Enhancing the effectiveness of legal pathways for labour migration in ASEAN

This report was prepared to inform and guide discussions on the theme “Enhancing the effectiveness of legal pathways for labour migration in ASEAN” at the 16th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour (AFML) hosted by the Government of Indonesia on 25–26 October 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Although millions of ASEAN migrant women and men leave their homes to work abroad through legal pathways each year, these pathways do not represent all the labour mobility in the region. A large proportion of labour migration in the region takes place through irregular pathways. This paper discusses factors underlying irregular migration and proposes ways to improve labour migration programmes within ASEAN. It also recommends ways to make legal pathways more inclusive and responsive to labour market needs.

The AFML is a tripartite meeting that brings together governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, alongside civil society groups, to discuss migration governance issues across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, and aims to promote and protect migrant workers’ rights. The AFML is supported by the ILO through its TRIANGLE in ASEAN programme.