Labour Migration Policies and Rights in Southeast Asia
Summary
Labour migration in Southeast Asia is shaped by a mosaic of national laws, bilateral agreements and regional frameworks that seek to balance economic demand with human rights obligations. Major destination states such as Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore depend heavily on migrant workers for sectors ranging from construction to domestic care, while the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar serve as primary labour exporters. Policies encompass guest-worker schemes, identity registration and employer-tied visas, yet often fall short in guaranteeing decent work standards, social protection and freedom of association. Recruitment practices involving high fees and debt bondage persist alongside restrictive renewal processes and limited access to justice. Recent years have witnessed the increasing digitalisation of migration controls, the securitisation of border management and the emergence of pandemic-driven health requirements, which have exposed both systemic vulnerabilities and governance gaps. Efforts to enhance rights include pilot labour-mobility corridors, skill recognition initiatives and calls for ratification of international instruments. The sector’s global significance is underscored by remittance flows, regional development objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals. Practical applications of current research inform more coherent policy design, targeted social protection measures and collaborative regional monitoring to uphold migrant rights and foster equitable economic growth.
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Labour Migration Policies and Rights in Southeast Asia publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in labour migration policies and rights in southeast asia across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Irregular migration: Movement of people across borders outside authorised channels or regulatory frameworks.
Deportability: The legal condition and capacity under which migrants may be removed from a host country.
ICRMW: United Nations treaty providing comprehensive rights protection for migrant workers and their families.
Biometric technology: Systems using physiological or behavioural characteristics for personal identification in migration control.
References
- COVID-19 and migrants: lessons for pandemic preparedness from the Malaysian experience. Globalization and Health (2023).
- Ratification of ICRMW toward the ILO Conventions amid COVID-19 in Thailand. Emerging Science Journal (2022).
- REFORMING MALAYSIA’S DEPORTATION REGIME: DIGITALISATION, INTEGRATION, AND MILITARISATION. Journal of International Studies (2024).
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