MIGRANT WORKERS across Southeast Asia (SEA) will have improved access to safe recruitment, skills recognition and social protections under a five-year regional program aimed at addressing labor exploitation and improving employment opportunities, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said.
In a statement on Thursday, the ILO said the program will also strengthen labor protections and support services for workers throughout the migration process.
According to the ILO, the TRIANGLE Partnerships for Fair and Effective Labour Migration in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) program will run from 2026 to 2031, with approximately $20 million in funding from Australia and Switzerland.
It noted that about 24 million international migrants originate from ASEAN countries, while the region hosts around 11 million migrants, including about seven million who have moved within the bloc.
Migrant workers continue to face high recruitment costs, gaps in labor and social protection, hazardous working conditions and barriers to having their skills recognized. These challenges can increase their vulnerability to exploitation and trafficking, including forced criminality linked to scam centers.
“Grounded in international labor standards, TRIANGLE Partnerships will connect ASEAN commitments with national action and services on the ground, so that migrant workers can access decent work, develop and use their skills, and get the protection and support they need throughout their migration journey,” according to Kaori Nakamura-Osaka, ILO assistant director-general and regional director for Asia and the Pacific, in a statement.
The program will cover Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Timor-Leste, focusing on fair recruitment, regular migration pathways, skills development and recognition, social protection, decent work, and the return and reintegration of migrant workers.
It will also link regional cooperation with national policies and practical assistance through Migrant Worker Resource Centers, which provide information, counseling, legal assistance, training and referrals.
Australia’s support for the program builds on more than 15 years of assistance to ASEAN on labor migration through the ILO’s TRIANGLE initiative, the ILO said.
“Effective labor migration can support inclusive economic growth, strengthen regional connections and create opportunities for workers, employers and communities,” Tiffany McDonald, Australia’s ambassador to ASEAN, also said in the statement.
The ILO added that Switzerland will support efforts to help migrant workers develop relevant skills and have their qualifications recognized to improve their access to employment opportunities.
“Through TRIANGLE Partnerships, we aim to ensure that migrant workers can develop relevant skills, have them recognized and use them to access better opportunities throughout their migration journey,” said Konstantin Obolensky, Swiss ambassador-designate to Indonesia, Timor-Leste and ASEAN.
The ILO added that the program will involve governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, Southeast Asian institutions, civil society groups, migrant worker organizations and the private sector in its implementation. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking