010/01/30/ KW - Philippine KW - aide familiale KW - congédiement KW - faible salaire KW - arrestation tuberculose UR - http://www.exruefrontenac.com/nouvelles-generales/justice/17171-proces-aide-familiale-philippine Y2 - 2014-05-01 JA - Rue Frontenac ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Ouellet, Nadon & associéEs law firm and PINAY (Filipino Women’s Organization in Quebec) will comment an important judgment by the Court of Quebec. CY - Montreal A1 - PINAY,  Y1 - 2010/01/30/ KW - Philippine KW - aide familiale KW - congédiement KW - faible salaire KW - arrestation tuberculose T3 - Media Advisory ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Rights on the Line Human Rights Watch Work on Abuses against Migrants in 2010 IS - isbn: 1-56432-726-4 CY - United States of America PB - Human Rights Watch N2 - This roundup of Human Rights Watch reporting on violations of migrants’ rights in 2010 includes coverage of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Many countries rely on migrant workers to fill labor shortages in low-paying, dangerous, and poorly regulated jobs. Human Rights Watch documented labor exploitation and barriers to redress for migrants in agriculture, domestic work, and construction in Indonesia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Immigration sponsorship systems in many countries give employers immense control over workers and lead to migrants being trapped in abusive situations or unable to pursue redress through the justice system. Y1 - 2010/// UR - http://www.hrw.org/reports/2010/12/12/rights-line-0 Y2 - 2013-01-17 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Pakistan’s National Emigration Policy A Review CY - Pakistan PB - Sustainable Development Policy Institute N2 - Globally, policies regulating cross border movements have changed extensively. During last few decades, the global labor market maneuvering due to internal and external economic shocks, political resentments in hosting countries and changing skill demands drastically influenced the labor immigration policies of receiving countries. Once encouraging expatriates by opening their borders, now the labor hosting countries consider their immigration levels very high and are attempting to lower the numbers of ‘un-wanted’ expatriate workers by making working environments un-attractive for immigrant workers already employed. This situation has led to negative implications for the living as well as working conditions of immigrant workers, especially those with limited education and low level skills. These conditions are particularly affecting a large segment of Pakistani emigrant workers, mainly in Gulf countries. However, despite all these difficulties, remittances sent by Pakistani emigrant workers are a major source of this country’s economic life line. Yet, evidence also shows negligible progress in the lives of emigrants’ families who are left behind and lack of government development initiatives to acknowledge their hardships. There need to be substantial changes in national policies and management systems for better protection of the vulnerable in the migration process. In this context, this paper aims to evaluate Government of Pakistan’s proposed National Emigration Policy (GoP 2009) to assess the extent of the policy compliance with the rights and concerns of emigrants and their family members. The structure of this paper consists of four main sections. Section 1 provides briefly the global and specifically Pakistani emigration scenario. Furthermore, in this section information on vulnerabilities of emigrants and their families also gives an insight about the current situation. The contents of this part are important as they set the scene for the construction of the analysis for the review of Pakistan’s Emigration Policy draft. Section 2 of this review provides overview of forthcoming policy. The three subsections categorically outline the genesis/rationale for the Emigration Policy formulation and specifics about the current and future emigration prospects and strategies for intending Pakistani emigrants with protection and welfare measures for emigrants and their family members. Section 3 examines the contents of proposed Emigration Policy. Section 4 offers a set of proposals to address the issues identified in order to strengthen and improve the country’s national emigration policy. Y1 - 2010/// KW - Pakistan KW - Review emigration policy UR - http://www.nccr-pakistan.org/publications_pdf/Migration/Jan_EmigrationPolicyReview.pdf Y2 - 2013-01-17 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Pakistan PB - UNPD N2 - Migration is considered the road to prosperity by many Pakistanis. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, 4.2 million Pakistani workers have registered for overseas employment since 1971, travelling to more than 50 countries. There are a lot of migrants workers abroad who are undocumented. Many receiving countries have passed stringent laws and deport large numbers of undocumented Pakistanis each day for illegal border crossing and over staying visas. In addition, documented migrants who test positive for HIV in the semi-annual HIV testing conducted in many destination countries are deported, often without any information on the reason for this action. Pakistan is a source, transit, and destination countries for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Remittance sent by Pakistanis working abroad constitute the country’s largest single source of foreign exchange earnings, and are a major source of income to bridge huge trade deficits. For example, total migrant workers remittance was US$3.87 billion for the year 2003-2004,equivalent to 4.46 percent of Gross National Product (GNP). Migrant workers are among the groups considered vulnerable to HIV, as specified in the National HIV and AIDs strategic Framework (2001-2006). This article is also about pre-departure orientation, international convention that Pakistan has ratified and has not ratified, regional and bilateral Agreements, national policies and legislation and government agencies and networks. Y1 - 2009/// KW - national polices KW - migration KW - Pakistan KW - remittance KW - HIV KW - International Convention KW - regional and bilateral agreement KW - legislation KW - government agencies and networks UR - http://asia-pacific.undp.org/practices/hivaids/documents/HIV_and_Mobility_in_South_Asia_web_Pakistan.pdf Y2 - 2012-11-03 JA - UNDP ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Sri Lanka PB - UNDP N2 - The article is about the migration pattern, occupational profile of migrants, gender and migration, human trafficking, remittance, HIV/AIDs situation, national response to HIV/AIDs, mandatory testing of the HIV in the destination countries, pre-departure orientation, polices, legislation, and International Conventions, regional and bilateral Agreements, government agencies and networks. Y1 - 2009/// KW - International Convention KW - HIV/AIDs KW - national laws KW - regional and bilateral Agreements UR - http://www.aidsdatahub.org/dmdocuments/HIV_and_Migration_-_Sri_Lanka.pdf Y2 - 2012-11-03 JA - UNPD ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Recruitment of Pakistani Workers for Overseas Mechanisms, Exploitation and Vulnerabilities CY - Switzerland PB - International Labor Organization N2 - Pakistan has annual migratory out-flow of more than 150,000 workers to different countries in the Middle East, but primarily to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. More than 60% of migrant workers originate from only 20 of the country’s 110 districts. The majorities of migrants obtain their foreign employment contract either through private Overseas Employment Promotes (OEPs) or obtain a direct visa. Moreover, labor migration from Pakistan to the Middle East is almost exclusively male. The inflow of remittances, reaching a peak of US$ 4.6 billion in 2005-2006 and US$4.45 billion in 2006-2007. The government of Pakistan has developed various institutions and rules to govern and regulate the labor recruitment process. Legally Pakistanis can go abroad through three channels: a public agency, private recruiting agent or following direct contract with foreign employers. The study found that about half of the migrants has been recruited by OEPs, while one-fifth had used friends and relatives. Another one-fifth of the respondents had received their visas directly from their foreign employers. About 14% of the respondents had been illegal migrants, including those who stayed on after the Haj/Umra pilgrimage, or who had gone abroad without documentation. Although the Government of Pakistan has taken several steps to make the recruitment system and migration process transparent, there is strong evidence that regulatory measure have not been able to curb all exploitative practices, including organized forms of illegal migration. A set of recommendations is provided on priority areas for further policy and institutional support. A1 - Arif , G.M Y1 - 2009/// KW - migrant workers KW - Migrant Workers KW - Migrant workers KW - Workers Rights KW - Labor migration KW - Pakistan KW - recruitment KW - private employment agency KW - remittance KW - return migration KW - Gulf States UR - http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcm_041928.pdf Y2 - 2012-10-29 ER - TY - THES T1 - The Temporary Foreign Worker Program: Canada’s Unconscionable Labour Mobility Strategy CY - Montreal PB - McGill University N2 - Advocating for the labour rights of all workers, including the many who quickly discover their own class susceptibilities as they toil in precarious employment situations, brings with it many unique and interesting challenges; however, when the element of one’s immigration status is introduced into the context, an entirely different saga emerges. The demographic of precarious status migrant workers in Canada is composed of individuals with a plethora of subjective migratory experiences, having arrived amidst different contexts, each equipped with a unique legal status, and therefore resulting in different (often restricted) opportunities for social and economic participation in Canadian life. In focussing nevertheless on just one subset of this demographic – migrants arriving under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) – it is an analysis of their disconcerting commonalities, namely: non-permanent status, the consequent grave vulnerability to social and labour abuses, over-representation in “low-skilled” remedial labour circumstances, and the significant barriers they face towards attaining permanent residency, which has urgently demanded the current review. My Independent Study Project (SWRK690) focuses on the existing immigration programs available to “temporary foreign workers” arriving to Canada, namely how these potentially exploitative programs have interfered with: the exercise of reclaiming one’s labour and/or human rights, the access to health and social services for participants’, and the resulting implications that ensue for clinical and community social workers, policy stakeholders, and researchers. I will address the program’s current foundation, while providing an expanded clarification of the legislation itself and a summary of the most likely vulnerabilities awaiting its workforce, by tracing the pulse of the argument from community groups and individuals opposed to the program. As the TFWP evidently gains in popularity, the outlook for the program’s longer-term sustainability will be juxtaposed against the (lack of) opportunities available to workers wishing to transition from temporary to permanent resident status. The present exposé will serve to summarize the predominant objections to the TFWP, with a commitment not to dismiss the firsthand practical experiences felt by workers’1, as past reports of this nature have risked doing. A1 - Rivard, Andre Y1 - 2009/// VL - M.SW. T2 - Social Work SP - 50 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Star investigation gets results -- Victory for our nannies Province finally agrees to crack down on recruiters who exploit foreign caregiver A1 - Cribb, Robert A1 - Brazao, Dale Y1 - 2009/04/03/ KW - recruiters KW - regulations KW - abuses KW - LIve-in caregivers program JA - Toronto Star ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Des immigrants vulnérables CY - Montréal N2 - Description du Programme des aides familiaux résidents. A1 - Russo, Émilie Y1 - 2009/04/01/ KW - PAFR KW - domestiques KW - résidence permanente KW - assurance maladie UR - http://lesactualites.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/actualitescdn_090401.pdf Y2 - 2014-03-24 JA - Actualités CDN - NDG SP - 2 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - UFCW to back Mexican state's Canadian ag workers N2 - A major union in Canada's food processing sector has signed a pact with a Mexican state to represent its residents while they work on Canadian farms. A1 - Alberta Farmer,  Y1 - 2009/02/26/ UR - http://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/news/ufcw-to-back-mexican-state-s-canadian-ag-workers/1000089705/?issue=02262009&PC=FBC Y2 - 2011-06-20 JA - Alberta Farmer ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Harvest pilgrims : Mexican and Caribbean migrant farm workers in Canada N1 - photographs and text by Vincenzo Pietropaolo. ill. ; 27 cm. CY - Toronto PB - Between the Lines N2 - Like migratory birds, most of Canada’s 20,000 “guest” farm workers arrive in the spring and leave in the autumn. Hailing primarily from Mexico, Jamaica, and smaller countries of the Caribbean, these temporary workers have become entrenched in the Canadian labour force and are the mainstay of many traditional family farms in Canada. Many of them make the trip year after year after year. Vincenzo Pietropaolo has been photographing guest workers and recording their stories since 1984 – in the process travelling to forty locations throughout Ontario and to their homes in Mexico, Jamaica, and Montserrat. The resulting photographs have been highly acclaimed internationally through many publications and exhibitions, including a travelling show curated by the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography that opened in Mexico City. With a foreword by Naomi Rosenblum, this beautiful and timely book of photography and exposition aims to shed light on a subject about which many Canadians know all too little. (From http://www.btlbooks.com/bookinfo.php?index=195) A1 - Pietropaolo, Vincenzo Y1 - 2009/// UR - http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Vincenzo+Pietropaolo,+Harvest+Pilgrims%3A+Mexican+and+Caribbean+Migrant...-a0298292681 Y2 - 2011-08-04 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - NATIONAL LABOUR MIGRATION POLICY FOR SRI LANKA MINISTRY CY - Colombo PB - International Labor Organization (ILO) N2 - The Sri Lanka National Policy on Labour Migration is developed by the Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare. Its aim is to articulate the State Policy regarding Sri Lankan citizens engaged in employment in other countries and to recognise the significant contribution of all Sri Lankan migrant workers to the national economy through foreign exchange remittances and other mechanisms. The policy has the goals of developing a long-term vision for the role of labour migration in the economy, enhancing the benefits of labour migration on the economy, society, the migrant workers and their families, minimizing its negative impacts and, finally, working towards the fulfilment and protection of all human and labour rights of migrant workers. Over the years, Sri Lanka has instituted a number of programmes and schemes that cover issues of governance in the process of labour migration, the protection and welfare of migrant workers and their families. Most notably, the Sri Lanka Bureau for Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has been instituted since 1997, providing services and a regulatory framework for interested migrants. In 2007, this was brought under the purview of the Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare (MFEPW). The operations of these initiatives have been within the framework of principles of decent work, dignity of labour and the protection of all human rights and freedoms of migrant workers and their families. Despite these initiatives, Sri Lanka continues to face a number of challenges in the field of foreign employment such as the vulnerability of workers who migrate under risky and unsafe conditions and the predominance of low-remittance, low-skilled jobs mainly for women with heavy social costs for families. Thus, the delicate balance between the promotion of foreign employment and the protection of national workers abroad is a continuous challenge. The current national policy is designed to address this and other challenges. Overall, the national policy aims to promote opportunities for all men and women to engage in migration for decent and productive employment in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. It is intended to do so through the institution of policies, laws, regulations, services and facilities for migrant workers and their families. Special emphasis is laid on the development of skills as a main and effective means of protection for migrant workers and their families. The policy is developed in three sections; namely, governance of the migration process, protection and empowerment of migrant workers and their families, and linking migration and development processes. Additionally, six appendices describe the comprehensive framework and consultative process within which the policy was developed. Y1 - 2008/// KW - Sri Lanka KW - National Policy on Labour Migration KW - the institutional framework KW - the legislative framework KW - the regulatory framework and the social dialogue and consultative framework UR - http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/migrant/download/mpolicy_srilanka_en.pdf Y2 - 2012-11-03 JA - ILO ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Abuse of foreign workers must stop - Advocacy group is demanding Action A1 - Boughner, Bob Y1 - 2008/09/23/ KW - Abuse KW - safety KW - foreign farm workers KW - living conditions KW - sexual assault KW - labour standards UR - http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2008/09/23/abuse-of-foreign-workers-must-stop Y2 - 2014-03-20 JA - The Chatham Daily News ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Hard-working hands are lent a hand N1 - Same as in years past, hundreds of Latin American migrants again this summer are working the rich, dark soil of our city's market-garden belt just south of Montreal Island. Look carefully across the flat fields of produce that line Highways 209, 221 and other area roads. Far in the distance, you may see them, tiny figures silhouetted against the horizon. But this summer, things are different. Sure, those fertile fields are blessed as ever with the black earth on which Montrealers depend for locally grown lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, onions and other fresh, crisp vegetables. And the daily routine of sun, rain and toil for these migrants continues to feature an abundance of sweat and soil. But now, these labourers have an extra place to turn should they run into any kind of problems - whether over working conditions, the treatment they receive from the big-farm operators that import and house them for five or six months of the year, or anything else. Beginning at 3 p.m. yesterday, these workers now have a place of their own in St. Rémi de Napierville, about 30 kilometres south of Montreal. It's a modest office that will also provide French-language lessons and help with income-tax forms. The first such rural office for migrants established anywhere in Quebec, it replaces an old recreational vehicle that had been periodically driven into the area in recent summers. Little wonder, then, that for these labourers yesterday was a time for quiet celebration. Dozens of them, largely but not exclusively from Mexico and Guatemala, packed the sweltering, second-floor walkup next to the Canada Post office in downtown, 5,700-population St. Rémi to inaugurate the Patricia Pérez Migrant Worker Support Centre. Pérez wasn't there, at least not in the flesh. The life of the Montreal migrant-rights activist was cut short by cancer last fall, at age 52. A plaque now hangs in the centre, both to embody her spirit and oversee the expansion of her work. A modest photo of Pérez is accompanied by the Spanish phrase "Si, se puede!" In case anyone hasn't been following the campaign of U.S. presidential aspirant Barack Obama, it's a soul-stirring slogan that means, in English, "Yes, we can!" Several times during the dedication, Mario Delisle, his soul one of many in the room clearly stirred by the occasion, needed an extra few seconds to damp his tears. "Patricia is the person," Delisle declared, "who taught me the meaning of commitment." Delisle is a vice-president of Local 501 of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which is bankrolling the summer office. The national union already operates seven similar offices in four other provinces, most notably in the market-garden belt of Southern Ontario . Quebec "is 'home' to the second-largest temporary migrant population in Canada," Giselle Valarezo said in her detailed, 129-page master's thesis for Queen's University on the migrants of St. Rémi, completed last September. The situation of migrants in this province "has not received the attention it warrants," Valarezo added: "Temporary migrant workers face a double disadvantage because they are employed in sectors that are defined as precarious and lack access to citizenship rights." The food-workers' union continues its fight to acquire collective-bargaining rights for these farmworkers, said Pierre Gingras, president of 11,000-member Local 501. "This is the same as our battle with Wal-Mart," he said. "This is about respect, dignity and quality of life. "For everyone." Binicio Leal Inzunza, 39, for instance. He first met Pérez four summers ago, during a session where she explained his rights, during his initial sojourn in Canada. He's been back every year since, between April and October. "She was not allowed to hold her workshops (explaining migrant rights) at the farms," Leal Inzunza recalled, so instead Pérez chose "the sidewalk in front of Provigo and IGA." He succinctly explained the economics behind his annual six-month stint at a big lettuce farm in the area, where he said he considers himself well-treated. At home in Sinaloa, Mexico., he makes $7 a day when he harvests tomatoes or pumpkins. "Here, I make $8.52 an hour." He is literally exiled into rural Quebec and away from his family half of every year. How does that make him feel? "Proud that I am taking care of my family," he responded, explaining that the $8,000 he can clear in an average harvest year goes a long, long way at home. Although Leal Inzunza left middle school at age 16, he said, that won't be the fate of the five children he shares with his wife, Virginia Rivas Aguirre - Josué, 20, Vianey, 17, Alejandro, 13, Jazmín, 9, and Omar, 6. They'll get a higher education, he vowed. "Their lives will be different." "Patricia lives in my heart. "She was part of our family." On the Web: Report on the Status of Migrant Farm Workers in Canada, 2006-2007, at http://ufcw.ca/migrantreport janr@thegazette.canwest.com N2 - Same as in years past, hundreds of Latin American migrants again this summer are working the rich, dark soil of our city's market-garden belt just south of Montreal Island. A1 - Ravensbergen, Jan Y1 - 2008/06/23/ UR - http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=2fc39885-8550-4293-8a56-972738b0710e Y2 - 2011-05-27 JA - Montreal Gazette ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Enforcing Migrant Workers’ Rights in the United Arab Emirates PB - International Journal on Minority and Group Rights N2 - The appalling treatment of migrant workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who constitute 80% of the population and 95% of the workforce, has largely escaped international scrutiny. The paper analyses the failure to protect migrant workers’ rights in the UAE from a domestic and an international perspective. It outlines the extent of the abuses and demonstrates how the states’ weak domestic laws have been further undermined by poor enforcement mechanisms and a lack of political will to address the issues. It examines violations of international human rights law and possible avenues to redress, notably those relating to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination of 1965, one of the only three international human rights treaties that the UAE has ratified. Furthermore, the paper will argue that the UAE’s exploitation of the relative economic weakness of its South Asian neighbor has led to a situation that can be characterized as bonded labor of migrant workers, a form of slavery as defined under international law. It will be concluded that domestic labor provision in the UAE will never be sufficient to provide basic rights to migrant workers due to the de facto control o the private sector by the public sector. Therefore, concerted international attention and pressure will be required to improve a situation in which over two million workers live in terrible conditions, wholly at odds with the wealth and luxury of the country they have helped to build. A1 - Keane,  David A1 - McGeehan,  Nicholas Y1 - 2008/// KW - migrant workers in UAE KW - protection mechanism analysis UR - http://mena2010wjp.org/wp-content/upload/2010/08/Migrants-workers-rights-UAE.pdf Y2 - 2013-03-21 JA - International Journal on Minority and Group Rights VL - 15 SP - 81 M2 - 81 SP - 81-115 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - I NFORMATION CAMPAIGNS ON SAFE MIGRATION AND PRE - DEPARTURE TRAINING PB - Development Research Centre on Migration, Globalisation and Poverty N2 - It is now widely recognized that migration is one of the most significant global phenomena and challenges of the 21st century. This is especially relevant to Bangladesh, as a major supplier of labor to the world market. The economy of Bangladesh relies heavily on remittances, which dwarf foreign direct investment and development assistance. In recent years, both government and civil society in Bangladesh have realized these facts and several important steps have been taken to improve the governance of migration. There remain many challenges ahead and much room for improvement. One of the most pressing problems facing migrants and the good governance of migration is widespread lack of the awareness about the complexities of migration. It has been recognized by academic studies and in the experiences of other major migrant sending countries that initiatives to disseminate information about these issues and properly train migrant workers can significantly reduce the negative effects and enhance the positive outcomes of migration. The twin task of wide dissemination of the information about how to process migration for those who want to migrant and training of those who are already in the process of migration are enormous. This report looks into Sri Lanka and the Philippines’ experiences in safe migration information campaigns and in the areas of pre-departure orientation training. This provides an assessment from which examples of good practice and lessons have been identified. In Sri Lanka, information campaigns on safe migration include community-level interventions, drama, talk shows and discussion programmes in mass media and consultations with returnees which are carried out by the government, NGOs, trade unions and church groups. The role of NGOs is limited more or less to providing prospective migrants with information and finding a solution to the problems of returnees. As far as Pre-Departure Orientation Training is concerned, the Sri Lankan Government provides two-three weeks compulsory PDOT for female housemaids combining skills training on household management, languages and general orientation. Although a public-private partnership has emerged in Sri Lanka where recruitment agents supplement some of the government’s training under the guidance and monitoring of the government, NGOs in Sri Lanka feel alienated from this system. Y1 - 2008/// KW - Philippines KW - Sri Lanka KW - Bangladesh KW - information campaign KW - mechanism of safe migration UR - http://www.migrationdrc.org/publications/research_reports/Information_Campaigns_and_Pre_Departure_Training.pdf Y2 - 2013-02-20 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - The Situation of Women Migrant Domestic Workers in Bahrain IS - 42 PB - Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, Caram Asia N2 - The most pressing problems faced by women in Bahrain include the following: – Discrimination in the workplace and denial of senior posts in both the private and public sectors; – Family law is uncodified and governed by all-male religious Sharia courts. Influential sections of the religious establishment oppose a codified family law, while the government has recently demonstrated a lack of interest in pursuing the matter. Meanwhile, Sharia courts and Public Prosecution have resorted to threatening activists who dare to criticize its discriminatory positions and practices; – Nationality: Children and spouses of Bahraini women married to non- Bahraini men are not entitled to citizenship; – Violence against women: Sexual harassment and domestic abuse against women is commonplace, with very little institutional support for victims, and marital rape is not considered a crime under Bahraini law. Y1 - 2008/// KW - Domestic Workers KW - Bahrainian Laws UR - http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/ngos/CARAMASIABahrain42.pdf Y2 - 2013-01-14 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Le combat des migrants du Sud CY - Montréal A1 - Tendland, Amélie Y1 - 2008/01/01/ KW - travailleurs étrangers KW - conditions de travail KW - conditions de vie KW - vulnérabilité KW - dépendance KW - Code du travail UR - http://journal.alternatives.ca/spip.php?article3135 Y2 - 2014-03-31 JA - Alternatives SP - 5 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Exported and Exposed Abuses against Sri Lankan Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates IS - 16 PB - Human Rights Watch N2 - Over 125, 000 Sri Lankan women migrate to the Middle East as domestic workers each year. Their earnings have made a significant contributions to the Sri Lankan economy, yet many migrant women resort to this survival strategy at profound personal cost. Unscrupulous labor agents and subagents in Sri Lanka often charge illegal exorbitant recruitment fees and decieve women about their propsective jobs. In Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), labor laws excluded domestic workers, who are typically confined to the workplace and labor for excessively long hours for little pay. In some cases, employers or labor agents subject domestic workers to physical abuse, sexual abuse, or forced labor. While current figure likely underestimate the scale of abust, the Sri Lankan government reports that 50 migrant domestic workers return to Sri Lanka “in distress” each day, abd embassies abroad are flooded with workers complaining of upaid wages sexual harassment, and overwork. Media have carried out the horrific abuse. Depite, this awareness, the government of Sri Lankan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, and the UAE hav failed to exented even standard labor protections to these workers. Sri Lanka has yet to rein in a competitive and corrupt recruitment industry, and has not created adequate support services or effective complaint mechanisms for abused workers. The countries of employment have balked at guaranteering rights that all other workers enjoy, including rest days, limits on working hours, and in some countries , a minimum wage. The Sri Lankan government’s policies havei mproved over recent years and it deserves credit for initiating important steps to manage the outflow of migrant workers and to start providing protections. The government of Sri Lanka set up an insititonal structure, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), in 1985 to esnure workers migratn through legal channels, minimize corruption and exploitation by recruitment agencies, and facilitate the flow of workers’ remittances. Yet significant gaps in protection remain. Y1 - 2007/// KW - Domestic Workers KW - Abuse KW - Middle-East UR - http://www.worldwideopen.org/uploads/resources/files/645/TFGLO040_Exported_and_Exposed_Abuses_Against_Sri_Lankan_Domestic_Workers.pdf Y2 - 2012-11-25 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Union brings in foreign workers CY - Edmonton N2 - An Alberta union decided to help the temporary foreign workers by taking the place of the "agent" who recruits them. It want to protect them from eventually dishonest brokers. A1 - Loome, Jeremy Y1 - 2007/06/27/ KW - Temporary Foreign Workers KW - Union JA - The Edmonton Sun SP - 18 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Migrant workers can unionize CY - Winnipeg PB - Info Media N2 - Migrant workers at Mayfair Farms in Portage la Prairie won the right to join the union of their choice in a potentially critical ruling issued Tuesday by the Manitoba Labour Relations Board. The ruling is the first of four to be made involving migrant workers in Canada. The others involve migrant farm workers at three Quebec farms and together, they could change the lot of migrant workers everywhere by triggering similar votes on farms in other provinces. Y1 - 2007/06/27/ KW - Union KW - temporary migrant workers JA - Winnipeg Free Press SP - 999 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Presbyterian Church to advocate for migrant workers N2 - Linda Paquette, pastor of Presbyterian churches in Rockwood and Eden Mills, had considered talking to her congregations about helping migrant workekrs. She wants the federal government to sign the United Nations' convention on migrant workers and make sure they know their rights. A1 - The Record,  Y1 - 2007/06/06/ JA - The Record SP - 3 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Le Code du travail s'applique aux ouvriers agricoles mexicains CY - Montreal N2 - Le Code du travail - qui prévoit le droit à la syndicalisation - s'applique aux milliers de Mexicains qui viennent travailler chaque année dans les fermes du Québec, ont soutenu les représentantes du procureur général du Québec devant la Commission des relations du travail, hier. Une position que contestent les employeurs. A1 - Noël, André Y1 - 2007/05/18/ JA - La Presse SP - 13 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Advocate will help temporary foreign workers N2 - An Edmonton labour lawyer, Yessy Byl, who has advocated for both union and non-union workers for more than 10 years will now go to bat for temporary foreign workers, the Alberta Federation of Labour announced. A1 - Loyie, Florence Y1 - 2007/05/05/ KW - foreign workers KW - Lawyer KW - advocate JA - Edmonton Journal SP - 6 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Contract job workers left without hope CY - Toronto N2 - The situation of people hired as subcontractor, not as employee, but being exploited and no protected by Ontario's Employment Standards Act which protects an employee's rights. A1 - Daly, Rita Y1 - 2007/03/10/ KW - Immigrants KW - Exploitation KW - low wages KW - contractor UR - http://www.thestar.com/news/2007/03/10/contract_job_workers_left_without_hope.html Y2 - 2014-05-06 JA - Toronto Star SP - 01 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Labour Resolutions to Uphold Dignity of (Im)migrant PB - No One is Illegal N2 - Please find below draft resolutions based on the Migrant Labour Roundtable that NOII hosted on April 21, 2007. The roundtable was attended by (im)migrant community members and organizers as well as trade union representatives. Representatives included delegates from BC Construction and Trades Council, BC Government Employees Union, BC Nurses Union, BC Teachers Federation, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Canadian Union of Public Employees BC, Comite for Amnesty and Justice Seattle, Hospital Employees Union, Iranian Federation of Refugees, Justicia for Migrant Workers, No One is Illegal, PICS, Public Service Alliance of Canada, South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy, STATUS Coalition, Trade Union Research Bureau, Vancouver Distric Labour Council, and others. [Please note that these are for affiliation purposes only and do not indicate endorsements for the resolutions.] The goal of the roundtable was to articulate a comprehensive framework linking temporary foreign worker programs to the struggle for labour rights and the struggle for human mobility. The draft resolutions are based on this diaologue and are a template which you may find useful and wish to adapt. Any feedback or thoughts are also much appreciated. Thanks, NOII-Van. A1 - No One is Illegal-Vancouver,  Y1 - 2007/// UR - http://noii-van.resist.ca/?p=440 Y2 - 2011-05-27 ER - TY - ADVS T1 - Los Mexicanos le combat de Patricia Pérez N1 - Scénario et réalisation : Charles Latour Montage : Robert Cornellier Images : Robert Vanherweghem, Charles Latour Images additionnelles : Derek Vertongen Son : Marcel Fraser, Charles Latour Son additionnel : Madeleine David Musique originale : Serge Nicol Assistante à la réalisation : Véronique-Myriam Cloutier Recherche : Charles Latour Recherche additionnelle : Gilles Parent Conception sonore : Guillaume Boursier Montage sonore : Sébastien Bédard, Dany Rodrigue Mixage sonore : Richard Pelletier Produit par : Macumba Doc. Inc. Producteur : Charles Latour Producteurs exécutifs : Robert Cornellier, Patricio Henriquez, Raymonde Provencher © Macumba Doc. Inc. 2007 Durée 43 min. CY - Montréal PB - Macumba International N2 - On ignore parfois que l’exploitation des travailleurs se trouve à nos portes. Entre 1966 et 1976, le Canada signe de multiples ententes bilatérales avec des pays pauvres de l’Amérique latine et des Antilles afin de mettre sur pied un programme pour pallier au manque de main-d’œuvre dans les campagnes canadiennes : Le programme des travailleurs agricoles saisonnier du Canada (PTAS). En 2006, ils étaient près de 4000 à venir travailler dans les fermes québécoises pour une durée de six à huit mois. Isolés géographiquement et linguistiquement, ils ne connaissent pas leurs droits et ils n’ont aucun représentant pouvant défendre leurs intérêts convenablement, ce qui les rend très vulnérables aux abus des patrons. À l’été 2006, Patricia Pérez, représentante du syndicat des travailleurs unis de l’alimentation et du commerce (TUAC), enclenche la campagne de syndicalisation des travailleurs agricoles migrants dans quelques entreprises agricoles au sud de Montréal. Elle tentera par tous les moyens possibles de leur venir en aide, de les informer de leurs droits et ultimement, de les syndiquer. Son combat ne sera pas simple. A1 - Latour, Charles Y1 - 2007/// UR - http://www.macumbainternational.com/2_12.php Y2 - 2011-08-04 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Increasing the delivery of health care services to migrant farm worker families through a community partnership model IS - 4 N2 - The Farm Worker Family Health Program (FWFHP) is a 13-year community partnership model designed to increase delivery of health care services for migrant farm worker families. During a yearly 2-week immersion experience, 90 students and faculty members provide health care services, including physical examinations, health screenings, health education, physical therapy, and dental care for 1,000 migrant farm workers and migrant children. Students and faculty members gain a deeper appreciation of the health and social issues that migrant farm worker families face by providing health care services in the places where migrant families live, work, and are educated. Although the model is not unique, it is significant because of its sustained history, interdisciplinary collaboration among community and academic partners, mutual trust and connections among the partners, and the way the program is tailored to meet the needs of the population served. The principles of social responsibility and leadership frame the FWFHP experience. This community partnership model can be replicated by others working with at-risk populations in low-resource settings. [References: 15] A1 - Connor, A. A1 - Rainer , L.P. A1 - Simcox, J.B. Y1 - 2007/// KW - Farm Worker Family Health Program KW - FWFHP UR - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17553025 Y2 - 2011-05-27 JA - Public Health Nursing VL - 24 SP - 355 M2 - 355 SP - 355-60 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Building Towers, Cheating Workers Exploitation of Migrant Construction Workers in the United Arab Emirates PB - Human Rights Watch N2 - This report documents alleged exploitation of construction workers by employers in the United Arab Emirates. In particular, the report focuses on migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. These report documents abuses which include: • unpaid or extremely low wages • several years of indebtedness to recruitment agencies for fees that UAE law says only employers should pay • the withholding of employees’ passports • hazardous working conditions that result in apparently high rates of death and injury The report makes the following recommendations for the Government of the UAE: • establish an independent commission to investigate and publicly report on the situation of migrant workers in the country • prohibit companies from doing business with recruitment agencies, in the UAE and abroad, that charge workers fees for travel, visas, employment contracts, or anything else • aggressively investigate and prosecute employers who violate other provisions of the UAE labour law • provide quantitative and qualitative data on labour disputes, deaths and injuries at construction sites, and government actions to address these issues • increase substantially the number of inspectors responsible for overseeing the private sector’s treatment of migrant construction workers • take immediate action to inform and educate migrant construction workers arriving for employment in the UAE of their rights under UAE law • abide by the obligation under the UAE labour law of 1980 to implement a minimum wage • allow for the establishment of genuine and independent human rights and workers’ rights organisations • ratify international labour conventions The report also makes recommendations for the governments of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well as recommendations regarding free trade agreements with the United States, Australia and the European Union Y1 - 2006/11/04/ KW - Exploitation KW - Construction Workers UR - http://www.hrw.org/reports/2006/uae1106/uae1106web.pdf Y2 - 2013-04-04 VL - 18 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - Cambodian Women Migrant Workers: Findings from a Migration Mapping Study CY - Phnom Penh, Cambodia PB - United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) N2 - Migration is an emerging development issue in Cambodia. Its increasing scale and its multifaceted nature has started attracting greater interest from the Cambodian government who now recognizes the long-term policy implications of migration. This mapping study is intended to provide a preliminary overview of the issues and problems related to internal and external migration of Cambodian workers. While the study focuses on Cambodian women migrant workers, it is able to identify existing policy/legislation and institutional resources on migration in the Cambodian context. A quick assessment reveals that the Cambodian policy and legislation on migration remains at an infancy stage, despite the establishment of several bilateral labour agreements in the region. The awareness of labour rights and consequences of migration is low among Cambodian migrant workers, most of whom had their rights or interests undermined at some stage in the migration process. Migration, regular or irregular, is perceived as a stopgap measure in a country where viable employment opportunities are limited. Cambodian women migrant workers are more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation due to gender-based discrimination and their having a lower set of skills and knowledge compared to men. There are a handful of organizations working on migration issues in Cambodia but resources available to assist migrant workers remains severely constrained. It is partly this which explains why none has a strong gender-sensitive focus in its work. In its recommendations, this study proposes the Cambodian government to adopt formal, official bilateral labour agreements that include provisions for a standard contract between workers and employment agencies/employers, clear mechanisms for monitoring privately operating recruitment agencies, and protection of migrant workers' freedom of movement and association and their rights to health. The government should also look into establishing an independent body to monitor and regulate recruitment agencies in order to hold them accountable for protecting the rights and interests of migrant workers. It is recommended that minimum standards be created for pre-departure training programme, which should be made available and easily accessible to all migrant workers. Promoting greater public awareness of the importance of safe and orderly migration should be part of an integrated information campaign strategy by the government. There is a lack of updated, reliable and comprehensive statistics and information on migration in Cambodia. More research and documentation is needed in the volume and modes of irregular migration, the processes and consequences of migration, the relationship between workers and labour agents/brokers/recruiters, the abuses and problems that migrants encounter at their workplace, the costs and benefits of migration for stakeholders, in order to identify appropriate solutions and intervention strategies at the national and grassroots levels. This study recommends continuing discussions and information sharing between migrant-focused NGOs, community-based organizations, trade unions, migrant workers and the government, with the objectives of understanding the migration dynamics, identifying the problems, and lobbying the government to address the gaps. A1 - CHEN CHEN, LEE Y1 - 2006/// KW - Cambodian Women Migrant Workers KW - Regulation and Legislation UR - http://www.migration-unifem-apas.org/Publications/Cambodian_Women_Migrant_Workers.html Y2 - 2013-04-18 ER - TY - MGZN T1 - Justice for Migrant Farm Workers: Reflections on the Importance of Community Organising A1 - Justicia for Migrant Workers,  A1 - Encalada Grez, Evelyn Y1 - 2006/// KW - migrant workers KW - Association KW - Migrant Workers KW - Migrant workers KW - Union KW - Working conditions KW - health KW - living conditions KW - rights KW - dangerous tasks UR - http://www.socialistproject.ca/relay/relay12.pdf Y2 - 2014-04-07 JA - Relay VL - 12 SP - 23 ER - TY - MGZN T1 - Building trades step in to correct an injustice IS - 3 Fall 2006 N2 - Gary Kroeker, the President of BCYT-BCTC explains the work condition of migrants workers for the tunnel project of the new Canada Line rapid transit expansion. He explains how he disagrees with their working conditions and how he thinks the government should have reacted. A1 - Kroeker, Gary Y1 - 2006/// KW - Union KW - foreign workers KW - work conditions KW - cheap wages KW - governement JA - Tradetalk VL - 9 SP - 9 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Justice for Migrant Workers: Reflections on the Importance of Community Organizing A1 - Encalada Grez, Evelyn Y1 - 2006/// UR - http://www.justicia4migrantworkers.org/justicia_new.htm Y2 - 2011-05-27 JA - Relay VL - July/August SP - 23 M2 - 23 SP - 23-25 ER - TY - THES T1 - Activism at the grassroutes: Working for change with migrant agricultural labourers in Canada CY - Canada PB - York University (Canada) N2 - Over the course of the four decades that the Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Program has operated as an international labour recruitment initiative for Canadian farmers, a variety of community groups, churches, and non-profit organizations have mobilized around the causes of the Mexican and Caribbean migrant workers who call rural Canada their temporary home. This paper explores and analyzes the activities of one urban-based social justice collective dedicated to building a politicized movement that is driven by migrant workers themselves, and that brings together individuals from various sending countries. From internal ideological struggles to large-scale structural barriers, the collective as a whole and its individual members must grapple with a range of challenges. These challenges and the strategies employed to overcome them demonstrate the complexities of civil society organizing and political activism in the context of one of Canada's most infamous managed migration programs. A1 - Shapiro, Maya Y1 - 2006/// ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - Maid to Order Ending Abuses Against Migrant Domestic Workers in Singapore PB - Human Rights Watch N2 - I was not allowed to go outside.I never went outside, not even to dump the garbage.I was always inside, I didn't even go to the market.I felt like I was in jail.It was truly imprisonment.I was not allowed to turn the radio on either.I could only see the outside world when I hung clothes to dry. - Sri Mulyani (not her real name), Indonesian domestic worker, age thirty, Singapore, February 19, 2005 I was afraid if I ran away, I would be caught by the police. Madam often got angry with me, complained to the agency, and the agency also got angry with me.The agent asked, "What do you want?" I said, "I want to die, ma'am, because the people here are cruel, everything I do is wrong, I'm always called idiot and stupid." [It got so bad,] I really didn't know what to do, so I drank poison for rats and cockroaches.I lost consciousness, and Madam brought me to the hospital. The police told me it was wrong to try suicide. When the incident happened, I had been working exactly seven months.I had earned S$90 [U.S.$53]. -Muriyani Suharti (not her real name), domestic worker, age twenty-two, Singapore, March 8, 2005 Between 1999 and 2005, at least 147 migrant domestic workers died from workplace accidents or suicide, most by jumping or falling from residential buildings. There is no single reason why domestic workers resort to suicide, but research by Human Rights Watch suggests that many women are made despondent by poor working conditions, anxiety about debts owed to employment agencies, social isolation, and prolonged confinement indoors, sometimes for weeks at a time. As authorities have acknowledged, many of the deaths are also due to workplace accidents. Several of the workers fell to their deaths after their employers forced them to balance precariously, despite being many stories up, to clean windows from the outside or to hang clothes to dry on bamboo poles suspended from window sills. While the deaths of migrant workers described above have received increasing attention in the media and from policymakers, the context in which they occur too often is overlooked. This report, which draws on extensive research and more than one hundred interviews, surveys the abusive conditions facing many domestic workers in Singapore today. Many migrant domestic workers in Singapore face abysmally long working hours, no weekly rest days, and low wages, areas neglected by Singapore's laws and addressed primarily through non-binding information guides. In many cases, migrant domestic workers in Singapore work thirteen to nineteen hours a day, seven days a week, and are restricted from leaving the workplace. They typically earn less than half the pay that workers earn in similar occupations in Singapore-such as gardening and cleaning-and are forced to relinquish the first four to ten months of their salaries to repay employment agency fees. In the worst cases, manipulated by agents or employers or both, migrant domestic workers suffer under conditions amounting to forced labor. Singaporean officials are now beginning to give these problems serious attention. Authorities have imposed tough punishments on employers who physically abuse or fail to pay their domestic workers. Although increasing numbers of officials are turning their attention toward domestic workers, the problems persist. And while Singapore's applicable laws and regulations offer stronger protections than do those of neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore is still far behind Hong Kong, which includes domestic workers in its main labor laws, protecting their rights to a weekly rest day, a minimum wage, maternity leave, and public holidays. Employers in Hong Kong must also bear most recruitment and placement fees, including the cost of visas, insurance, required medical exams, and round-trip transportation from the worker's hometown. The Singapore government to date has preferred to rely on market forces rather than laws to regulate key labor issues for domestic workers such as charges imposed by employment agencies, wages, and weekly rest days. As a result, a migrant domestic worker's fate in Singapore is highly variable. She may secure a good employer and labor agent, enjoy favorable working conditions, and earn wages that she saves or regularly sends home. Or she may work for months without pay to settle debts incurred from exorbitant recruitment fees, labor for long hours seven days a week, and confront prohibitions from leaving the workplace. Singaporean authorities need to do more-through legal reform, enhanced public awareness campaigns, and more consistent law enforcement-to ensure all workers are protected against abuses and can readily seek redress when necessary. *** Singapore, a prosperous city-state in Southeast Asia, attracts women migrant domestic workers from around the region. Approximately 150,000 women, primarily from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, hold work permits for two-year employment stints in Singapore. Approximately one in every seven Singaporean households employs a "live-in" migrant domestic worker. The child care, domestic duties, and elder care these women perform help free up Singaporean men and women to work outside of their homes. The Singapore government also views employment of foreign domestic workers as a strategy to boost a below-replacement birthrate-domestic services ease the burden on working women and Singaporean families who decide to rear children. No data exists to calculate accurately the number of women migrant domestic workers who confront labor rights and other human rights violations. Many migrant domestic workers have positive experiences. Human Rights Watch interviewed domestic workers who received wages and rest days regularly, enjoyed proper living accommodation, and developed close personal ties with their employers. The Ministry of Manpower estimates that one in three domestic workers renew their two-year contracts and continue to work under the same employer. A significant number of migrant domestic workers are not so fortunate. Given their isolation in private homes, it is difficult to ascertain the exact proportion of migrant domestic workers who face abuse. However, domestic workers make thousands of complaints to their embassies, employment agents, private service organizations, the Singapore Police, and the Ministry of Manpower each year. The Indonesian embassy alone estimates that it receives fifty complaints per day, mostly from domestic workers. The Philippines embassy and the Sri Lanka High Commission estimate receiving between forty to eighty complaints from domestic workers per month. Many abuses likely never are reported, especially if an employer repatriates a domestic worker before she has a chance to seek help. The abuse often begins in domestic workers' home countries. Recruitment practices and legislation vary greatly by country. The Philippines has clearly defined policies on standard employment contracts and recruitment fees. The employment contract provides for a day off each week and a monthly minimum wage of S$350 [U.S.$206]. But many Filipinas come through unlicensed agents or on tourist visas, making them subject to overcharging, poor working conditions, and less access to redress. In Indonesia, domestic workers face high fees from local labor agents, and are often confined in overcrowded, locked training facilities for up to six months while waiting for placement abroad. Many domestic workers report inadequate food and some confront physical violence. The different routes workers take in getting to Singapore correlate with the conditions they are likely to face upon arrival. According to embassy officials and Human Rights Watch's own research, workers placed through unlicensed agents are more likely to have lower wages, no days off, and illegal deployments to multiple homes. Several domestic workers from Indonesia, for example, told us they were threatened with retaliation by employment agents who told them they would be trafficked into forced prostitution or would have to pay substantial fines if they did not complete their debt payments. Other domestic workers reported that employment agents confiscated their passports and any contact information in their possession, making it difficult to seek help. In Singapore, the government does not adequately regulate the fees, "private loans," and salary deduction arrangements imposed by employment agencies on migrant domestic workers. Intense competition among the more than six hundred employment agencies has led them to reduce fees charged to employers, and to shift the cost of recruitment, transportation, training, and placement to domestic workers. Domestic workers who change employers pay extra fees for transfer costs, sometimes extending their debts by months. Seeking employment in Singapore precisely because they are escaping poverty in their own countries, many women must take on large debts which they settle by working for four to ten months with little or no pay. The Employment Agencies Act stipulates that employment agencies cannot charge job seekers more than 10 percent of their first month's earnings. Singapore's Ministry of Manpower has argued that the charges to domestic workers are not agency fees, but instead private loans that fall outside of the law's parameters. This distinction for costs associated with recruitment, processing, and placement with employers is arbitrary and unfairly strips migrant domestic workers of important protections.Human Rights Watch interviewed domestic workers who said they stayed in situations of abuse because of their debt obligations. The Singapore government has instituted several policies that exacerbate domestic workers' isolation in homes and their risk of abuse. One is a S$5,000 [U.S.$2,950] security bond imposed on employers who hire domestic workers. Employers forfeit the bond if their domestic worker runs away or if they fail to pay for the domestic worker's repatriation costs. The Singapore government enacted this policy in an attempt to control illegal immigration and to ensure employers have adequate funds to repatriate the workers on completion of their contracts. Instead, the bond has become an incentive to employers to tightly restrict their domestic workers' movements, prevent them from giving workers weekly rest days, and sometimes to lock them in the workplace. Another policy ties migrant domestic workers' work permits to particular families, giving employers inordinate power. Under the existing system, employers may repatriate domestic workers at will, even if they have not paid off their debts or earned any income. Singapore's work permit regulations forbid migrant domestic workers from becoming pregnant, restrict their marriage and reproductive rights, and provide further incentives for employers to confine domestic workers to the workplace to prevent them from "running away" or "having boyfriends." The prohibition on becoming pregnant has also led to unequal access to health care services, including voluntary abortions, as some employers, agents, and domestic workers believe that seeking an abortion will result in automatic deportation. Singapore, in a stated attempt to regulate unskilled labor migration, also imposes a monthly levy on employers of work permit holders-employers of domestic workers must pay S$200-295 [U.S.$118-174] to a central government fund each month. This amount is more than many employers pay to the domestic workers themselves. Given 150,000 workers, this translates to roughly S$360-531 million (U.S.$212-313 million) annually. None of these funds are earmarked for services geared toward migrant workers. In response to growing publicity and alarm over abuses against migrant domestic workers, Singapore's Ministry of Manpower has instituted some encouraging reforms in the past two years. These include mandatory orientation programs for new employees and new employers, increased commitment to prosecuting cases of unpaid wages and physical abuse, and the introduction of an accreditation program for employment agencies. The ministry also has published an information guide advising employers on proper treatment of domestic workers and informing them of the penalties for physical assault and forced confinement. These initiatives, though important, do not go far enough. Singapore needs to do more to address the underlying inequities and lack of protection that result in widespread abuse. Singapore's Employment Act and Workmen's Compensation Act should be amended to include domestic workers. These laws guarantee weekly rest days, limitations on work hours, and regular payment of wages and overtime. They also regulate salary deductions for debt payments and address compensation for workplace injuries. Singapore also should institute stronger mechanisms for inspecting workplaces and employment agencies. The accreditation program, though a positive step, needs improved protections for domestic workers' rights, including greater transparency about recruitment and placement charges, and detailed provisions on working conditions such as weekly rest days. In a country well-known for strictly enforcing laws to promote order and efficiency, the failure to provide adequate and equal protection to an entire class of workers is an anomaly and undermines the rule of law. In cooperation with labor-sending countries and international bodies such as the International Labor Organization, Singapore should undertake immediate and effective reforms to end these abuses. Singapore has a choice. It can become a standard-setter in the region for labor-receiving countries. Or it can settle for second-best solutions that fail to address the roots of abuses against migrant domestic workers. This report is based on several months of research including field research in Singapore in February, March, and November 2005. Human Rights Watch conducted sixty-five in-depth interviews with migrant domestic workers, reviewed the case files of twenty-five migrant domestic workers, and held focus groups and informal interviews with dozens more. These interviews took place at shelters and skills-training programs; in parks, shopping centers, and places of worship on domestic workers' days off; and at employment agencies. We also interviewed more than fifty representatives from Singapore's Ministry of Manpower, employment agents, employers, and private nongovernmental and faith-based organizations. All names of domestic workers cited in this report have been changed to protect their identity. Many employment agents and service providers also spoke with us on condition of anonymity, and their names have also been withheld. This is Human Rights Watch's ninth report on abuses against domestic workers, including both children and adults. We have also documented abuses in El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Togo, and the United States. Key Recommendations Human Rights Watch urges the Singapore government to: Provide equal and comprehensive legal protection to migrant domestic workers by: Amending the Employment Act and Workmen's Compensation Act to provide equal protection to domestic workers. Establishing and periodically reviewing a national minimum wage to address domestic workers' vulnerability to wage exploitation. The National Wages Council should also investigate and recommend policies that promote equal pay for equal work in the domestic work sector. Creating a standard contract that protects migrant domestic workers' rights in accordance with national provisions in the Employment Act and international labor standards. Enforce policies that help prevent abusive practices such as exorbitant debt payments to employment agencies, forced labor, and forced confinement by: Increasing enforcement of the Employment Agencies Act to ensure compliance with caps on agency fees. Implementing policies so that migrant domestic workers do not spend several months working off their debts with little or no pay, a situation that fosters a range of human rights abuses. The government should look to the Philippines and Hong Kong, who require employers to pay for round-trip airfare and most expenses associated with recruitment and placement, including those now covered by private loans in Singapore. The government should consider adjusting the monthly levy to offset the cost to employers. Abolishing the S$5,000 [U.S.$2,950] security bond. Prosecuting employers who confine domestic workers to the workplace. Permitting migrant domestic workers to reside in independent living quarters. Create and improve mechanisms to prevent, monitor, and respond to abuse of migrant domestic workers by: Inspecting workplace conditions and employment agencies regularly. Withdrawing accreditation powers from the Association of Employment Agencies in Singapore (AEAS) and CaseTrust and creating a new accreditation body for employment agencies with more comprehensive standards. The body should include representatives from employment agencies, consumer rights organizations, domestic workers' rights organizations, the Ministry of Manpower, and labor-sending countries. Creating helpdesks at the airport and main police stations with staff fluent in the primary languages spoken by migrant workers. Improving training for the police and immigration authorities to respond to abuse of migrant domestic workers. Conducting exit interviews with domestic workers when they are returning home to ensure they have been paid and to provide an opportunity to report any abuse. Sign and ratify the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (Migrant Workers Convention). The governments of Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, and other sending countries should: Improve protections for citizens working in Singapore by: Improving victim services at embassies and diplomatic missions in Singapore and providing resources including adequate staffing, access to legal aid, health care, trauma counseling, and shelter. Keeping a section of embassies and diplomatic missions open on Sunday, the day many migrant workers have off, and supporting skills training programs, and recreation and cultural centers for domestic workers. Regulate and monitor labor recruitment agencies and migrant worker training centers in their countries by: Regulating labor agencies and migrant worker training centers, and more clearly defining standards for fees, minimum health and safety conditions, and workers' freedom of movement. Labor agencies and agents who violate these regulations should face substantial penalties. Establishing mechanisms for regular and independent monitoring of labor agencies, including unannounced inspections. Accreditation bodies and employment agencies should: Contribute to the creation of safe and just working conditions for migrant domestic workers by: Implementing a standard employment contract that establishes detailed protections on wages, hours of work, weekly rest days, salary deductions, and other terms of employment according to national provisions in the Employment Act and international labor standards. Creating recommended pay scales according to work experience and other qualifications, such as education. Abolish discriminatory policies that determine entry-level wages according to nationality rather than work experience, education, or other relevant criteria. Reporting cases of employer abuse to the Ministry of Manpower, the police, embassies, and accreditation bodies. Before placing a replacement domestic worker with an employer accused of abuse, agencies should exercise due diligence. A1 - Human Rights Watch,  Y1 - 2005/12/05/ KW - Singapore KW - Abuse KW - Domestic migrant workers UR - http://www.hrw.org/reports/2005/12/06/maid-order Y2 - 2013-03-30 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - International labour migration from Bangladesh: A decent work perspective IS - 66 CY - Geneva PB - Policy Integration Department National Policy Group International N2 - The study reveals that short-term migration has been extremely successful in creating a large number of jobs for Bangladeshis. Along with the employment of workers overseas, it has also created jobs within Bangladesh. In the public sector a few agencies and a new ministry have been created to manage migration. The facilitation of migration has created jobs in the private sector as well. Analysis of the nature of overseas jobs shows that the Bangladeshi migrant labour market is changing all the time. New countries of destination have emerged. And while a larger number of professionals and skilled workers used to migrate in the early years of short-term migration, Bangladesh has now created a niche in the unskilled and semi-skilled market. Over the years, the total value of remittances has increased in absolute terms, but the value of per capita remittances has declined. Overall, the remittances sent by migrants have a major impact on the national economy. This section shows that institutional arrangements to ensure rights at work for the Bangladeshi migrant workers are poor. Neither Bangladesh, nor the labour-receiving countries has ratified the international instruments on the rights of migrant workers. Successive Bangladesh governments have found it difficult to sign memoranda of understanding with the receiving countries. Meanwhile, the enactment of various laws at the national level since 1976, has failed to reduce the exploitation of potential migrants even in accessing work. In comparison with unskilled workers, formal sector factory workers enjoy relatively better work conditions. However, there is still a large gap between the wages of male and female migrant factory workers, with studies showing that female workers receive much lower wages than their male counterparts. The salary of unskilled workers has fallen drastically both in the Gulf region and in South-East Asia. In addition, a considerable number of workers do not receive their wages on a regular basis and freedom to move from one job to another is restricted for both skilled and unskilled workers. In certain jobs, short-term migrant workers enjoy benefits that are redeemable at the end of the contract period. While professionals, skilled workers and semi-skilled workers usually receive such benefits, informal sector workers such as cleaners, grocery store workers, domestic workers and vendors do not. The contracts of the later groups do not include these rights. In most of the Middle Eastern countries, primary health care services are available free of charge in the public sector of major cities. However, the cost of medicines and tests has to be borne by either the workers or their employers. In Bangladesh, the Wage Earners’ Welfare Fund has been created - mainly through subscriptions from migrants - in order to provide welfare services. The creation of the Fund by the Government is an innovative approach to providing a measure of social protection for migrant workers. However, use of Welfare Fund became quite controversial in the late 1990s. Very little share of the Fund was spent to directly benefit the migrant workers. The Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh filed a case with the Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAC) in the 2001. The Ministry for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment framed rules in December 2002 to streamline the use of the Fund. The Fund is managed by a board comprising of officials of different ministries and representatives of private recruiting agents. Migrant workers on the civil society have no representation on the committee. The use of the fund needs to be made more transparent The discussion above shows that the scope for Bangladeshi migrants to join trade unions in the receiving countries is limited. As a result, the mechanisms for social dialogue are almost non-existent. In most of the labour-receiving countries, migrants have developed their own associations. These associations provide effective services which help migrant workers adapt to the new socio-cultural milieu of the host countries. These associations also become an important source of information for the migrants and, to some extent, fulfill their cultural and social needs. The returnee migrants’ associations currently operating in Bangladesh have played an important role in focusing on the rights of the migrant workers. With their first-hand knowledge, they can provide very effective services to both outgoing workers and returnees. However, they need support in order to strengthen their institutional capacity. Trade unions can play an important role in ensuring the rights of migrants in processing migration before departure. They can also serve the workers by developing collaborative programmes with the trade unions of the receiving countries. A1 - Siddiqui, Tasneem Y1 - 2005/11/19/ KW - Bangladesh KW - Trade union KW - migrant rights KW - social security KW - recruitment agents UR - http://www.pstalker.com/ilo/resources/International%20labour%20migration%20from%20Bangladesh.pdf Y2 - 2013-02-19 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Labor migration in Asia: Protection of migrant workers, support services and enhancing development benefits CY - Geneva, Switzerland PB - International Organization for Migration N2 - Three countries, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka are used as case studies in this book. The book will examine legal and structural frameworks for regulating recruitment activities, licensing and supervision of agencies, monitoring of recruitment agencies, processing and documentation of workers, benchmarks for fixing minimum standards of overseas employment contracts, role of private recruitment agencies in labor migration, regulation and mechanisms for regulating recruitment of vulnerable workers, malpractice by private recruitment agencies, malpractice by employers, illegal recruitment and unlawful emigration, redress for violation of rights of migrant workers, efforts at enforcing minimum standards in Employment contracts, other mechanism t check abuses by recruitment agencies and good practices and lessons learned on regulation o recruitment. Y1 - 2005/// KW - Role of recruitment agencies KW - malpractice of recruitment agencies and employers KW - contracts improvement UR - http://www.iom.int/jahia/webdav/site/myjahiasite/shared/shared/mainsite/published_docs/books/labour_migration_asia.pdf Y2 - 2012-11-02 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Des travailleurs saisonniers manifestent contre la discrimination raciale CY - Actualités nationales A1 - La Presse Canadienne,  Y1 - 2005/05/26/ JA - La Presse Canadienne ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Protecting Overseas Workers Research Findings and Strategic Perspectives on Labor Protections for Foreign Contract Workers in Asia and the Middle East A1 - Verite,  Y1 - 2005/// UR - http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Protecting%20Overseas%20Workers.pdf Y2 - 2016-03-10 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Enhancing research with migrant women through focus groups IS - 6 N2 - Recent systematic reviews of measurement strategies have identified a striking lack of data to support the validity of most questionnaires used with multiethnic, migrant populations. In the context of two ongoing research studies examining the reproductive health needs of migrant women in Canada, cultural validation was required for proposed study questionnaires and protocols in a total of 13 languages. Multilingual, multiethnic women with various migrant profiles were recruited from the community to review research materials in a series of focus groups. Recornmendations by these women were made in relation to consent and interpretation procedures, development of trust in research, home visits after birth, approaches to sensitive topics, inclusion of discrimination as a research variable, and reimbursement of participants. Preliminary work applying focus-group methods to mixed ethno-cultural groups yielded valuable information on appropriateness of planned research. [References: 33] A1 - Ruppenthal, L. A1 - Tuck, Jodi A1 - Gagnon, Anita J. Y1 - 2005/// UR - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16157945 Y2 - 2011-05-27 JA - Western Journal of Nursing Research VL - 27 SP - 735 M2 - 735 SP - 735-764 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Migrant Workers and Human Rights Out-Migration from South Asia CY - India PB - International Labor Organization N2 - This book is about legal framework, employment perspectives, economic impact on sending countries, economic impact on receiving countries, household economics of migrant workers, human and labor rights and trade union response of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. A1 - International Labour Organization (ILO),  Y1 - 2004/// KW - legal framework KW - employment perspectives KW - economic impact on sending countries KW - economic impact on receiving countries KW - household economics of migrant workers KW - human and labor rights KW - trade union response KW - South Asian Countries ER - TY - RPRT T1 - "Bad Dreams:" Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia IS - E1605 PB - Human Rights Watch N2 - "It was like a bad dream" is the way one migrant worker from the Philippines summed up his experiences in Saudi Arabia. Another worker, from Bangladesh, told us: "I slept many nights beside the road and spent many days without food. It was a painful life. I could not explain that life." A woman in a village in India, whose son was beheaded following a secret trial, could only say this: "We have no more tears, our tears have all dried up." She deferred to her husband to provide the account of their son's imprisonment and execution in Jeddah. It is undeniable that many foreigners employed in the kingdom, in jobs from the most menial to the highest skilled, have returned home with no complaints. But for the women and men who were subjected to abysmal and exploitative working conditions, sexual violence, and human rights abuses in the criminal justice system, Saudi Arabia represented a personal nightmare. In 1962, then-King Faisal abolished slavery in Saudi Arabia by royal decree. Over forty years later, migrant workers in the purportedly modern society that the kingdom has become continue to suffer extreme forms of labor exploitation that sometimes rise to slavery-like conditions. Their lives are further complicated by deeply rooted gender, religious, and racial discrimination. This provides the foundation for prejudicial public policy and government regulations, shameful practices of private employers, and unfair legal proceedings that yield judicial sentences of the death penalty. The overwhelming majority of the men and women who face these realities in Saudi Arabia are low-paid workers from Asia, Africa, and countries in the Middle East. This report gives voice to some of their stories. It is based on information gathered from migrant workers and their families in mud brick houses off dirt roads in tropical agricultural areas of southwest India, in apartments in densely packed neighborhoods of metropolitan Manila, and in simple dwellings in rural villages of Bangladesh. The victims include skilled and unskilled workers; Muslims, Hindus, and Christians; young adults traveling outside their home countries for the first time; and married men, and single and divorced women, with children to support. In Saudi Arabia, these workers delivered dairy products, cleaned government hospitals, repaired water pipes, collected garbage, and poured concrete. Some of them baked bread and worked in restaurants; others were butchers, barbers, carpenters, and plumbers. Women migrants cleaned, cooked, cared for children, worked in beauty salons, and sewed custom-made dresses and gowns. Unemployed or underemployed in their countries of origin, and often impoverished, these men and women sought only the opportunity to earn wages and thus improve the economic situation for themselves and their families. This report is the first comprehensive examination of the variety of human rights abuses that foreign workers experience in Saudi Arabia. The voices of these migrants provide a window into a country whose hereditary, unelected rulers continue to choose secrecy over transparency at the expense of justice. The stories in this report illustrate why so many migrant workers, including Muslims, return to their home countries deeply aggrieved by the lack of equality and due process of law in the kingdom. In an important sense, this report is an indictment of unscrupulous private employers and sponsors as well as Saudi authorities, including interior ministry interrogators and shari'a court judges, who operate without respect for the rule of law and the inherent dignity of all men and women, irrespective of gender, race, and religion. Some of the most frightening and troubling findings of the report concern mistreatment of women migrant workers, both in the workplace and in Saudi prisons. The report also provides an intimate view of the workings of Saudi Arabia's criminal justice system, through the eyes of migrant workers with first-hand experience of its significant flaws. And it is the families and friends of migrants who were beheaded, pursuant to judicial rulings, who describe how Saudi authorities kept them and consular officials in the dark until well after the executions were carried out. The mortal remains of these victims were not returned to their families, who until now have no information about what happened to the bodies. Labor Exploitation Each chapter of this report includes testimonies from migrant workers who entered the kingdom legally, in full compliance with Saudi government regulations. Many of them paid hefty sums of money to manpower recruitment agencies in their home countries to secure legal employment visas, often assuming substantial debt or selling property to finance the cost. Once in the kingdom, they found themselves at the mercy of legal sponsors and de facto employers who had the power to impose oppressive working conditions on them, with effective government oversight clearly lacking. Unaware of their rights, or afraid to complain for fear of losing their jobs, the majority of these workers simply endured gross labor exploitation. To cite only a few examples, we interviewed migrant workers from Bangladesh who were forced to work ten to twelve hours a day, and sometimes throughout the night without overtime pay, repairing underground water pipes for the municipality of Tabuk. They were not paid salaries for the first two months and had to borrow money from compatriots to purchase food. An Indian migrant said that he was was paid $133 a month for working an average of sixteen hours daily in Ha'il. A migrant from the Philippines said that he worked sixteen to eighteen hours a day at a restaurant in Hofuf, leaving him so exhausted that, he told us, he "felt mentally retarded." The employer of a migrant from Bangladesh, who worked as a butcher in Dammam, forced him to leave the kingdom with six months of his salary unpaid. Women Migrant Workers Some women workers that we interviewed were still traumatized from rape and sexual abuse at the hands of Saudi male employers, and could not narrate their accounts without anger or tears. Accustomed to unrestricted freedom of movement in their home countries, these and other women described to us locked doors and gates in Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina, and Dammam that kept them virtual prisoners in workshops, private homes, and the dormitory-style housing that labor subcontracting companies provided to them. Living in forced confinement and extreme isolation made it difficult or impossible for these women to call for help, escape situations of exploitation and abuse, and seek legal redress. We learned that hundreds of low-paid Asian women who cleaned hospitals in Jeddah worked twelve-hour days, without food or a break, and were confined to locked dormitories during their time off. Skilled seamstresses from the Philippines told us that they were not permitted to leave the women's dress shop in Medina where they worked twelve-hour days, and were forbidden to speak more than a few words to customers and the Saudi owners. Many women employed as domestic workers in cities throughout the kingdom reported that they worked twelve hours or more daily. Most of them also lived in around-the-clock confinement, at the decision of their private employers, cut off from the outside world. One woman from the Philippines, whose employers in Dammamdid not provide her with sufficient food, described how she enlisted help from the family's Indian driver, to whom she was forbidden to speak. She told us that she wrote lists of what she needed and threw them out the window to the driver. He made the purchases, and "delivered" them to her by tossing the packages onto the roof of the house, where she retrieved them. Another Filipina, who also worked for a family in Dammam, said that she constantly watched the locked front gate of the house, waiting for an opportunity to escape after her male employer raped her in June 2003. Human Rights Abuses in the Criminal Justice System Some migrant workers experienced shocking treatment in Saudi Arabia's criminal justice system. For those migrants who were executed following unfair trials that lacked any form of transparency, it was their still-grieving families who provided us with pertinent information. In many cases, the condemned men did not know that they had been sentenced to death, and their embassies were only informed after the fact. "No advance information is given to us before beheading of Indians," an Indian diplomat said in a television interview in 2003. "We generally get the information after the execution from local newspapers." In cases of execution documented in this report, the bodies were not returned to the families, and relatives told Human Rights Watch that they received no official information about the location in Saudi Arabia of the mortal remains. An undetermined number of foreigners have been sentenced to death in the kingdom and are now awaiting execution. Details of their trials, and the evidence presented to convict them, are treated as closely held state secrets. Saudi Arabia continues to flaunt its treaty obligations under international and domestic law. Consular officials have not been notified promptly of the arrests of their nationals. Criminal suspects are not informed of their rights under the law. Interrogators from the ministry of interior torture suspects with impunity, behind the curtain of prolonged incommunicado detention, in the quest for confessions whose veracity is tenuous at best. Migrant workers told Human Rights Watch of how they were forced to sign confession statements that they could not read, under the threat of additional torture. A twenty-three-year-old Indian tailor described two days of beatings in police custody. On the third day, his interrogators gave him two pages handwritten in Arabic and instructed him to sign his name three times on each page. "I was so afraid that I did not dare ask what the papers were, or what was written on them," he said. Migrants' accounts of their trials before shari'a courts provide evidence of a legal system that is out of sync with internationally accepted norms of due process. No one we interviewed had access to legal assistance before their trials, and no legal representation when they appeared in the courtroom. One Indian migrant worker told us about a judge who repeatedly called him a liar when he answered questions during his trial. A worker from the Philippines, who was imprisoned for five years before he was brought before a court for the first time, described how a judge sentenced him to 350 lashes because his interrogators had extracted a false confession. The judge justified this corporal punishment because the coerced confession, obtained under threats and torture, was untrue. Interviews with women migrants in the women's prison in Riyadh indicated that most of them had not been informed of their rights, had no understanding of the legal basis for their arrest or the status of their cases, and had no access to lawyers or other forms of legal assistance. The Need for Government Action The stories narrated in this report underscore the pressing need for the government of Saudi Arabia to recognize that its laws and regulations facilitate the exploitation and abuse of vulnerable migrant workers, and reform its laws and practices accordingly. Some major recommendations are highlighted below, and a full range of recommendations, to Saudi government officials and actors in the international community, is presented in Chapter IX. One of the most tragic aspects of the situation is that many migrants silently accept the exploitation and deprivation of their rights because they view themselves as powerless and without effective remedy. These workers arrive in Saudi Arabia ignorant or only vaguely informed about the rights they have under existing Saudi law and the actions they can take when inequities and mistreatment occur. This is a problem that their own governments could address, in part, by way of substantive and effective education before these workers depart for the kingdom. But the government of Saudi Arabia has the primary responsibility to promote and protect the rights of the country's large migrant worker population in a much more aggressive and public manner, consistent with its obligations under international law. Authorities should provide a clear enumeration of the specific rights that migrant workers are entitled to enjoy under the kingdom's laws and regulations. They should spell out the specific legal duties of sponsors and employers, provide a comprehensive list of practices that are illegal, and offer detailed instructions about how and where migrant workers can report abuses. This information should be practical, not theoretical. It should draw on specific abuses that migrants are most likely to face, such as those described in this report, and provide authoritative comments and advice. The information should be translated into the languages of the countries of origin of migrant workers, and provided to every worker on his or her arrival in the kingdom as a routine matter of immigration practice. The government should also identify additional means to communicate this information to migrant communities throughout the kingdom as a further demonstration of its commitment to greater protection of their rights. Saudi authorities must also recognize that many migrant workers are simply too afraid to report abusive treatment for fear of alienating sponsors or de facto employers, inviting retaliatory punishment, and losing their jobs. Government officials must take steps to communicate directly with migrant workers in the kingdom – using all available means, including broadcast as well as print media – to provide assurances that no one will be rendered jobless and summarily deported for complaining about illegal practices and abusive working conditions. The Saudi government says that it plans to reduce the number of foreign workers by 50 percent over the next decade.1 This objective does not lessen the urgent need for the state to remedy the exploitation of migrant workers who are now in the kingdom and to end discriminatory practices that severely circumscribe their rights under Saudi law. Even if the government's planned downsizing is achieved within ten years, the kingdom will still be required under domestic and international law to protect the rights of those migrant workers who remain. If Saudi authorities do not take serious steps to address the patterns of abuse of migrant workers, the issue will continue to be a subject of investigation and scrutiny, on the agendas of international human rights organizations, nongovernmental migrant rights groups in countries of origin, and coalitions of women's rights and human rights organizations in the Muslim world and elsewhere. There is public sentiment in the kingdom, and elsewhere in the Gulf region, sympathetic to the plight of migrant workers. No less than the kingdom's highest Muslim religious authority, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Sheikh, has already acknowledged that migrants suffer "exploitation and oppression."2 His comments, published in 2002 in the Saudi daily al-Madinah, included the observation that "Islam does not permit oppressing workers, regardless of religion ... .As we ask them to perform their duty, we must fulfill our duty and comply with the terms of the contract." The Grand Mufti criticized intimidation of migrant workers, and said that it was "illegal and a form of dishonesty" to withhold their salaries or delay payment of wages under threat of deportation. He counseled that Islam prohibits "blackmailing and threatening [foreign] laborers with deportation if they refuse the employers' terms which breach the contract." Another example comes from the neighboring island nation of Bahrain, where the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), a nongovernmental organization, is campaigning for greater protection of women domestic workers. A BCHR official in 2003 described these women as "the most abused of the workforce," and charged that the government was not doing enough "to break the chain of exploitation that binds them." The group urged civil society organizations in Bahrain, including women's rights groups, to take up the issue.3 Methodology The testimonies in this report were obtained from interviews with migrant workers in Bangladesh, India, and the Philippines who had returned from Saudi Arabia, some of them as recently as December 2003. Human Rights Watch was forced to research this subject from outside Saudi Arabia because, as of this writing, the kingdom remains closed to investigators from international human rights organizations. We selected Bangladesh, India, and the Philippines for field research for several reasons. First, the migrant workers from these three countries are among the largest expatriate communities in Saudi Arabia. In 2003, the Saudi government estimated that there were one million to 1.5 million Indians in the kingdom and the same number of Bangladeshis. The Philippines government reported in the same year that over 900,000 of its citizens lived and worked in the kingdom. Second, these countries provided the diversity that we sought among interviewees: the workers whose accounts appear in this report include Muslims from Bangladesh, Hindus and Muslims from India, and Christians and Muslims from the Philippines. We found migrants from Bangladesh the least educated; they typically were unskilled younger men from rural villages whose salaries in Saudi Arabia were the lowest we recorded. We interviewed Indian migrants in cities, towns, and rural agricultural villages of Kerala, the small southwestern state of about 33 million people located on India's Malabar coast between the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. The Keralite migrants generally had more schooling than their Bangladeshi counterparts and worked in a broader range of skilled and unskilled jobs. Migrants from the Philippines had the highest education levels, including women with some college education who earned $200 a month as domestic workers in the kingdom. Most of the Filipino male migrants whom we interviewed were skilled workers, ranging from mechanics to engineers, who commanded the highest comparative salaries. Despite this diverse mix of migrant workers, we documented surprisingly similar problems that cut across gender, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic lines, including a pattern of human rights abuse in the kingdom's criminal justice system. The subjects covered in this report make clear that comprehensive documentation of the conditions facing migrant workers in Saudi Arabia would be best served by conducting the research in the kingdom. In addition to the value of being able to speak directly with officials, sponsors, and employers, such research would allow us to meet with some of the thousands of migrant men and women in the kingdom's prisons and deportation centers whose stories need to be heard and told. An undetermined number of migrant workers have been sentenced to death and are awaiting execution. Independent human rights investigators should be permitted to talk to them about their interrogations and trials. There are also over thirty government labor offices throughout the kingdom where some workers file complaints against abusive employers, as well as "safe houses" where abused migrants are sheltered. In this report, we have changed the names of the migrant workers whom we interviewed, based on concern for their safety, should they decide to return to Saudi Arabia, and for the security of their relatives who were working in the kingdom at the time we conducted our interviews. The full names of these men and women are on file at Human Rights Watch. The only exception to this rule is cases of migrant workers who were executed or who have been sentenced to death. In such cases, their real names are provided. *** As of this writing, discussions were ongoing between Human Rights Watch and the Saudi government about access to the kingdom for the purpose of human rights research. We had access as an organization only once, in January 2003. During this visit, which was limited to two weeks, our representatives met in Riyadh with numerous senior government officials as well as Saudi lawyers, journalists, academics, other professionals, and members of the 120-member consultative council (majlis al-shura). But the terms of reference for this visit did not include field research. Without such access, Saudi Arabia remains on our list of closed countries for the purpose of human rights research. The alternative methodology used to prepare this report should indicate to the Saudi government that – despite the additional time and expense – Human Rights Watch is prepared to document human rights abuses, even if access to the kingdom is denied. Our strong preference, however, is to work in a more open and direct manner, with the active cooperation of the government. We hope that senior Saudi officials will see the merits of this approach and open the kingdom's doors to researchers from Human Rights Watch and other international human rights groups. Key Recommendations The most recent information from Saudi Arabia's ministry of labor indicates that expatriates in the kingdom total 8.8 million men and women, a significant number, given that the indigenous population is an estimated 18 million (see Chapter I). This report provides extensive documentation of the varieties of labor exploitation and human rights abuses that foreign workers face in the kingdom. The significant size of Saudi Arabia's expatriate population, and the serious nature of the problems that they often encounter, necessitate bold and innovative remedial actions from the government. The detailed recommendations of Human Rights Watch – to the government of Saudi Arabia, its various ministries, and other concerned international and regional parties – are presented in Chapter IX of the report. Among our key recommendations to the government of Saudi Arabia are the following: (1) Initiate an independent, thorough, and public national inquiry into the situation of migrant workers in the kingdom. Saudi authorities have never comprehensively and publicly assessed the realities that many migrant workers in the kingdom face. As a result, there is limited official and public awareness of the nature and scope of the problem. Accordingly, Human Rights Watch urges that His Royal Highness Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, First Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, should appoint an independent and impartial Royal Commission to investigate and report on the serious problems and abuses that migrant women and men in the kingdom face on a daily basis. As part of the commission's mandate, it should hold public hearings in all major cities throughout the kingdom. Migrant workers, and their families and advocates, should be invited to give testimony at these hearings, as should regional and international nongovernmental organizations with expertise on migrant workers issues and rights. The commission should be required by law to complete its inquiry within a defined period of time, and make its findings and recommendations public. (2) Take immediate action to inform all migrant workers in the kingdom of their rights under Saudi and international law. This report makes clear that large numbers of migrant workers are unaware of the rights that they have under existing law. Because such workers typically face language barriers and live in the kingdom for only a few years at a time, more concerted government efforts are necessary to inform them of their rights. Accordingly, we call on the government to promulgate by royal decree an enforceable "bill of rights" for migrant workers. It should be publicized widely in the kingdom, using print and broadcast media and other means of public outreach. The decree should be issued simultaneously in Arabic and all the languages of the countries of origin of the major migrant worker communities in the kingdom. This "bill of rights" should delineate, in a comprehensive and comprehensible manner, all the rights that are granted to migrant workers under the kingdom's laws and regulations. It should serve as a practical educational tool for workers and employers alike, and clarify legal and other ambiguities that lead to abusive treatment. (3) Impose significant penalties on Saudi employers and sponsors who exploit migrant workers and place them at risk. Pursuant to Saudi Arabia's international legal obligations, the use of forced or compulsory labor should be a specifically defined criminal offense under domestic law. In addition, substantial penalties should be imposed on employers who withhold the passports and residency permits of migrant workers, and those who charge illegal fees for official immigration documents. (4) Make domestic labor-law protections inclusive. One shortcoming that Saudi authorities should address urgently is the absence of legal protections for women and men employed in domestic service and agricultural work in the kingdom. Such individuals are excluded even from the flawed and limited labor protections currently in force under Saudi law. The protections of the kingdom's labor law should extend to all migrant workers, irrespective of their gender and job descriptions, however menial such jobs may be considered. (5) End the forced confinement of women migrant workers. The executive branch of government and consultative council (majlis al-shoura) should take immediate legislative steps to ensure that no migrant woman worker is held against her will at places of private or public employment and residence. Regulations to this effect should be promulgated as an urgent matter, and widely publicized to the Saudi public, using all print, broadcast, and other media. These regulations should impose substantial penalties on employers who continue the practice, and provide fair and equal compensation to the victims, commensurate with the length and severity of their confinement. (6) End the imprisonment of women and children for "illegal" pregnancies. End as an urgent matter the arrest and imprisonment of migrant and Saudi women and children who become pregnant voluntarily or because they were victims of sexual violence. Women and children currently in prison should be immediately released, and provided with social and other supportive services as required. (7) Address as an urgent matter the serious flaws in the kingdom's criminal justice system. The arrest and detention practices of the ministry of interior should be brought into immediate conformity withprovisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Anyone arrested as a criminal suspect in the kingdom should be informed of his or her rights under the kingdom's laws, including those set forth and guaranteed in the new criminal procedure code. This information should be provided orally and in writing, in languages that all suspects can understand. Effective judicial oversight of interior ministry personnel is urgently needed. Authorities should take immediate steps to ensure judicial supervision of the investigation of all criminal suspects, for the purpose of ending such practices as abusive interrogations, torture, and coerced confessions. Authorities should also make public detailed information about all persons, Saudi citizens and foreigners alike, who have been sentenced to death in the kingdom and are awaiting execution. The implementation of all death sentences should be suspended until it can be determined independently that the defendants were not tortured and their confessions were not coerced. A1 - Human Rights Watch,  Y1 - 2004/07/14/ KW - migrant workers KW - Migrant Workers KW - Migrant workers KW - Saudi Arabia KW - Exploitation UR - http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/publisher,HRW,,SAU,412ef32a4,0.html Y2 - 2013-03-28 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - TUAC ouvrira le premier centre d'appui pour les travailleurs et travailleuses agricoles migrants au Québec A1 - Le CCN Matthews,  Y1 - 2004/06/10/ JA - CCN Matthews ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Réseau de soutien et de solidarité pour personnes réfugiées et immigrantes N2 - Description de la Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes qui est un regroupement communautaire oeuvrant partout au Québec. A1 - Savard, Darlen Y1 - 2004/// KW - organisation KW - support KW - soutien JA - Le Jumelé SP - 14 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - La réalité de l'emploi chez nos nouveaux arrivants N2 - Les nouveaux arrivants au Québec vivent de nombreuses difficultés et une grande déception lorsque vient le temps de se trouver un emploi, notamment en raison de la déqualification. Certains organismes, tel l'Accueil Liaison pour arrivants, offrent des services pour les aider. A1 - Plouffe, Marie-Josée Y1 - 2004/// KW - Immigrants KW - soutien KW - organisme JA - Le Jumelé SP - 14 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Le Programme des aides familiaux résidants - Son impact sur les femmes philippines au Canada N2 - L'article décrit le Programme des aides familiaux résidants institué en 1992 par Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada (CIC). Il s'agit d'un programme d'immigration du gouvernement canadien drainant plusieurs femmes de pays sous-développés et majoritairement des Philippines. Celles-ci ont la possibilité d'obtenir le statut d'immigrante reçue après avoir travaillé 24 mois comme aide familialerésidante dans une période de 3 ans. Selon l'article, il s'agit d'une ségrégation des femmes philippines comme main-d'oeuvre bon marché contribuant au cycle de pauvreté de la communauté philippine au Canada. Le programme devient de plus en plus régressif et exploitant avec la mondialisation corporative. A1 - Solidarity Across Borders,  Y1 - 2004/// KW - Philippines KW - Exploitation KW - domestique KW - PAFR KW - abus JA - Solidarité sans frontières SP - 7 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Les travailleurs agricoles mexicains au Canada N2 - L'industrie agricole canadienne est complètement dépendante du labeur d'une main d'oeuvre qui provient de pays pauvres. Afin de pouvoir continuer de produire des quantités importantes de fruits et de légumes, le Canada fait venir des travailleurEs agricoles temporaires grâce au Programme agraire saisonnier des travailleurs mexicains. Les travailleurs étrangers sont souvent pauvres et ont vraiment besoin de ce travail qui permet de faire vivre leur famille dans leur pays d'origine, mais les conditions de travail laissent souvent à désirer et leurs droits sont parfois violés. A1 - Solidarity Across Borders,  Y1 - 2004/// KW - syndicalisation KW - travailleurs étrangers KW - conditions de travail KW - conditions de vie KW - vulnérabilité KW - dépendance KW - SAWP JA - Solidarité sans frontières SP - 7 ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Immigration conference gets wake-up call on refugees. CY - Montreal A1 - Heinrich, Jeff Y1 - 2004/03/26/ KW - refugees UR - https://masses.tao.ca/pipermail/act-mtl/2004-March/000225.html Y2 - 2014-04-23 JA - The Gazette ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Les réfugiés auront droit aux prêts et bourses CY - Montreal N2 - Le ministère de l'Éducation modifiera son règlement d'aide financière pour permettre aux réfugiés en attente du statut de résident d'avoir accès aux prêts et bourses. A1 - Chouinard, Marie-Andrée Y1 - 2004/03/17/ KW - refugees KW - réfugiés KW - études universitaires UR - http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/education/50042/les-refugies-auront-droit-aux-prets-et-bourses Y2 - 2014-04-23 JA - Le Devoir ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Le mouvement d'apui à Cherfi prend de l'ampleur CY - Montreal N2 - Près d'une quarantaine d'organismes, dont le Bloc québécois, le Parti québécois et l'Union des forces progressistes (UFP), ont demandé hier au gouvernement Martin et à la ministre québécoise de l'Immigration, Michelle Courchesne, de faire le nécessaire pour rapatrier l'Algérien Mohamed Cherfi, expulsé vendredi aux États-Unis. Des centaines de personnes se sont joint au mouvement de sympathie en prenant part à des manifestations organisées à Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Québec et Montréal. A1 - Rious Soucy, Louise-Maude Y1 - 2004/03/10/ KW - gouvernement KW - Mohamed Cherfi KW - expulsion UR - http://media1.ledevoir.com/societe/actualites-en-societe/49438/le-mouvement-d-appui-a-cherfi-prend-de-l-ampleur Y2 - 2014-04-23 JA - Le Devoir ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Déclaration de la coalition interconfessionnelle pour l'asile religieux et de la table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes CY - Montréal PB - Table de concertation des organismes au services des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes N2 - La coalition interconfessionnelle pour l'asile religieux et de la table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes(TCRI) dénoncent la violation récente de l'asile religieux, dans le cas de Mohamed Cherfi, arrêté par les autorités au sein même de l'église à Québec qui le protégeait. A1 - Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes,  Y1 - 2004/03/09/ KW - Mohamed Cherfi KW - réfugié KW - gouvernement fédéral KW - statut T3 - Communiqué ER - TY - RPRT T1 - L'Immigration: pour un projet collectif de société CY - Montréal PB - Table de concertation des organismes au services des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes N2 - La Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI) présentera son mémoire relatif aux niveaux d'immigration 2005-2007 du Québec à la Commission parlementaire sur la Culture à Québec. A1 - Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes,  Y1 - 2004/02/25/ KW - réfugiés KW - organismes KW - mobilisation T3 - Communiqué ER - TY - NEWS T1 - À la queue leu leu pour apprendre le français CY - Montréal N2 - Le nombre d'immigrants augmente sans cesse alors que les services de soutien aux immigrants, dont les cours de français, sont saturés. A1 - Perreault, Laura-Julie Y1 - 2004/02/24/ KW - Services KW - francisation KW - support aux immigrants KW - coupures JA - La Presse ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Migrant Workers Issues PB - Diocese of London A1 - London Diocesan Migrant Workers Committee,  Y1 - 2004/// UR - http://wp.dol.ca/webportal/diocese/content/1/7/Migrant%20Workers/97 Y2 - 2011-05-27 T3 - Migrant Workers ER - TY - NEWS T1 - L'envers de la médaille A1 - Lachapelle, Judith Y1 - 2003/12/30/ JA - La Presse SP - 7 ER - TY - CPAPER T1 - A review of migration issues in Pakistan CY - Dhaka, Bangladesh PB - Collective for Social Science Research N2 - This paper aims to provide a strategic overview of issues relating to migration and poverty in Pakistan. According to 1998 census records, some 10 million people, or 8% of the population of Pakistan, consisted of internal or international migrants. Savings remitted by Pakistani migrants abroad constitute the largest single source of foreign exchange earnings for the country. In the early 1980s, this flow was equivalent to 10% of GNP. Currently, remittances are US$2.4 billion, or 4% of the GNP. A1 - Gandar, Haris Y1 - 2003/// KW - remittance KW - Migration issues KW - poverty in Pakistan KW - internal and international migrants UR - http://www.eldis.org/vfile/upload/1/document/0903/Dhaka_CP_4.pdf Y2 - 2012-11-02 T2 - Development and Pro-poor Policy Choices in Asia ER - TY - NEWS T1 - 10 who have made a difference N2 - The article focuses on people who, in the previous 30 years, helped make Montreal a better city. This list includes people who worked for the newcomers such as Rivka Augenfeld and Fo Niemi. A1 - Aubin, Henri Y1 - 2003/08/25/ JA - The Gazette ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Libre opinion: Quelle place occupera l'action communautaire autonome au Québec? A1 - Guay, Lorraine A1 - Reichhold, Stephan A1 - Bélanger, Lucie Y1 - 2003/08/06/ KW - action communautaire UR - http://www.ledevoir.com/non-classe/33322/libre-opinion-quelle-place-occupera-l-action-communautaire-autonome-au-quebec Y2 - 2014-04-28 JA - Le Devoir ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Québec verse 6,3 millions pour l'intégration des immigrants - Les organismes communautaires trouvent l'effort bien modeste N2 - Québec - Les organismes voués à l'intégration des immigrants recevront cette année une subvention à la hausse de 4 % comparativement à l'an dernier, soit 6,3 millions de dollars. A1 - Le Devoir,  Y1 - 2003/07/23/ KW - Immigrants KW - subvention UR - http://media2.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/32410/quebec-verse-6-3-millions-pour-l-integration-des-immigrants Y2 - 2014-04-28 JA - Le Devoir ER - TY - NEWS T1 - Soulagement chez les intervenants en immigration N2 - Les consultants en immigration ne peuvent que se réjouir des intentions du ministre Denis Coderre de créer un organisme de réglementation pour ces professionnels, dont l'image a été ternie ces dernières années par des abus commis auprès des candidats à l'immigration par une petite minorité sans scrupule. A1 - Léger, Marie-France Y1 - 2003/05/10/ KW - consultants KW - fraude JA - La Presse ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Le Comité consultatif sur la réglementation des activités des consultants en immigration soumet son rapport au Ministre Coderre PB - Comité consultatif sur la réglementation des activités des consultants en immigration N2 - Le rapport du Comité consultatif sur la réglementation des activités des consultants en immigration a été présenté au Ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l'Immigration, Denis Coderre. Le Comité a fait des recommandations relatives à la régulation et à la supervision des activités des consultants en immigration. A1 - Comité consultatif sur la réglementation des activités des consultants en immigration,  Y1 - 2003/// KW - Consultant KW - règlement T3 - Communiqué ER - TY - BOOK T1 - International Labor migration institutions of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka in Ferment the Philippines as Catalyst CY - Dhaka, Bangladesh PB - International Organization for Migration (IOM) N2 - International labor migration is an age old phenomenon. Due to the profound economic political and social factors, inter alia, of rapid population growth in many developing countries, failing development plans, increasing urbanization and environmental degradation, the management of this phenomenon has become more complex in the face of new challenges brought about by globalization. To the extend that international organizations like the ILO, IOM have had to consign international labor migration concerns to the “back-burner” due to the dilemma wrought by its inherent characteristics and the complex and sensitive nature of national sovereignty. Moreover, countries who conform to certain international rules not because the abide by the principles attached to these rules but because it is within their interests to conform to them. Thus, many labor sending and receiving member states of the ILO have failed to ratify various ILO Conventions, despite the fact that these instruments are designed to promote universal norms and standards and to protect the interest of workers when employed in other countries. IOM Dhaka commissioned this study to compare the institutional capacity of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines only to realize that there were hardly any previous works done to provide a basis for such a comparison. The report strongly suggests that what happens within countries can turn out to be part of a much broader international process of political and economic change, that the unilateral decisions and actions of nations can influence events in the international arena in spite of the view of how international the world has become. It is further suggested that international labor migration institutions need more practical assistance than the rhetoric of intentions that past studies and manuals can provide. These countries need assistance in transforming the knowledge derived from studies into practical ways and means and for throughput processes to shepherd them through. All these are dealt with using the experience of the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to demonstrate how it managed to provide mechanisms to protect and promote the welfare of migrant of migrant workers despite the absence of international agreements and conventions. A1 - Achacoso, Tomas D Y1 - 2002/// KW - Fragmented Approach KW - Good governance KW - Bilateral labor arrangement KW - Policy making bodies KW - Intervention into actions UR - http://www.iom.org.bd/publications/11.pdf Y2 - 2012-11-03 ER - TY - BOOK T1 - Are migrants chasing after the “Golden Deer”? CY - Dhaka, Bangladesh PB - Bengal Com-print N2 - The book is divided into 6 chapters. Chapter 1 is about international migration to labor-importing countries of Gulf Cooperation Countries. Chapter is about Contextual analysis of the flow of Bangladeshi workers to the Middle East and its-macro-economic impacts. Chapter 3 is about post migration situation analysis of migrant. Chapter 4 is about benefits and costs of working abroad. Chapter 5 is about remittance and development. Chapter 6 is about addressing policy issues. A1 - Yunus , Rita Afsar Mohammad A1 - Islam , A B M Shamsul Y1 - 2002/// KW - Development KW - remittance KW - Bangladesh KW - benefits and costs of migration KW - poverty UR - http://www.iom.org.bd/publications/3.pdf Y2 - 2012-10-29 ER - TY - EJOUR T1 - PHILIPPINES: GOOD PRACTICES FOR THE PROTECTION OF FILIPINO WOMEN MIGRANT WORKERS IN VULNERABLE JOBS N2 - This article is about overview of socio-economic context of overseas migration, general trends in migration, concerns and needs of women migrant workers. It analyzes the legislative framework relating to migration protection. It also examines the government migration policies and programmes. Finally, the paper also discusses about private and government initiatives protecting the welfare of migrant workers and their families. A1 - Villalba, Maria Angela “Mayan” C. Y1 - 2002/08/01/ KW - Philippines KW - Effective initiatives in Protecting women migrant workers UR - http://www.ilo.org/employment/Whatwedo/Publications/WCMS_117953/lang--en/index.htm Y2 - 2013-04-18 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Implementing a community-based social marketing project to improve agricultural worker health N2 - The Together for Agricultural Safety project is a community-based social marketing project working to reduce the adverse health effects of pesticide exposure among fernery and nursery workers in Florida. In 3 years, the collaboration between university and community researchers has embodied many of the principles of community-based research while completing multiple stages of formative data collection required for a social marketing project. This hybrid approach to developing a health intervention for a minority community has been successful in its early stages because the community partners are organized, empowered, and motivated to execute research activities with the assistance of academic partners. However, this work has also been labor intensive and costly. This article describes the lessons learned by project partners and considers the limitations of this approach for agricultural health research. [References: 26] A1 - Flocks, J. Y1 - 2001/// UR - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1240566/pdf/ehp109s-000461.pdf Y2 - 2011-05-27 JA - Environmental Health Perspectives VL - 109 ER - TY - GEN T1 - Why Fighting Racism is Central to Migrant Worker Organizing PB - J4MW A1 - Ramsaroop, Chris Y1 - 2000/// ER -