ASIAN MIGRATION NEWS
1-30
Abril 2010
Reforms fail to protect
migrant workers from abuse
The US-based rights group,
Human Rights Watch (HRW), said in a report released on 28 April that the
measures undertaken by Middle Eastern and Asian governments have proved
inadequate in protecting migrant domestic workers from abuse. According to the
report, despite recent improved conditions for migrant labor, millions of
workers from Asia and Africa remain vulnerable to exploitation and violence. HRW
claims that one positive development is that several governments now recognize
that there is a problem. However, reforms have generally been “slow, incremental
and hard-fought,” said Nisha Varia, HRW’s women’s rights researcher. The report
was based on HRW’s review of employment conditions of migrant workers in
Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Singapore and Malaysia.
Foreign staff at UK hospitals
urged to take English language courses
The management of the Oxford
Radcliffe Hospitals in the UK were forced to send their foreign staff , such as
nurses, cleaners and porters, on ten-week English courses for speakers of other
languages after finding out that many of them do not understand basic medical
phrases. Findings showed that foreign workers from countries like Burma, the
Philippines and Poland, were unfamiliar with terms like, ‘nil by mouth,’ ‘doing
the rounds’ and ‘bleeping a doctor.’ Critics pointed out that the language
problem among National Health Service staff could put patients’ lives at risk.
One-fourth of nurses in London hospitals, numbering more than 60,000, are from
overseas, many of them from the Philippines.
Sources: Sophie Borland,
“Revealed: Hospital has staff from 70 countries as nurses who don’t even
understand ‘nil by mouth’ forced to take English lessons,”
Mail Online, 6 April 2010; Tamara
Walid, Reuters, “Mideast, Asia reforms fail migrant workers – HRW,” 28 April
2010; Barbara Surk, AP, “Rights group: Mideast maids unprotected from abuse,”
Taiwan News Online, 30 April 2010
CENTRAL ASIA
270 expat workers face
deportation in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan’s general
prosecutor’s office released a statement on 6 April threatening to deport some
270 expatriate workers hired by a foreign consortium led by European companies,
the BG Group and Italy’s Eni, for an oilfield project in Karachaganak. Kazakh
officials have accused the workers of violating the country’s immigration laws
and are questioning the process through which they obtained their work permits
and visas. The foreign consortium, together with its partners, Chevron and
Lukoil, is developing one of the biggest oilfields in Kazakhstan. The project
does not involve the state oil company, KazMunaigas, which admits it was
interested in gaining a stake at Karachaganak. The latest incident adds another
layer to the escalating dispute over stakes in the oilfield. The foreign
consortium has already been slapped with various accusations, including tax
evasion, financial wrongdoing and abuse of the environment.
Source: Isabel Gorst,
“Kazakhstan threatens to deport overseas staff,”
Financial Times, 7 April 2010
EAST ASIA
China
(see also
Taiwan,
India)
New generation of migrant
workers have different goals
A survey conducted by
students of the Renmin University of China revealed the three reasons that
motivate the new generation of migrant workers to seek employment in the cities,
namely to make money, to hone their skills, and get work experience. The survey
also revealed that the new generation of migrant workers, aged between 14 and
30, were not interested in low-paying jobs. According to the migrant workers
interviewed, despite enjoying a city lifestyle, they endure discrimination from
local city residents. More than 27 percent of respondents said they “hoped to
live in the city” and acquire a city
hukou while more than 23 percent preferred to return home after earning
enough money.
Better social services for
migrant workers
According to Yang Zhiming,
vice minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the
country will accelerate efforts to improve social services for migrant workers.
In a report to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on 28
April, Yang explained the ministry’s plan to increase the number of migrant
workers covered by labor contracts, improve their working conditions and provide
them with old-age insurance. The report also noted improved efforts to protect
the rights and welfare of migrant rural workers, particularly the increase in
legal assistance extended to them.
Meanwhile, in the Humanistic
Beijing Action Plan (2010-2012) released on 7 April the municipal government
revealed plans to provide basic social insurance coverage for its migrant
population. The Action Plan, which aims to ensure the wellbeing of all Beijing
residents, addresses the major problems that confront migrant rural workers in
the city. Under the plan, the government plans to establish a preschool
education network, by tapping community and private kindergartens to complement
state-run preschools. Beijing also proposes to increase the number of low-cost
housing complexes yearly over the next three years, assist both local and
migrant workers in finding jobs and renovate theaters, open more libraries,
museums and galleries.
New enrollment policy for the
children of migrant workers in Beijing
The Beijing Municipal
Education Commission (BMEC) announced on 15 April a new school enrollment policy
for the admission of students into middle school and primary school over the
next three to five years. Under the new policy, the children of migrant workers
will be entitled to receive compulsory education alongside students with Beijing
hukou or household registration. The
BMEC has ordered all district and county education commissions to guarantee this
right by designing a unified planning and management system for the education of
children of migrant workers in Beijing. According to the commission, the only
requirement is for the migrant workers to have a relatively fixed residence in
Beijing. The current hukou system
affects more than 400,000 migrant workers’ children aged six to 18 in the city.
Rising cases of contract
violations noted
The Labor Supervision
Department of the Bureau of Human Resource and Social Security revealed on 14
April that the number of cases of contract violations, particularly those
involving migrant workers, continues to increase. There were 3,209 cases in
Beijing in 2009, up 22 percent from 2008, which in turn was 20 percent higher
than 2007 figures. This problem was more acute for migrant workers in the
construction sector.
Migrant workers vulnerable to
black lung disease
The Ministry of Health said
that pneumoconiosis or black lung disease accounts for 80 percent of new cases
of occupational diseases in China in 2009. Majority of the victims of the
disease are migrant workers who are exposed to the highly polluted work
environments in the coal, metal alloy and metallurgy industries. Last year,
there were 14,495 new cases diagnosed, of
whom 748 had died. Yang Zhiming, vice minister of the Ministry of Human
Resources and Social Security, has recommended a training program for migrant
workers before they start work in such hazardous work environments and increased
government supervision of these industries. Meanwhile, according to a research
by the China Labor Bulletin, only a few of the more than 10,000 workers
diagnosed with the disease have received compensation to cover their medical
expenses for a few years.
Foreign workers finding jobs
in China’s delta factories
Irregular migrant workers,
mostly from Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the Philippines, have found their way into
China’s southern provinces, particularly Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi, and are
taking on menial tasks shunned by Chinese workers. China’s delta factories have
resorted to hiring foreign labor following the exit of an increasing number of
Chinese migrant workers back to rural areas where job opportunities seemed to be
more appealing to them. Vietnamese laborers are preferred by factory bosses for
assembly-line work because they are willing to work overtime and demand lower
salaries than their Chinese counterparts. In addition, they are very similar in
appearance to natives of Guangdong or Guangxi. Authorities believe that in
Guangxi’s Chongzuo City alone, there are now up to 10,000 irregular migrants
from Vietnam. Since 2009, the Guangxi border police have arrested some 1,820
irregular migrants, prevented the entry of 4,839 others and deported 2,218
Vietnamese migrants.
Sources:
“New generation of migrant workers dreams of brighter future,”
People’s Daily Online, 7 April 2010;
Huang Yuli, “Basic coverage for migrants,”
China Daily, 9 April 2010;
“Illegal immigration from Vietnam surges,”
People’s Daily Online, 13 April 2010;
Wang Wen, “Contract violations with migrant workers surge,”
China Daily, 15 April 2010; Cui
Xiaohuo, “Students without hukou struggle to get in classrooms,”
China Daily, 16 April 2010; Wang Wei,
“Schools to relax hukou rules,” China
Daily, 16 April 2010; “Beijing
revises school policy for children of migrant workers,”
CCTV International, 20 April 2010;
Grace Ng, “Cheaper foreign workers in China,”
The Straits Times, 21 April 2010;
“Local firms lure back migrant workers,”
People's Daily Online, 22 April 2010;
Tan Ee Lyn, Reuters, “Few Chinese workers with lung disease get redress –
rights group,” The Star, 26 April
2010; “Chinese factories eager to
hire illegal Vietnamese labor,” Thanh
Nien News, 26 April 2010; Wang
Jingqiong, “Black lung remains lethal,”
China Daily, 29 April 2010;
Xinhua, “China to improve social services for migrant workers,”
China Daily, 29 April 2010
Japan urged to protect the
rights of migrants
UN special rapporteur on
migrants’ rights, Jorge Bustamante, has criticized Japan for allegedly failing
to protect the rights of migrant workers. According to Bustamante, who recently
visited the country for a fact-finding mission, migrants in Japan suffer from
labor exploitation and discrimination in terms of salary, promotion, health care
and compensation for work-related accidents while their children have limited
access to the Japanese educational system. He called on Japan to take the
necessary measures to integrate migrants into Japanese society and to adopt
specific legislation geared towards the prevention and elimination of racial
discrimination and the protection of the migrants’ rights. He also urged the
Japanese government to discontinue its industrial trainee and technical
internship program for foreign workers and to replace it with an appropriate
employment program. Bustamante is expected to report his mission’s findings and
recommendations to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations later this
year.
Japan’s public schools
daunting to migrant children
The number of schools
catering to children of Japanese-Brazilians across Japan has gone down from 90
in 2008 to 60 in February this year. Many of the schools have closed down due to
falling enrollments and inability to collect payments from migrant parents who
have lost their jobs. These closures have left many migrant children with no
other option than to go into Japan’s public school system even if the prospect
can be rather intimidating for young students who do not speak Japanese at home.
For its part, the Education Ministry launched the “Rainbow Bridge Classroom”
project, which provides additional language instructions for migrant children in
order to facilitate their integration into the public school system.
Language difficulties proving
to be a barrier for foreign nurse in Japan
Only three out of 254 foreign
nurses who took the national nursing examinations this year managed to get
passing marks. The foreign nurses had come to Japan under the country’s economic
partnership program with the Philippines and Indonesia. In 2009, which was the
first time the initial batch of non-Japanese nurses had the opportunity to take
the national exams, none of the 82 foreign examinees passed.
Inadequate Japanese language proficiency is being blamed for the debacle.
Foreign nurses who fail to pass the national exams after their third try would
be sent home. At present, there are 840 foreign nurses and caregivers working in
Japan under the program. The government is thinking of accepting more foreign
nurses and caregivers from other countries, including Vietnam and Thailand.
Japan’s rapidly aging population has led to the high demand for nursing care
services, which cannot be filled by local nurses and caregivers alone. Japan had
1.24 million nursing care workers in 2007 and according to government estimates,
the country would need 2.12 million to 2.55 million care workers by 2025.
Sources: AFP, “Racism,
discrimination are common in Japan: U.N.,”
The China Post, 1 April 2010;
AP, “U.N. urges Japan to protect immigrants’ rights,”
Japan Today, 1 April 2010;
“U.N. rights rapporteur says end foreign trainee program ‘slavery,’”
The Japan Times, 1 April 2010;
Ryota Wakamatsu, “Migrant children struggle in public schools,”
The Japan Times, 6 April 2010;
Masami Ito, “U.N. rights rep has bone to pick,”
The Japan Times, 7 April 2010;
Hirofumi Noguchi and Takashi Koyama, “High language barrier for nurses,”
The Yomiuri Shimbun, 13 April 2010;
“Up to 2.55 mil. nursing care workers needed by ’25,”
The Yomiuri Shimbun, 13 April 2010
Macau denies giving go signal
to hire foreign workers
The Macau government has
denied claims that it has authorized casino operator Sands China Ltd. to hire
foreign workers to complete the construction of the company’s expansion project
in Cotal. The clarification was issued after Sands China Chief Executive Steve
Jacobs was quoted on 19 April as saying that the company is planning to hire
2,000 Macau-based construction workers plus additional workers from Hong Kong or
mainland China for its huge Cotel project. According to an official of the Human
Resources Office, Macau would only allow the hiring of non-resident workers if
companies can prove that the local labor supply is inadequate and if they can
further assure the government that the move will not affect the rights and
interests of the local people.
Source: Kate O’Keeffe, Dow
Jones Newswires, “Macau government hasn’t ok’d foreign workers for Sands’
Project,” online.wsj.com, 21 April
2010
South Korea
(see also
Cambodia,
Australia)
Reduced quota for ethnic
Korean workers
The Ministry of Labor has
decided not to grant any H-2 working visas for ethnic Koreans coming mainly from
China and Russia this year. However, it increased the quota for E-9 visas for
foreign workers coming to Korea under the government’s employment permit system.
The quota for E-9 visas was increased to 24,000 this year, up from 17,000 in
2009. According to the ministry, the decision was in response to the demand for
E-9 workers over H-2 workers in the domestic employment market.
10,000 foreign students
breached visa requirements
There are currently 62,451
foreigners holding student visas in Korea, of whom 41,692 are undergraduates
while 11,804 and 3,545 are pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, respectively.
In addition, some 18,534 are in the country on special language study visas.
According to the Immigration Office, 10,000 of the 180,000 foreigners violating
their visas in Korea are foreign students. Last year, nearly one out of eight
foreign students either violated the terms of their visas by seeking employment
or have overstayed in Korea.
Immigration law amended to
allow dual citizenship
The National Assembly has
recently passed amendments to South Korea’s immigration law that allows dual
citizenship for foreigners and Koreans who meet certain criteria. The revised
nationality act now allows dual citizenship for foreigners with exceptional
talent and those married to South Koreans. Among Koreans, dual citizenship may
apply to children adopted as minors abroad, those who gained foreign citizenship
by marriage, those living overseas who are above 65 years old, and those who
gained dual citizenship at birth.
Fingerprint checks to start
in August
The Immigration Service is
planning to implement fingerprint checks at international airports and harbors
starting August 2010 as part of tightened security measures ahead of the G-20
summit in Seoul this November. The move comes after the recent arrest of
foreigners who were found to have used fake passports or documents to gain entry
into the country. Last month, authorities arrested two Pakistani men believed to
have Taliban links following a crackdown on undocumented migrants in Changwon.
The two managed to pass through immigration control in February 2009 by using
fake passports. Recently, three Iranians were likewise arrested for entering the
country using cloned passports of people with similar facial features.
Foreigners push for extension
of tax privileges
Foreigners working in Seoul
are seeking an extension of the special tax scheme which has benefitted 30
percent of foreign workers since 1998.
The Seoul government has decided to scrap the tax benefits for foreign
workers beginning this year and is unlikely to give in to the foreigners’
demands. The move has upset a number of foreign workers who face a significant
reduction in their take home pay due to tax deductions. The National Tax Service
(NTS) explained that the scheme was originally introduced to attract skilled
foreign workers to Korea. However, given the number of foreigners already
working in the country, the tax exemption privilege was no longer needed, the
NTS added.
South Korean ship hijacked in
Somali waters
A South Korean navy destroyer
has moved close to an oil tanker believed to have been hijacked by Somali
pirates in the Indian Ocean. Two days earlier, the navy received a distress call
from the South Korean operated Samho Dream that three pirates had boarded the
ship.
Sources: Bae Ji-sook, “Seoul
slams doors shut for ethnic Korean workers,”
Korea Times, 1 April 2010;
Xinhua, “S. Korean police arrests two possible Taliban members: media,”
People's Daily Online, 2 April 2010;
Park Si-soo, “Seoul plans to fingerprint foreign suspects from Aug.,”
Korea Times, 4 April 2010;
Kim Jae-won, “Expats call for extension of tax benefits,”
Korea Times, 8 April 2010; Park
Si-soo, “One in eight foreign students violate visa,”
Korea Times, 29 April 2010;
“South Korea passes revisions on immigration law,”
dfa.gov.ph, 30 April 2010
Taiwan
(see also
Indonesia,
Philippines)
Rights groups oppose proposal
to remove minimum wage for foreign workers
On 14 April Premier Wu
Den-yih announced that the government was considering a proposal to remove the
provision of the Labor Standards Act requiring employers to apply the national
minimum wage standard of NT$17,280 (US$549) to their foreign workers. The
statement drew opposition from labor and human rights activists and
representatives of civic society organizations who staged a protest outside the
Legislative Yuan on 26 April. The group expressed concern that the proposal
could worsen the exploitation of migrant workers and at the same time threaten
jobs currently held by local workers. They also urged Council of Labor Affairs
(CLA) Minister Wang Ju-hsuan to take a pro-active stand on the matter. Wang had
earlier threatened to resign her post if the concept being floated by Wu were
approved. According to Wang, the delinking of foreign migrant workers from the
national minimum wage standard would make it more difficult for Taiwan to
negotiate free trade agreements with other countries. She cited the case of
Singapore and Hong Kong, both of which have no legal minimum wage standards but
whose pay rates for foreign workers are similar to Taiwan’s.
CLA notes rapid growth in
number of foreign caregivers in Taiwan
Data from the Council of
Labor Affairs (CLA) indicate that in February this year, the number of foreign
caregivers in Taiwan rose to 177,926 slightly overtaking foreign manual laborers
who numbered 177,210. Although the figures were reversed in March with 180,000
migrant manual laborers to 179,000 foreign caregivers, it is evident that the
demand for caregiving services is rapidly rising. According to a CLA official
the number of foreign caregivers has increased 13-fold over the last 15 years.
Such rapid growth can be attributed to Taiwan’s aging population and the absence
of a well-developed long-term care system that would adequately respond to the
demographic changes.
Taiwan’s job market still
closed to Chinese office workers
Interior Minister Jiang
Yi-huah clarified at a news conference on 7 April that the new regulations
allowing short-term visits of Chinese professionals to Taiwan will not affect
the country’s employment market. The revised regulations allow Chinese salaried
workers to visit Taiwan for up to three months. According to Jiang, the
short-term visitors from China are not allowed to seek white-collar or
blue-collar employment while in Taiwan. The minister made the statement in
response to charges by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party that the
easing of restrictions on visits by Chinese professionals would eventually open
up employment opportunities for them in Taiwan. Jiang also defended the National
Immigration Agency’s decision to allow Chinese employees of cross-national
companies to stay in the country for an extended period of one to three years.
The measure was allegedly undertaken to give foreign companies operating in
Taiwan greater flexibility in mapping out their own staff deployment. The
minister stressed that these foreign employees, some of whom may be Chinese, are
not in the same category as Chinese white-collar workers, for whom Taiwan’s job
market remains closed.
CLA to relax foreign worker
regulations
The CLA said that it was
considering new measures that would allow foreign laborers to switch employers
more easily in a bid to reduce the number of runaway workers. Previously,
foreign workers wishing to change employers were required to get the consent of
both their original and prospective bosses. However, original employers stand to
lose their foreign labor quota once they agree to such arrangement. Hence under
the new regulations, employers who agree to the switch would be allowed to
retain their labor quota so they could hire replacements. According to CLA data,
the total number of runaway foreign workers who end up as missing and therefore
undocumented has reached 28,487 and is increasing at a rate of 1,000 workers per
year. Meanwhile, efforts are also
underway for a crackdown on violators who hire undocumented foreign workers. The
council has called on local governments to intensify their inspection activities
and to impose stiff penalties on all violators.
Construction projects cannot
hire foreign workers
Legislators have called on
the CLA to intensify its on-the-spot checks on ongoing government construction
projects to ensure that the ban on the employment of foreign workers for new
projects is being imposed. The ban was imposed following the approval of a
four-year NT$500 billion (US$15.94 billion) special budget that would increase
government investment in major public construction projects in a bid to
stimulate the Taiwanese economy. According to the result of recent checks, some
963 foreign workers were found working on projects commissioned by the Ministry
of Transportation and Communication while another 32 were hired for projects by
the Ministry of the Interior’s Construction and Planning Agency. However, the
CLA clarified that the foreign workers involved in these projects had been hired
prior to the ban.
15 Vietnamese undocumented
migrants nabbed
Coast guard officers and the
Tainan City police arrested 15 Vietnamese undocumented migrants who sneaked into
Taiwan on 1 April. According to initial reports, the men, aged between 25 and
35, first made their way to China. From there, they bought an old wooden boat
and used it to travel across the Taiwan Strait to the coastal area of Tainan
City in southern Taiwan. A task force was formed to investigate the incident and
determine the migrants’ motives for coming to Taiwan.
Indonesia asked to help find
missing Taiwanese fishing vessel
The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs has sent a request to the Indonesian government seeking its assistance
in the search for a Taiwanese fishing boat that was reported missing on 16
April. According to the Liuchiu Fishermen’s Association the boat was heading
towards eastern Malaysia and Indonesia when it lost contact with Taiwan. The
boat had left Taiwan last September and has been operating in the Indian Ocean
off Sri Lanka.
ECFA will not result in job
loss
At a meeting with local labor
union representatives, President Ma Ying-jeou assuaged fears that the
cross-Taiwan Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) that the
government is currently negotiating with China will result in the influx of
Chinese workers and the displacement of some three million Taiwanese workers.
According to the president, labor issues are not part of the agenda of ongoing
talks on the trade pact. He assured labor representatives that the pact will in
no way allow mainland Chinese workers to work in Taiwan.
Chinese workers arrive in
Taiwan under new fishing crew agreement
The first group of 48 Chinese
workers, hired in advance by local fishing boat owners under a new fishing crew
cooperation agreement the government signed with China last December, arrived in
Taiwan on 28 April. After security inspectors under the Coast Guard
Administration confirmed the workers’ identities, they were dropped off at
various ports to join their employers. Prior to the agreement, Chinese workers
hired to work in Taiwanese fishing vessels were confined to the boats since they
were not allowed to set foot in Taiwan. The agreement further enabled employers
to screen their Chinese workers more thoroughly.
Taiwanese suspected of
trafficking in Costa Rica
In another overseas incident,
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given instructions to its embassies in
Panama and Nicaragua to monitor a report linking three Taiwanese nationals to an
alleged case of slavery and suspected human trafficking in Costa Rica. According
to media reports, four persons, three of them Taiwanese, had been arrested in
Costa Rica and charged with employing 36 Asians on board two fishing vessels as
slave labor. On 11 April, Costa Rican authorities released the 36 workers,
including 15 Vietnamese, 13 Indonesians, five Filipinos, two Taiwanese and a
Chinese national, all of whom were allegedly maltreated and forced to work for
up to 20 hours per day without pay.
Sources: Chen Shou-kuo and
Sofia Wu, CNA, “15 Vietnamese illegal immigrants seized in southern Taiwan,”
The China Post, 1 April 2010;
“Consensus reached,” The China
Post, 2 April 2010; CNA, “No
entry of Chinese office workers to Taiwan: minister,”
The China Post, 8 April 2010;
Lee Su-hua and Y.L. Kao, CNA, “Trade pact with China will not affect
local workers: Ma,” The China Post,
12 April 2010; Sofia Wu, CNA,
“Caregivers to form backbone of foreign work force in Taiwan,”
focustaiwan.tw, 12 April 2010;
Chen Shun-hsieh and Lilian Wu, CNA, “CLA opposes delinking of foreign
labor wages to minimum wage,”
focustaiwan.tw, 13 April 2010;
Shelley Huang, “Council steps up efforts to tackle runaway workers,”
Taipei Times, 13 April 2010;
CNA, “Caregivers to be most of foreign workforce,”
The China Post, 13 April 2010;
“Ma rebukes assertion that ECFA to cost 3 mil. jobs,”
The China Post, 13 April 2010;
CNA, “MOFA probing slavery in Costa Rica involving Taiwanese,”
The China Post, 14 April 2010; CNA,
“Wages shouldn’t be delinked: CLA,” The
China Post, 14 April 2010; Shih
Hsiu-chuan, “Minimum pay for migrant workers may be dropped,”
Taipei Times, 15 April 2010;
CNA, “Taiwan remains closed to Chinese white collar labor,”
The China Post, 15 April 2010;
CNA, “Taiwan asks Indonesia to help search for fishing boat,”
The China Post, 18 April 2010;
“CLA to ease hiring rules for foreign workers,”
The China Post, 21 April 2010;
Chen Shun-hsieh and Y.L. Kao, CNA, “Lawmakers stand by ban on foreign
workers,” Taiwan News Online, 26
April 2010; “CLA considers relaxing
rules for foreign workers,” Taipei Times,
26 April 2010; “CLA minister
defends minimum wage policy for foreign workers,”
focustaiwan.tw, 26 April 2010;
“Taiwan Labor Minister opposes lower wages for foreign laborers,”
Taiwan News Online, 26 April 2010;
Shelley Huang, “Furor over proposal to scrap minimum wage for migrants,”
Taipei Times, 27 April 2010;
CNA, “Official defends minimum wage policy for aliens,”
China Daily, 27 April 2010;
“Chinese fishing workers arrive under agreement,”
Taipei Times, 29 April 2010
Call to protect migrant
workers
On her first visit to Saudi
Arabia, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay called on Gulf
nations to abolish all discriminatory restrictions that impinge on the human
rights of women and asked concerned governments to improve the conditions of
millions of foreign migrant workers in the region. The UN official singled out
the practice requiring women to have male guardianship, which is commonly
observed in Saudi Arabia, as a barrier that hinder women from shaping their own
lives and making their own choices. Pillay also advocated for an end to the
kafala or sponsorship system that
renders migrant workers vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Bahrain has
already decided to scrap the sponsorship system while Kuwait has considered
introducing a minimum wage for its migrant workers. However, Saudi Arabia, which
hosts some seven million expatriate workers, has yet to initiate reforms in its
sponsorship system.
Sources: Ulf Laessing,
Reuters, “Gulf states should boost migrant workers’ rights – U.N.,” 19 April
2010; AFP, “UN presses Gulf states on rights of women, workers,”
Khaleej Times, 19 April 2010;
Reuters, “Gulf states should boost migrant workers’ rights: UN,”
Khaleej Times, 19 April 2010; AFP,
“End sponsor system: UN official tells Gulf states,”
The Peninsula, 20 April 2010; AFP,
“UN presses Gulf states on women’s and workers’ rights,”
Daily Times, 20 April 2010; Agencies,
“UN rights chief calls for end to sponsor system, seeks improvement in position
of Gulf women,” Arab News, 20 April
2010; Xinhua, “UN commissioner praises Gulf nations, urges more rights for
women,” People's Daily Online, 20
April 2010
Afghanistan
(see also
Indonesia,
Australia)
50 Afghan irregular migrants
nabbed in Romania
Some 50 Afghan irregular
migrants, including 28 men, seven women and 15 children, who were on their way
to Hungary, were apprehended on 30 May by border authorities in Romania. The
Romanian police found the migrants hidden in one of two compartments of a road
tanker that was transporting vinegar.
Sources: AFP, “Romania finds
50 Afghans hidden in vinegar tanker,” The
Daily Star, 1 April 2010; “50 Afghan migrants arrested in Romania,”
The News, 1 April 2010
No minimum wage policy for
migrant workers in Bahrain
Labor Ministry legal adviser
Dr. Abdelbast Abdelmohsen, told participants at a workshop on migrants rights in
Bahrain on 29 April that the government will not implement a minimum wage policy
for migrant workers because of the deleterious effects it might have on the
country’s economy. The senior labor official argued that any attempt to increase
the salaries of foreign workers is likely to affect Bahrain’s competitiveness in
the Gulf region. Bahrain’s current advantage, according to Dr. Abdelmohsen, is
its supply of cheap manual labor, which in turn attracts foreign investments.
Meanwhile, he also clarified that there are no plans to include the estimated
27,000 domestic workers, mostly from India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri
Lanka and Ethiopia, under the new labor law. Nevertheless, the current rules and
provisions that are in place would guarantee that the rights of domestic workers
would be protected, the official added.
Irregular migrant workers
nabbed in crackdown
The Labor Market Regulatory
Authority (LMRA) recently conducted an inspection campaign on various companies
employing more than 100 expatriates with the aim of uncovering the presence of
irregular migrant workers. The campaign found some 1,528 irregular migrant
workers employed in 25 companies. Of these workers, 990 were found to have
expired work permits, 309 had their licenses terminated and 229 had run away
from their original employers. LMRA
inspectors also found 283 irregular migrants working as street vendors. The
runaway workers had been referred to the public prosecution’s office for
deportation proceedings. Fifty-two irregular migrant workers had voluntarily
left the country under an amnesty program offered by the Bahraini government
while legal procedures are still ongoing for 1,026 others who availed of the
same program.
Bahrain committed to combat
human trafficking
Foreign Ministry
Undersecretary Abdullah Abdul Lateef called for strong local, regional and
international cooperation in the fight to eliminate human trafficking. He
pointed out various measures taken by Bahrain to address the problem, including
the enactment of a comprehensive law against trafficking in persons, the
creation of a special unit in the Public Prosecution to deal with trafficking
cases, the setting up of a hotline for reporting cases of trafficking and abuse
and the establishment of a shelter for female victims. He made these statements
at the launch of the first report of the Bahrain National Committee to Combat
Human Trafficking on 29 April. The report reiterated the Bahrain’s commitment to
eradicate the problem and called for heightened efforts to implement preventive
and deterrent measures.
Sources: Mazen Mahdi, “Debate
over migrant workers’ well-being dominated Bahrain’s political agenda,”
The National, 14 April 2010; “LMRA
crackdown on illegal workers,” Gulf Daily
News, 14 April 2010; Elsa Baxter, “Senior Bahrain official rules out expat
minimum wage,” arabianbusiness.com,
29 April 2010; Noor Toorani, “Minimum wage for expats ruled out,”
Gulf Daily News, 29 April 2010; Habib
Toumi, “Bahrain releases report on human trafficking,”
Gulf News, 29 April 2010; Noor
Toorani, “Human trafficking clamp is tightened,”
Gulf Daily News, 30 April 2010
New deportation order vs.
West Bank “infiltrators”
The Israeli military has
issued a new directive set to take effect on 13 April, which calls for the
immediate deportation of all “infiltrators” from the West Bank, i.e. within
three days, or else they would face jail terms of up to seven years. The order
defined ‘infiltrator’ as someone not holding an Israeli permit to live in the
West Bank. Human rights groups have condemned the new order, claiming that it
could lead to a mass deportation of Palestinians inasmuch as majority of them
have never been previously required to hold Israeli-issued residency permits.
The groups fear that the ambiguous wording of the order would give the military
license to expel tens of thousands of Palestinians, mainly people born in the
Gaza Strip and holding Gaza-issued ID cards and their West Bank-born children.
Some 25,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip reside in the West Bank. The
Ha’aretz reported that foreign women married to Palestinians would also be
deported. Ten human rights organizations have appealed to Israeli Defense
Minister Ehud Barak to delay the implementation of the order while the
Palestinian National Authority has started contacting neighboring Arab countries
to seek help in pressuring Israel to abandon its latest expulsion plan.
Sources: Reuters, “Israeli
groups decry army WBank deportation rules,”
The Star Online, 11 April 2010; Fares
Akram and Emad Drimly, “Palestinians concern over Israel’s West Bank expulsion
order,” People's Daily Online, 12
April 2010; “Deportation plan sparks outrage,”
Gulf Daily News, 12 April 2010;
Xinhua, “PNA pursues high contacts with Arabs to stop Israel’s eviction order,”
People's Daily Online, 13 April 2010;
“Israel’s West Bank deportation order comes into force amid controversy,”
People's Daily Online, 14 April 2010
Jordan closely monitoring
West Bank expulsions
Minister of State for Media
Affairs and Communications and the Jordanian government’s spokesperson, Nabil
Sharif, told a press conference on 21 April that Jordan will resist any effort
by Israel to expel Palestinians from the West Bank to its territories. According
to Sharif, the Jordanian government is closely monitoring the implementation of
Israel’s military order and is prepared to use its diplomatic, legal and
political options to deal with the matter.
Report lauds Jordan’s efforts
to protect migrant domestic workers
In a report released on 28
April, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) commended Jordan for taking the necessary
steps to protect migrant domestic workers. The report noted Jordan has
introduced various reforms, including the use of a standard work contract in
2003 and the inclusion of domestic workers under the protection of its labor law
in 2008. However, the bigger challenge now lies in the enforcement of these
reforms.
Sources: Xinhua, “Jordan not
to allow Israel to deport Palestinian to its territories,”
People's Daily Online, 22 April 2010;
Hani Hazaimeh, “Rights group praises Jordan for granting protection to domestic
workers,” Jordan Times, 29 April 2010
Kuwait
(see also
Philippines)
Kuwait vows to pursue labor
market reforms
Social Affairs and Labor
Minister Mohammad Al Afassi affirmed Kuwait’ s commitment to implement labor
market reforms and vowed not to be sidetracked by those seeking to derail the
process by resorting to illegal means. The ministry has started implementing
measures to abolish the sponsorship system and is planning to set minimum wage
standards for various foreign worker categories in the private sector. Al Afassi
also announced the establishment of a new facility that would provide proper and
humane shelter for abused workers. Meanwhile, several companies in Kuwait are
not supportive of the government’s labor market reforms.
Members of the business community have been publicly criticizing the
government over its recent decisions to abolish the sponsorship system and
impose a monthly levy (equivalent to US$26.4) on every foreign worker.
In related news, the Social
Affairs and Labor Ministry announced that it will take over the processing of
entry visas for foreign workers in the private sector from the Interior
Ministry. However, the Interior Ministry will continue to be involved in the
approval of visas for security reasons.
Migrant workers face
deportation
Thousands of unskilled
migrant workers, mostly Egyptians, are facing immediate deportation after
Kuwaiti authorities found them registered as workers for bogus companies. The
Labor and Interior Ministries are jointly coordinating the procedures for the
deportation of the irregular migrants within ten days starting 23 April.
Concerned staff of both ministries who were involved in the processing of the
forged documents that allowed the entry of these workers will face disciplinary
action while owners of the bogus companies will be charged in court. A number of
traffickers have allegedly resorted to setting up bogus companies as a strategy
to bring in irregular migrant workers whom they then supply with forged
documents.
Sources: Khaled Abdullah,
“Kuwait to enforce minimum wage,”
zawya.com, 1 April 2010; Habib Toumi, “Labour ministry to oversee entry
visas for expats in the private sector,”
Gulf News, 15 April 2010; Habib Toumi, “Kuwaiti labour minister pledges to
continue with labour reforms,” Gulf News,
19 April 2010; Habib Toumi, “Kuwait to deport workers linked to 200 bogus
companies,” Gulf News, 21 April 2010;
A. Saleh and Agencies, “Kuwait set to deport scores of foreigners,”
Kuwait Times, 22 April 2010; Habib
Toumi, “Kuwait to deport thousands of expats,”
Gulf News, 22 April 2010; Xinhua,
“Kuwait to deport thousands of expatriates over bogus registration,”
People's Daily Online, 22 April 2010;
UPI, “Kuwait to deport illegal workers,” 23 April 2010
Campaign to promote migrant
domestic workers’ rights
A group of activists and
non-governmental organizations recently launched a campaign seeking to a safe
working environment for them and raise awareness about various issues
confronting these workers. Called the “24/7 campaign,” it is centered on the
issue of granting migrant domestic workers one day off a week outside the home,
not only because it is a legal obligation of employers but because it is a basic
human right of workers. Although this matter is stipulated in the standard
contract introduced by the Labor Ministry last year, compliance is still an
issue among a number of employers. As part of the campaign, the organizers have
also come up with a series of activities from 24 April until 1 May, Labor Day,
that intends to present the foreign workers in a different light, i.e., as
respectable people coming from a rich and vibrant culture. There are
about 200,000 female migrant domestic workers currently employed in Lebanon as
housekeepers, nurses and nannies. Most of them come from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,
Ethiopia and the Philippines.
Source: Dalila Mahdawi,
“Initiative seeks improved rights for domestic workers,”
The Daily Star, 22 April 2010
Oman has more than 1 M
foreign worker
As of the end of March 2010,
the total number of expatriate workers in Oman has breached the one millionth
mark, at 1,065,158, thereby disproving the belief that the government’s
Omanization campaign has led to a decline in the Sultanate’s migrant workforce.
Under the Omanization campaign, private firms may continue to hire foreign
workers as long as they also increase the hiring of Omani employees. Manpower
Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Nasser al Bakri has announced new measures in a bid
to affirm the government’s commitment to help the private sector achieve its
Omanization targets. These initiatives include the opening of a network of new
labor offices in various provinces throughout the Sultanate.
The minister also announced plans to set up 46 new Sanad Centers to make
it more convenient for private firms to process labor permit renewals and new
labor clearances for their expatriate staff.
Amnesty period extended
The Ministry of Manpower has
announced the extension of the deadline for its ongoing amnesty program for
irregular migrant workers until 31 May 2010. Under the amnesty programs,
irregular migrant workers may be allowed to leave the sultanate without having
to suffer the consequences of overstaying their visas or of having expired or no
labor identification cards as long as they shoulder their own return ticket
home. The Philippine mission in Oman has reported that some 170 undocumented
Filipino workers have applied for the amnesty and 61 of them have already been
issued travel documents. The Indian
embassy disclosed that about 4,000 overstaying Indian workers have left the
country since the amnesty program began and efforts are being made to facilitate
the repatriation of 21,000 more Indians by the 31 May deadline.
Asian visa ring busted in
police raid
A 10-member Asian syndicate
suspected of obtaining residency visas through illegal means was recently
arrested by the Royal Oman Police in the central desert region of Al Wusta. The
arrests came after a police raid of the syndicate’s Hamriyah hideout in Muscat
where authorities found incriminating evidence of the group’s illegal
activities. The gang is accused of engaging in the forgery of passports and
other legal documents needed by expatriate workers for the issuance of permits
from the ministries of Health and Manpower, which in turn are prerequisites for
the release of residency visas.
Sources: “Oman police bust
Asian visa racket gang,” Gulf News, 7
April 2010; “4,000 Indians overstaying in Oman finally leave,”
The Economic Times, 17 April 2010;
“Oman government extends deadline of amnesty program for illegal workers,”
dfa.gov.ph, 19 April 2010; Estrella
Torres, “Oman extends amnesty for illegal alien workers,”
Business Mirror, 20 April 2010;
“Oman’s expatriate workforce crosses one-million mark,”
Gulf News, 24 April 2010
New law allows expat women to
sponsor their families
Under the new sponsorship
law, female expatriates working in the private sector and those who are in Qatar
on independent work visas and earn at least QR7,000 ($1,920) a month may now
sponsor their families. However,
the minimum salary requirement does not apply to those working for the
government since they are provided with family accommodations. Previously, only
expatriate women working for the Hamad Medical Corporation and the Ministry of
Education enjoyed this privilege.
Cancellation of
visa-on-arrival privilege postponed
Qatar has decided to postpone
the scrapping of its visa-on-arrival facility for nationals of 33 countries,
including the US and the UK, in response to request from some affected countries
for more time to adjust to the new regulation. Under the proposed plan,
originally set to start on 1 May, Qatar would employ a visa reciprocity system,
whereby visas-on-arrival would only be extended to citizens of countries that
offer the same facility for Qataris.
Qatar to start crackdown vs.
errant firms
The Labor Ministry has begun
implementing stricter recruitment regulations for private companies seeking work
visas for expatriate workers in a bid to rid the country of unscrupulous firms
that sell free visas and to prevent low-income migrant workers from absconding
from their employers. The ministry plans to set up a unit at the Doha
International Airport to monitor the arrival of new migrant workers and ensure
that they are not left stranded at the airport by the companies that recruited
them. Companies that have allowed their newly-arrived migrant workers to wait at
the airport for more than six hours after arrival will be penalized. Moreover,
firms applying for work visas would be required to submit a copy of their
employees’ salary record for the past three months after these records have been
duly endorsed by the Inspection team of the Department of Labor. On-site visits
by labor officials would also be done to assess if the company’s demand for
expatriate workers was justified and to check on the working environment and
lodging facilities for migrant workers before approving work visa requests.
Companies that fail to provide health care facilities and proper lodgings for
their workers would be apprehended.
Significant rise in number of
OFWs in Qatar
Philippine labor attache in
Qatar Arturo Sodusta noted that over the past few years the number of overseas
Filipino workers (OFWs) in the country has risen significantly. In fact, among
the countries in the Gulf region, Qatar exhibited the highest growth rate of
Filipino migrant labor. Filipinos, totaling about 250,000, now constitute the
third largest population of expatriates in Qatar. A large proportion of these
workers came to the country following the signing of a bilateral agreement
between the Philippines and Qatar in 2009 that granted 100,000 new jobs to
Filipino workers, mostly in the construction industry.
70% of Filipina domestic
workers in the Middle East are undocumented
Visiting Philippine Labor
Secretary Marianito Roque commented that 70 percent of Filipina domestic workers
in Qatar and other Middle East countries are undocumented, having bypassed the
necessary processes required by the Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration prior to departure. According to Roque, the Department of Labor
and Employment has introduced a number of measures to address this problem,
including the setting of a standard $400 monthly salary for domestic workers, a
certification of competency issued by the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority, a training course on the language of the host country,
and strict compliance with the government’s no placement fee policy for their
deployment.
Qatar to set up skills
training center in Nepal
Qatar plans to establish a
skills training center in Nepal, in cooperation with private sector agencies, to
upgrade the skills of Nepali workers being deployed to the Gulf country. Labor
Minister Dr. Sultan Bin Al-Dhapit Al-Dosari disclosed that the center will seek
to enhance the capability of Nepali workers in order to tailor their skills to
the demands of Qatari companies. Nepali workers generally get lower remuneration
than other foreign workers in Qatar because of their lack of skills and work
experience. There are more than 300,000 Nepalis currently working in Qatar.
Sources: Habib Tourmi, “Women
expatriates in Qatar can now sponsor their husbands and children,”
Gulf News, 7 April 2010; Habib Toumi,
“Visa on arrival ended for US and UK visitors,”
Gulf News, 9 April 2010; “Qatar to
help train Nepali workers,” Republica,
11 April 2010; Habib Toumi, “Qatar delays plan to scrap its visa-on-arrival
facility,” Gulf News, 19 April 2010;
“Visa on arrival rules for 33 countries stay,”
The Peninsula, 19 April 2010;
Reuters, “Qatar suspends new visa plan,”
Khaleej Times, 20 April 2010; Chris Panganiban, “Qatar is top labour market
for Filipinos,” The Peninsula, 25
April 2010; Habib Toumi, “Qatar has highest Filipino labour market growth rate
in the Gulf,” Gulf News, 25 April
2010; Chris Panganiban, “Most Filipina domestic workers are undocumented,”
The Peninsula, 26 April 2010; Habib
Toumi, “Most Filipina domestic helpers in the Middle East lack papers,”
Gulf News, 26 April 2010; “New rules
to curb free visa,” The Peninsula, 27
April 2010; Habib Toumi, “Qatar to get tougher with abuses of the labour law,”
Gulf News, 30 April 2010
Saudi Arabia
(see also
Philippines)
400 Filipino workers to be
repatriated
Philippine labor attaché
Vicente Cabe disclosed that some 400 distressed Filipino workers will be
repatriated as soon as arrangements are finalized for a chartered plane that
would fly them home. Some of the distressed workers have been staying at a
temporary shelter at Hajj for the past two months. Also expecting to be
repatriated soon are a number of Muslim pilgrims who experienced problems in
returning home and Filipinos who have already served their jail terms at the
Jeddah Briman Prison for some petty crimes.
Yemeni kids being forced to
beg
Makkah residents have called
attention to the increasing number of Yemeni children who are allegedly being
forced by adults to beg at petrol stations along highways and expressways in the
city. It is not uncommon to encounter Yemenis pretending to be family members
begging at gas stations. When confronted, a Yemeni adult admitted that he and
his group rent the children from their parents in Yemen. The children are then
smuggled into the kingdom and are forced to beg, with all the money they collect
turned over to their adult handlers.
Sources: Ronaldo Concha,
“Chartered jet to fly 400 OFWs home from Saudi,”
GMA News.TV, 22 April 2010; Badea Abu
Al-Naja, “Yemedi kids smuggled to Kingdom to beg,”
Arab News, 23 April 2010; Abdul
Rahman Shaheen, “Saudi rights group chief calls for change in sponsorship
system,” Gulf News, 28 April 2010
UAE
(see also
Philippines)
Employers asked to protect
workers’ rights
In a speech to mark the
coming International Labor Day, Jasim Jamil, acting Director of Work Relations
at the Ministry of Labor, called on employers to uphold the rights of their
workers and provide them with a favorable work environment. Jasim said the theme
of this year’s celebration, “Workers are our partners in development,” is very
apt since workers have been contributing to the UAE’s development for the past
38 years.
In related news, former US
President Bill Clinton, in an interview with ABC News on 18 April, lauded the
UAE for being the only country with a huge foreign workforce that has passed a
law seeking to protect migrant workers’ rights.
1094 runaway domestic workers
nabbed in raids
A series of raids conducted
by the inspection teams from the Violators and Foreigners Follow-up Section of
the Ministry of Interior in the first four quarter of this year led to the
arrest of 1,094 runaway domestic workers, including 582 in Abu Dhabi, 242 in Al
Ain and 270 in Sharjah. The raids are part of the ministry’s ongoing crackdown
on absconding domestic workers, immigration violators and infiltrators and those
who shelter or employ them. The ministry has coordinated with the foreign
diplomatic missions of the detained workers to facilitate their deportation.
According to Colonel Saeed Bin Rakan Al Rashidi, Director of the Violator’s
Follow-up Section, the latest arrests indicate that the problem of absconding
domestic workers still exists. He recommends increasing the fine for sheltering
and employing violators to Dh50,000 and the fine for helping infiltrators to
Dh100,000, in addition to imprisonment and deportation. In related news, The
Department of Residency and Naturalization in Ajman reported on 27 April that
absconding domestic workers make up most of the 1,050 irregular migrants
arrested in the emirate during the first three months of this year.
Immigration violators
arrested in Dubai
Major General Mohammad Ahmad
Al Merri, Director-General of the Dubai General Department for Residency and
Foreigners Affairs, announced the arrest of some 4,006 irregular migrants,
including 754 women and 3,252 men, over the past three months. The visa
overstayers and border jumpers were apprehended following 64 raids conducted by
inspection patrols throughout Dubai. Al Merri disclosed further that more than
75,000 people were arrested at the Dubai International Airport in 2009 after the
results of iris scans indicated that they had previously been deported from the
country. Foreigners who were deported by the UAE are banned from re-entry.
Warning to errant companies,
workers
The Ministry of Labor
announced that workers sponsored by bogus companies will face a one-year ban
while the owners of these will get a Dh10,000 fine. The ban will be imposed on
the workers if they fail to notify the ministry about the situation and if they
do not apply for a sponsorship transfer. Meanwhile, a labor ministry official
warned private companies not to charge their foreign workers the cost of
bringing them into the country or else they will face legal actions, including
closure or suspension of all ministry transactions.
Indian laborers stranded in
Sharjah
Hundreds of Indian laborers,
mainly from construction firms and manpower supply agencies, were left stranded
in Sharjah and are surviving mainly on food donations after they were retrenched
from their jobs. Some of them have found shelter in abandoned buildings and
public parks in Rolla. They appealed to local authorities to grant them amnesty
so they return home.
New anti-trafficking panel
formed
The Ministry of Interior set
up an Anti-Human Trafficking Panel as part of efforts to fight the crime. Headed
by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash, the panel will be
responsible for all anti-trafficking initiatives. It is tasked to coordinate
with other agencies to promote awareness regarding human trafficking, help
provide shelter to victims and gather relevant information to either update laws
or enact new ones.
Meanwhile, the Dubai Police
reported that there were 34 trafficking cases in Dubai last year, 33 of them
involving women forced into the sex trade while one involved a child who was
offered for sale. Most of the female trafficking victims allegedly came from
developing countries and had only elementary education.
Sources: Bassma Al Jandaly,
“75,000 arrested at airport last year after undergoing iris scan,”
Gulf News, 5 April 2010; Bassma Al
Jandaly, “Authorities round up illegal residents in Dubai,”
Gulf News, 12 April 2010; Adel Arafa,
“Ministry warns companies against charging recruits,”
Khaleej Times, 13 April 2010; Adel
Arafa, “Workers of bogus sponsors face ban,”
Khaleej Times, 14 April 2010; Faisal
Masudi, “No money, no home: Left in the lurch,”
Gulf News, 22 April 2010; Wam, “1094
absconding housemaids apprehended,”
Khaleej Times, 24 April 2010; Wam, “UAE only country in region to pass law
to give workers a better deal: Clinton,”
Khaleej Times, 24 April 2010; Wam, “Interior ministry arrests 1,094 runaway
housemaids,” Khaleej Times, 25 April
2010; Siham Al Najami, “Dubai Police intensify battle against human
trafficking,” Gulf News, 26 April
2010; Wafa Issa, “Police rescue more trafficking victims,”
The National, 26 April 2010; “1,094
absconding housemaids arrested,” Gulf
News, 25 April 2010; Wam, “UAE sets up anti-human trafficking panel,”
Khaleej Times, 27 April 2010; Afkar
Abdullah, “Maids top list of illegal residents in Ajman,”
Khaleej Times, 28 April 2010; Hassan
Hassan, “Drive against human trafficking to include new legislation,”
The National, 28 April 2010; Andy
Sambidge, “UAE steps up crackdown on human trafficking,”
arabianbusiness.com, 28 April 2010;
Wam, “Anti-human trafficking panel to care for victims,”
Gulf News, 28 April 2010; Wam,
“Ministry sets up panel to fight human trafficking,”
Khaleej Times, 28 April 2010; Bassam
Za’za, “Two deny assaulting Dewa official on duty,”
Gulf News, 28 April 2010; Adel Arafa,
“UAE committed to protecting workers’ rights,”
Khaleej Times, 29 April 2010
SOUTH ASIA
Bangladesh
(see also
Lebanon)
Overseas deployment of
Bangladeshi workers declines
The number of Bangladeshis
leaving for overseas employment has declined in the first quarter of this year
due to the global recession that hit traditional destination countries,
particularly Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. According to the Bureau of Manpower and
Employment Training (BMET) the number who left for abroad in January to March
2010 totaled 100,000, nearly 28 percent lower than the corresponding total for
the same period last year. Malaysia, which recruited more than half a million
Bangladeshi workers in 2007 and 2008, did not recruit any in 2009. Saudi Arabia,
which employed 48,053 Bangladeshi workers in 2008, took in only 4,180 such
workers in 2009 and 2,255 in the first quarter of this year. Nonetheless,
according to BMET Director General in-charge Hazrat Ali, the overseas employment
figures for March was more than 41 percent higher than those of February, giving
rise to speculations of an improving economic situation in developed countries,
particularly those in the Gulf region.
Meanwhile, the government
plans to deploy some 500,000 Bangladeshi workers abroad this year to reach its
target of more than $11 billion in remittance earnings. Last year, it received a
total of 10.72 billion in remittances after deploying 475,000 Bangladeshi
workers overseas.
Recruitment agencies urged to
cut migration costs
At a send-off for a batch of
70 Bangladeshi doctors and nurses to be deployed to Libya on 6 April,
Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandaker Mosharraf
Hossain, called on recruitment agencies to reduce migration costs to reasonable
levels. According to the minister, some agencies charge exorbitant fees from
workers who expect to earn only Tk30,000-40,000. In his speech, Hossain also
welcomed Libya’s recruitment of some 338 doctors and nurses, saying the overseas
deployment of more professionals and highly-skilled Bangladeshi workers would
have a significant impact on the country’s economy. Currently, highly skilled
professionals make up only three percent of the estimated seven million
Bangladeshi workers abroad.
Stranded Bangladeshi
seafarers appeal for help
Some 31 Bangladeshi seafarers
working as crew aboard eight cargo ships have been left stranded off the coast
of Benin by their Greek employer, Golden Shipping SA Company, for more than a
month. One of the stranded seafarers, marine engineer Ashraful Alam, told a
Dhaka news conference via a mobile phone from one of the ships on 21 April that
the seafarers have run out of food, fuel and water and have no life-saving
equipment to use in case of emergency. Ashraful also complained that their
employer has neither paid them nor provided them with return tickets.
He appealed for help in repatriating all the stranded seafarers. On 24
April, the company finally sent some food to the workers but they continue to be
stranded aboard the boats under dire circumstances. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s
charges d’affaires in Morocco Mohammad Lutfar Raham has allegedly begun making
the necessary arrangements for the safe return of the Bangladeshis.
Bangladesh refuses to
register undocumented Burmese migrants as refugees
Foreign Secretary Mohamed
Mijarul Quayes told UNHCR officials that the thousands of undocumented Burmese
migrants living in makeshift camps across Cox’s Bazar were economic migrants and
therefore cannot be registered as refugees. Quayes made the statement following
the UNHCR’S demand that Bangladesh register as refugees an estimated 400,000
Burmese nationals mostly belonging to the Muslim Rohingya minority group. The
UNHCR has registered some 28,000 other Burmese refugees living in two camps in
Cox’s Bazar.
Sources: “Overseas employment
slump for Bangladeshis eases, fanning hopes of recovery,”
People's Daily Online, 2 April 2010;
AFP, “Overseas jobs for Bangladeshis plunge in first quarter,”
The China Post, 7 April 2010;
“Minister calls for fair migration cost,”
The Daily Star, 7 April 2010; “B’desh rejects UN plea to register Myanmarese
as refugees,” Zee News, 10 April
2010; BSS, “5 lakh likely to migrate for jobs this year,”
The Daily Star, 11 April 2010; BSS,
“Govt to send 5 lakh overseas workers, earns over $11b remittance this year,”
The New Nation, 12 April 2010;
“31 seamen send SOS,” The Daily
Star, 22 April 2010;
“Bangladeshi seamen get something to eat, finally,”
The Daily Star, 25 April 2010; “Benin
assures repatriation,” The Daily Star,
26 April 2010
Govt urged to curb
exploitation of migrant workers
A report by a parliamentary
standing committee on external affairs has criticized the Ministry of Overseas
Indian Affairs for allegedly failing to curb the widespread exploitation of
overseas job seekers by unscrupulous recruiters and foreign employers. The
committee asked the government to set a definite timeframe for the resolution of
complaint cases filed by Indian migrant workers and recommended that the
ministry publish the names of blacklisted agents and foreign employers for the
guidance of overseas job applicants. The committee also expressed
dissatisfaction over the slow pace of the finalization of the Emigration
Management Bill, a new legislation seeking to prevent irregular migration.
Advisory issued for
Malaysia-bound migrant workers
The Ministry of Overseas
Indian Affairs has issued an advisory to all Malaysia-bound migrant workers to
ensure that they have the proper documents for their overseas employment, their
foreign employer and their work contract. Among the documents that they should
have are a residence permit or identity card and a labor card. The ministry also
advised the migrant workers to familiarize themselves with the laws and working
conditions in Malaysia instead of being relying solely on their recruiting
agents, some of whom may not be entirely trustworthy.
Remittances rise despite
global financial slump
Despite the global economic
crisis, remittances sent home by overseas Indian migrant workers in 2009 reached
$55.06 billion, seven percent higher than the $51.6 billion remitted in 2008.
The amount has affirmed India’s position as the world’s highest remittance
earner, a position it has been occupying for more than a decade now.
A survey conducted by the Reserve Bank of India in Novermber 2009
revealed a clear pattern in the flow of remittances from the Indian diaspora.
More than half of the remittances received by Kochi and Mumbai come from the
Gulf region while 60 percent of the remittances received by other major Indian
cities, such as Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad and Bangalore, come from
Europe and North America.
Project to upgrade
immigration services underway
In line with the government’s
objective of upgrading the country’s immigration services, it has embarked on a
new project as part of the national e-government plan. The “Immigration, Visa
and Foreigners Registration and Tracking Project” seeks to establish an
integrated service delivery framework that would not only streamline the visa
issuance process but would also strengthen procedures for the registration and
tracking of foreigners in the country. The project will be implemented over a
four-and-a-half-year- period starting this month. Under this project, all the
offices involved in the delivery of immigration services, whether in the country
or abroad, will be linked with the Central Foreigners’ Bureau. Offering online
visa application services, the initial step under the project, was first
implemented in Pakistan starting 1 April and would soon be made available in
Bangladesh and the United Kingdom.
Govt mulls introduction of
special project visa
The government is considering
the introduction of a new visa category for foreigners, particularly Chinese
nationals, who come to India as employees under joint venture projects. If
approved, the validity of the proposed project visa would coincide with the
duration of the project. However, no decision has yet been made this matter. The
government is thinking of a way to strike a balance between ensuring that
projects are not adversely affected by strict visa rules on the one hand and
making sure that foreign workers do not take jobs away from locals on the other.
The government had earlier tightened visa norms following the discovery of a
large number of Chinese workers coming to the country using business visas
instead of work visas. To address this matter, the government has imposed a
ceiling of 20 foreign workers per project or company.
Police nab 3 men for human
trafficking
The police have arrested
three men believed to be responsible for the deployment of Indian migrants to
Malta and other European countries through the use of forged documents. The
three men, who were arrested on 9 April in the Mehrauli area in south Delhi, had
allegedly obtained 175 Schengen visas through fraudulent means over the last six
to seven months and had used these to lure unemployed young Indians, mostly from
Punjab, with promises of overseas opportunities.
Sri Lankan refugees nabbed
On 4 April, authorities in
southern India arrested a group of six Sri Lankan refugees who had earlier
sneaked out of their camps at Kanur, Erode, Tiruchipalli, and Bhavani Sagar to
hire a boat that would take them back to their homeland. However, unscrupulous
ferry operators left the refugees stranded at the fourth sand dune off the coast
of Danuskodi where they were found by authorities. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan
Navy has been patrolling the area near Talaiamannar after two other groups of
refugees attempting to leave India for Sri Lanka via the sea route were earlier
detected in the vicinity.
Sources: Gayatri Nayak,
“India top money recipient, remits $55 bn in 2009,”
The Economic Times, 2 April 2010;
“Centre moots project visa for expats coming into India,”
The Economic Times, 4 April 2010;
AFP, “Indian expats send home US$55 bil. In 2009, up 7% from last year: report,”
The China Post, 5 April 2010; PTI,
“Carry proper documents, Indian workers in Malaysia told,”
The Economic Times, 5 April 2010;
“Stranded Lankan refugees arrested off India,”
Daily Mirror, 5 April 2010; TNN,
“Govt issues advisory for those looking for work in Malaysia,”
The Times of India, 6 April 2010;
IANS, “Three held for human trafficking in Delhi,”
The Times of India, 10 April 2010;
PTI, “Indian expats remittances increase despite global slowdown,”
The Economic Times, 19 April 2010;
TNN, “Parliamentary panel asks govt to rein in recruiting agents,”
The Times of India, 21 April 2010;
Moiz Mannan, “Red tape keeps new emigration law at bay,”
The Peninsula, 23 April 2010;
“Dollar, Euro flow to Delhi, Gujarat: riyals, dinars to Kochi, Mumbai,”
The Economic Times, 23 April 2010;
“Govt upgrading immigration services with ambitious project,”
The Economic Times, 27 April 2010;
IANS, “Starting with Pakistan, India begins tuning online visa process,”
The Economic Times, 28 April 2010
More workers leaving for
overseas employment
The Department of Foreign
Employment revealed that the number of Nepali workers who left for overseas
employment during the first nine months of the current fiscal year reached
202,794, of which 193,466 were males and 9,328 were females. This figure is 18.5
percent higher than the total of 171,244 recorded for the same nine-month period
in the previous fiscal year. However, the Nepal Association of Foreign
Employment Agencies noted that the shortage of passports is starting to slow
down the recruitment process.
The government stopped
issuing handwritten passports on 1 April after failing to meet the deadline for
the introduction of machine readable passports (MRPs). The move is expected to
directly affect the overseas deployment of Nepali workers and the inflow of
remittances to Nepal. According to the government, it will likely start issuing
new MRPs after 10 weeks.
Sources: “Govt stops issuing
new passport; remittance likely to be hit,”
Republica, 1 April 2010; “18.5 pc
rise in Nepali workers leaving for jobs abroad,”
Republica, 18 April 2010
Govt urged to check irregular
migration into Pakistan
Speakers at a seminar on
“Advocacy for legal reforms and implementation of immigration laws” on 26 April
called on the government to implement existing immigration laws more effectively
in order to check the massive influx of irregular migrants into the country.
They noted that of the 3.5 million aliens in the country, less than 100,000 are
registered with authorities. Many of these irregular migrants are allegedly
using Pakistan as a transit point for further migration to Europe. Former
federal law minister Barrister Shahida Jameel urged authorities to closely
monitor the routes used by human smuggling networks to move irregular migrants
in and out of the country and to subsequently plug these routes. A similar
recommendation was made by speakers at an earlier seminar organized by the
European Union, Actionaid, and the Basic Education for Awareness, Reform and
Empowerment (BEFARE). The seminar on the “Roles and responsibilities of law
enforcement agencies about illegal migration including human smuggling and
trafficking,” which was held on 12 April, tackled the need to secure the
country’s borders more effectively to prevent the use of Pakistan as an origin,
transit and destination point for irregular migration.
Human trafficking still a problem in
Pakistan
Human trafficking continues
to be a problem in Pakistan with more than 600 trafficking syndicates believed
to be operating in various parts of the country. Human traffickers allegedly
prefer the air route to transport people in Punjab and cities including Lahore,
Gujrat, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Mandi Bahauddin. The coastal belt
from Karachi to Balochistan is also a popular route for transporting people
across Iran. Meanwhile, according to the Pakistan Thematic Group on Human
Trafficking (PTGHT), traffickers often use the coastline between Karachi and
Gwadar to transport people to the Gulf area. The Pakistan Coast Guard admitted
that it does not have sufficient manpower to patrol the country’s sea borders,
an activity that is crucial to the fight against human trafficking. Nonetheless,
the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Interim Assessment Report noted
“significant improvements” in Pakistan’s anti-human trafficking efforts at both
the provincial and national levels.
Iran deports 50 undocumented
Pakistanis
Some 50 undocumented
Pakistani migrants were deported by Iranian authorities on 8 April and were
subsequently turned over to Taftan administration officials for investigation.
The migrants had allegedly entered Iran clandestinely to look for employment
although some of them had been hoping to reach Europe via Turkey or Greece.
Rising trend in remittances
A rising trend was observed
in the inflow of remittances from overseas Pakistanis in the first nine months
of the current fiscal year (July-March). Remittances for this period reached
$6.550 billion, up 15.78 percent from the amount received over the same
nine-month period in the previous fiscal year. Remittances received by Pakistan
in March 2010 totaled $763.72 million, the third highest this fiscal year. The
amount was 3.28 percent higher than the remittance for March 2009.
41 IDPs killed in attacks at
Kohat refugee camp
Two suicide bombers clad in
traditional burqas detonated bombs in succession amid a crowd of internally
displaced persons (IDPs) at the Kacha Pukha refugee camp at the outskirts of
Kohat in northwest Pakistan. The twin attack on 17 April killed at least 41
people and wounded more than 60 others. The victims were among some 200,000
members of the Mani Khel and Baramad Khel tribes who had earlier fled from
Taliban violence in their hometown of Orakzai near the Afghan border. They were
in the process of registering at the camp and collecting aid being distributed
by foreign humanitarian organizations when the suicide bombers struck.
Meanwhile, aid agencies warned on 21 April that although the crisis is far from
over, the funds currently being used to help the 1.3 million IDPs who have fled
from Pakistan’s northwest provinces are already running out. Money from
international donors poured in last year at the height of the displacement of
some three million people as a result of military offensive to drive out the
Taliban rebels from the northwest Swat valley. However, after a year the funds
have begun to dry up, forcing aid groups to cut back on programs to help the
IDPs.
Sources: Vidya Rana,
“Improvement in combating human trafficking,”
Daily Times, 3 April 2010; APP, “50
Pakistanis deported from Iran,” Daily
Times, 9 April 2010; Shahnawaz Khan, “FIA fails to stop human trafficking,”
Daily Times, 11 April 2010;
“Remittances rise 16% in 3Qs,” Daily
Times, 11 April 2010; Bhagwandas, “Call for effective curb on aliens’
influx,” Dawn, 13 April 2010; AFP,
“Burqa bombers kill 41 at Kacha Pukha refugee camp,” 18 April 2010; “Burqa-clad
bombers kill refugees seeking help,” Gulf
Daily News, 18 April 2010; AFP, “Aid running out for refugees,”
The Straits Times, 21 April 2010;
AFP, “Aid running out for 1.3m Pak refugees,”
The Daily Star, 22 April 2010;
“Demand for effective regulation of aliens,”
Dawn, 27 April 2010
Sri Lanka
(see also China,
Lebanon, India,
Indonesia)
Australia’s new asylum policy
expected to discourage Tamil refugees
Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the
United Nations Palitha Kohona said that the number of Tamil refugees making
their way to Australia by boat is expected to drop significantly following the
Australian federal government’s recent decision to suspend the processing of new
asylum claims by Sri Lankans. According to the envoy, the tougher policy adopted
by Australia would drive prospective Tamil asylum seekers to seek refuge
elsewhere.
New measures to combat human
trafficking
An inter-agency task force
made up of representatives from key government and NGOs has been formed as part
of renewed efforts to combat human trafficking. Authorities are also considering
the setting up of border protection units at the Bandaranaike International
Airport and at harbors to help detect trafficking victims.
24 Sri Lankan fishermen
released
Indian authorities released
24 Sri Lankan fishermen from their custody on 23 April following negotiations
made by the Government Fisheries Ministry and the Sri Lankan Navy. The fishermen
from Devinuwara, Nilwella and Trincomalee were turned over to the Sri Lankan
Navy by the Indian coast guard at the Indo-Sri Lanka International Maritime
Boundary Line.
Sources: Matt Wade, “Sri
Lankan official expects fewer refugees to try boat crossing,”
The Age, 13 April 2010;
“Navy brings released Lankan fishermen safely home,”
Daily News, 26 April 2010; Rasika
Somarathna, “More teeth to combat human trafficking,”
Daily News, 27 April 2010
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Immigration violators nabbed
Several foreign workers were
issued special passes this month to report to the Immigration Department for
further investigation after they were apprehended by authorities for various
immigration violations. Among those apprehended were five Indonesians (three men
and two women), one Indian man, two Malaysian men and six others whose
nationalities were not specified.
Three of those arrested were caught working while on social visit passes, one
had an expired immigration pass while the rest were found working at jobs or
employers other than those specified in their employment permits. Their
respective employers have also been summoned to the Immigration Department to
assist in the investigations.
OFWs urged to vote
Filipino migrant workers in
Brunei are encouraged to participate in the overseas absentee voting (OAV)
exercise, which will be held between 10 April and 10 May at the Philippine
Embassy. Some 13,339 registered Filipino absentee voters may cast their ballots
for the 2010 Philippine national elections during this 30-day period, including
Saturdays, Sundays and the 1 May holiday.
Sources: Sahrol Daud,
“Illegal workers nabbed in Jerudong,”
Borneo Bulletin, 2 April 2010; Tony Alabastro, “Overseas absentee voting at
Philippine Embassy,” Borneo Bulletin,
9 April 2010; DPA, “Overseas Filipinos start voting for national leaders,”
Borneo Bulletin, 11 April 2010; James
Kon, “Foreign workers caught with immigration offences,”
Borneo Bulletin, 24 April 2010; James
Kon, “Special passes issued in immigration raid,”
Borneo Bulletin, 28 April 2010
Govt ban on marriages between
Cambodian women and South Korean men lifted
Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry
confirmed on 27 April the lifting of a government ban on marriages between
Cambodian women and South Korean men. In lieu of the ban, the government has
introduced a new regulation that requires foreign men wishing to marry Cambodian
women to be physically present in Cambodia at all stages of the application
process for international marriages. The new regulation, which applies to all
international marriages, not only those involving South Korean men, is part of
government efforts to prevent human trafficking from Cambodia.
Sources: AP, “Cambodia lifts
ban on marriages to South Koreans,”
Taiwan News Online, 28 April 2010; Kyodo, “Cambodia re-allows S. Korean men
to marry Cambodian women,” The Mainichi
Daily News, 28 April 2010
Indonesia
(see also Japan,
Taiwan, Malaysia)
Indonesia ends with Sri
Lankan asylum seekers
The six-month stand-off
between Indonesian authorities and a group of Australia-bound Tamil asylum
seekers who refused to leave their boat at the port of Merak has come to an end.
Originally, there were about 254 people on the boat, including 31
children, but one person has died and dozens of other passengers had fled during
the stand-off. Those who remained
were taken to an Australian-funded immigration detention center in Tanjung
Pinang on the island of Bintan. Contrary to what the asylum seekers have been
demanding, they did not get any deal to have their claims fast-tracked. Earlier,
about 40 of the original asylum seekers involved in the Merak stand-off managed
to sneak out of Indonesia and made their way to Australia just before Canberra
announced the suspension of asylum processing for Sri Lankan and Afghan
nationals.
Indonesia prevents over 100
Afghans from heading to Australia
This month, Indonesian
authorities arrested some 125 mostly Afghan nationals who were headed for
Australia to claim asylum. Sixteen of them were arrested by Makassar authorities
upon arrival at the Hasanuddin Airport while the rest were nabbed while aboard
fishing boats bound for Australia. According to Cmdr. Hermawan, head of the
investigating team on people smuggling at the National Police headquarters,
information from Malaysian authorities indicate that up to 5,000 irregular
migrants are currently near the Malaysian borders and are set to enter
Indonesia. Given the Australian government’s recent decision to suspend the
processing of asylum claims of nationals from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, the
asylum seekers from these two countries are likely to be stuck in Indonesia
since they can no longer proceed to Australia.
Australia to resettle
refugees stranded in Indonesia
On 20 April, the Foreign
Ministry issued a statement saying that the agreements on refugee settlement
made between Indonesia and Australia are binding and would not be affected by
Canberra’s new policy on asylum processing freeze. It had earlier sought a
clarification from Australia on the implications of its new policy on their
bilateral agreements. In response, Jenny Dee, spokesperson for the Australian
Embassy, confirmed Canberra’s commitment to continue working with Jakarta and
the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in resettling the foreign refugees
currently stranded in Indonesia. The ministry made the clarificatory statement
amid concerns by its citizenry that the continued use of Indonesia as a transit
point by foreign refugees hoping to seek asylum in Australia might transform the
country into a “dumping ground” for asylum seekers.
Indonesian workers go on
rampage due to verbal abuse
Nine foreign workers were
injured and dozens of others were evacuated from a factory in Batam City
following a violent attack on 22 April by thousands of angry Indonesian workers
who were offended by a perceived slur from an Indian company executive. The
Indonesian workers had set fire to cars and a warehouse belonging to PT Drydock
World Graha after allegedly being called “stupid” by the Indian executive.
Meanwhile, the Manpower and Transmigration Department has asked the Drydocks
World unit in Indonesia to reduce its current 228 foreign employees by 30 to 35
percent current and to replace all foreign staff who are likely to
run into conflict with local workers.
13 Indonesians rescued from
modern slavery in Costa Rica
Authorities in Costa Rica
rescued some 36 Asian migrant workers from slave-like conditions aboard two
fishing boats operated by a foreign shipping company on 11 April. The workers,
including 13 Indonesians, 15 Vietnamese, five Filipinos, two Taiwanese and one
Chinese national, were allegedly beaten up, given little food to eat and forced
to work up to 20 hours per day without pay. The owners of the ship were not
identified but two Taiwanese and a Costa Rican were arrested for investigation
over their possible involvement in a human trafficking ring. The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has sent a team to check on the condition of the Indonesian
victims and is making arrangements to facilitate their immediate return to
Indonesia.
Music concerts to be used in
campaign against human trafficking
Free music concerts,
sponsored by the MTV Exit Campaign, will be held in the cities of Pontianak,
Makassar, Surabaya, Medan and Jakarta this year as part of efforts to raise
awareness on human trafficking among the youth. The campaign uses music to
appeal to young people and at the same time deliver enough information to
empower them to learn how to take control of their future and protect themselves
against exploitation. The musical tour is made possible through the cooperation
of MTV Europe Foundation, the US Agency for International Development, the
Australian Government’s Agency for International Development and the private
station, Global TV.
Remittances in 2009 reach
Rp100 trillion
Remittances sent home by
Indonesian migrant workers reached Rp100 trillion ($11 billion) in 2009. Of this
figure, Rp82 trillion had been sent through banking channels, while the rest
were either brought home by the migrants themselves during holidays or sent to
their families through close relatives. According to the Indonesian Labor
Placement and Protection Agency, there are some 5.5 million Indonesian migrant
workers overseas, of whom 1.3 million have irregular status. This year,
Indonesia expects to send 300,000 more workers abroad, including around 200,000
to Malaysia.
Training fee to be scrapped
The Manpower and
Transmigration Ministry announced on 21 April that the government will stop
collecting the $15 training fee from migrant workers each time they leave for
abroad. The training fee, which was introduced in 2003, was intended to be
shouldered by employers of overseas migrant workers. However, in reality the
amount is deducted by employers from the workers’ salaries. According to the
ministry, the move is part of government efforts to improve overall services for
the migrant workers and to ease their financial burden.
Sources: Hasyim Widhiarto,
“37 illegal immigrants captured in Jakarta Bay,”
The Jakarta Post, 6 April 2010; Tom
Allard, “Indonesians ‘ moving to end asylum-seeker stand-off,’”
Sydney Morning Herald, 7 April 2010;
Hasyim Widhiarto, “37 Afghan asylum seekers intercepted in Jakarta Bay,”
The Jakarta Post, 7 April 2010; AFP,
“Indonesia moves to end migrant stand-off,”
Bangkok Post, 7 April 2010;
“Indonesia collects Rp100 trillion from labor export,”
The Jakarta Post, 7 April 2010; Tom
Allard, “Indonesia moves to end Sri Lankan refugees stand-off,”
The Age, 8 April 2010; “Indonesian
workers send home Rp100 trillion,” The
Jakarta Post, 9 April 2010; AFP and Putri Prameshwari, “Indonesian ‘slaves’
rescued in Costa Rica,” The Jakarta
Globe, 12 April 2010; “Costa Rica frees 13 Indonesians from ‘slavery,’”
The Jakarta Post, 12 April 2010;
“Tamils to move ‘in days,’” The
Age, 13 April 2010; Andi Hajramurni, “Up to 5,000 illegal immigrants ready
to enter Indonesia,” The Jakarta Post,
14 April 2010; “Indonesia detains
30 asylum seekers,” Sydney Morning
Herald, 14 April 2010; Andi Hajramurni, “5,000 immigrants may enter RI,”
The Jakarta Post, 15 April 2010;
“Indonesia nabs alleged people smugglers,”
Sydney Morning Herald, 15 April 2010;
“42 illegal migrants put in custody,”
The Jakarta Post, 17 April 2010; Adam
Gartrell and Heru Rahadi, “Indonesia ends asylum seeker stand-off,”
The Age, 19 April 2010; AFP,
“Indonesia to move boat-load of Sri Lanka migrants: ministry,”
Daily Times, 19 April 2010; AP,
“Standoff with Sri Lankan asylum seekers ends,”
The Star, 19 April 2010; Tom Allard,
“Refugee standoff ends in tears and entreaties,”
The Age, 20 April 2010; Lilian
Budianto, “RI pushes Australia for solution on refugees,”
The Jakarta Post, 20 April 2010;
Stephen Fitzpatrick and Patricia Karvelas, “Many asylum-seekers have absconded
in Indonesia,” The Australian, 20
April 2010; Reuters, “Indonesia moves scores of Sri Lankan asylum seekers,”
Daily Times, 20 April 2010; Lilian
Budianto, “RI says refugee pact unchanged despite new Australian policy,”
The Jakarta Post, 21 April 2010;
Stephen Fitzpatrick, “Sri Lankan asylum-seekers ‘hoodwinked’ by Indonesians,”
The Australian, 22 April 2010;
“Govt to scrap migrant worker training fee,”
The Jakarta Post, 22 April 2010; Andi
Hajaramurni, “Six other illegal immigrants detained in Makassar,”
The Jakarta Post, 23 April 2010; AFP,
“Indonesian workers riot, burn cars over ‘stupid’ slur,”
Borneo Bulletin, 23 April 2010;
“Police arrest 10 illegal Afghan immigrants,”
The Jakarta Post, 24 April 2010; “Ten
Afghan immigrants apprehended in Makassar,”
The Jakarta Post, 26 April 2010;
“Drydocks unit ordered to cut back foreign workers,”
Tempo Interactive, 27 April 2010;
“Music concerts to fight human trafficking,”
The Jakarta Post, 27 April 2010
Cap on
foreign workers eyed
The working group tasked to look into the
foreign labor issue in Malaysia has proposed putting a cap on the number of
foreign workers that employers could hire. Under the proposal, the Home Ministry
said levies on employers would be based on how many foreign workers they tap,
and the duration or length of stay of their foreign employees. All in all, the
government is keen on cutting down the total foreign labor force in the country
to 1.5 million in three years time, a goal that has been met by a lukewarm and
pessimistic reception by various business leaders.
Employers
keeping passports, workers with expired permits to be punished
The Human Resources Ministry warned employers
harboring workers with expired work permits, reminding them to either apply for
the extension of their employees’ visas or send them back home. The office also
expressed concern over a major trade union congress’ claim that more than
150,000 foreign workers in restaurants and eateries could not return home since
their passports were in the possession of their employers. The Malaysian Trades
Union Congress stated it was not the fault of the workers since they were the
victims being exploited by their superiors. Amnesty International Malaysia added
that keeping passports and identity cards has become the norm on the part of
employers.
Lower
recruitment costs seen as solution to domestic worker row
The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia is
looking at the feasibility of lowering the cost of recruiting domestic workers
from the archipelago. In a bid to end the moratorium on the deployment of
domestic workers to Malaysia, Malaysian diplomats are now getting feedback from
Indonesia on the possibility of reducing recruitment costs, which both Malaysian
employers and the domestic workers themselves suffer from. For its part, the
Indonesian mission in Sarawak has urged oil palm plantation owners to hike the
daily salaries of workers from Indonesia from RM14 and RM18
(US$4.20-US$5.50) to RM19 and RM22 (US$5.80-US$6.70) to cover for the increase
in the cost of living.
Plan to
curb trafficking
Malaysia’s Home Ministry announced a five-year
plan intended to bolster anti-human trafficking legislation and tighten the
country’s porous borders. The plan, according to the office and in keeping with
the government’s thrust of promoting local labor, was aimed at curbing the
number of undocumented foreign workers among the authorized laborers, at present
estimated to be between 1.8-1.9 million. In recent years, Malaysia has garnered
the reputation of being a transit point for trafficking syndicates to places
like Australia. Local authorities have identified the state of Sabah as one of
the country’s trafficking “hotspots” where groups or individuals operate and
lure people into the sex trade, among others. Meanwhile, the Australian
government has hailed Kuala Lumpur’s efforts in preventing the entry of
unauthorized migrants into its shores. Canberra said the cooperation agreement
between the two nations has yielded over 700 unauthorized migrants.
Asylum-seekers, unauthorized migrants, suspected syndicate nabbed
Malaysian authorities detained four groups of
migrants attempting to enter the country in separate encounters. Near the state
of Perak, police arrested 75 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers after refusing to
disembark from their intercepted trawler in a 57-hour standoff. Elsewhere, in
Kelantan, authorities detained 30 unauthorized immigrants from Bangladesh,
Burma, India, Indonesia and Nepal who hid in a jungle. The foreign nationals,
according to the police, did not possess valid documents. Meanwhile, immigration
officials in Penang nabbed 220 unauthorized migrants – mostly from Indonesia but
also included Burma, India and the Philippines – who did not have passports,
misused work permits and failed to renew expired passes. In related news, a boat
chase near the beach town of Tanjung Balau, Johor, yielded 22 Indonesians
suspected of engaging in trafficking activities.
Sources: “Malaysia launches anti-human
trafficking plan,” Borneo Bulletin, 1
April 2010; “Police detain 30 illegal immigrants,”
New Straits Times, 2 April 2010;
Farik Zolkepli, “22 Indonesians nabbed after high-speed boat chase,”
The Star, 5 April 2010; “Action
against employers who do not renew workers’ visas,”
The Star, 11 April 2010; “Low maid
rates proposed,” The Star, 13 April
2010; “Malaysia helped to reduce human smuggling,”
The Star, 13 April 2010; “Cap on
foreign workers likely,” The Star, 14
April 2010; Farrah Naz Karim, “Deadline on foreign labour,”
New Straits Times, 14 April 2010;
Jack Wong, “Planters asked to increase Indonesian salaries to address labour
shortage,” The Star, 15 April 2010;
“220 illegals nabbed,” New Straits Times,
18 April 2010; “Malaysia to raise cost of employing foreign labour,”
The Economic Times, 19 April 2010;
Nurul Huda Jamaluddin, “Foreign worker cutback deadline unrealistic, say
industrial bodies,” Malay Mail, 19
April 2010; T.K. Letchumy Tamboo,“Employers withholding workers passports to
face action,” Malay Mail, 22 April
2010; “Employers Tan Sin Chow and Winnie Yeoh, “Sri Lankans detained after
57-hour deadlock,” The Star, 26 April
2010; “Sabah a hotspot for human trafficking,”
Free Malaysia Today, 28 April 2010
Philippines (see also
China,
Japan, Lebanon, Qatar,
Saudi
Arabia, Brunei)
Remittances up by seven percent in February
Remittances by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)
rose by 7.1 percent to US$1.4 billion in February 2010 compared to the previous
year, according to the Central Bank. Among the chief sources of remittances were
the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore,
the United Arab Emirates, Italy and Germany. The Central Bank also forecasted
that remittances would top the US$18 billion-mark in 2010 as it projected a
growth of at least eight percent for the year. Among others, it cited the
increased demand for Filipino workers across all categories and industries. Two
private entities, for their part, estimated a hike in remittances of between 8
and 10 percent. Despite the optimistic outlook, however, the same bank officials
anticipated a drop in the country’s balance of payments from 2009.
Meanwhile, the government raised an initial 346
million worth of multi-currency dollar and euro bonds geared at encouraging
overseas Filipinos and their families to invest. The three- and five-year bonds,
offered to the public from 21-27 April, were issued with coupon rates at 2.875
and 4.125 percent, respectively. Because of its success, there are plans to
issue another set of bonds sometime in the last quarter of the year. Its value
could be somewhere near US$500 million.
Overseas
voter turnout low
The Department of Foreign Affairs reported an
overseas absentee voting turnout of 72,034 more than halfway through the
month-long process that aims to incorporate expatriate Filipinos into their home
country’s electoral process. The total, however, represented just 12 percent of
the total number of registered voters across the globe. The department said
majority of the voters came from Hong Kong and Singapore, which were the two
countries that made use of the automated precinct count optical scan machines,
and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This was a significant drop from the 65 percent
turnout in 2004 and even the 16 percent tally three years after. On the first
day of voting, authorities said a total of 4,141 overseas Filipinos had cast
their votes.
Filipinos
3rd most numerous among new American citizens
Filipinos made up the third largest number of
newly naturalized American citizens in 2009, the United States Department of
Homeland Security said. Just above the Philippines, which constituted 5.2
percent of the total number of new citizens, was Mexico and India. All in all,
38,934 Filipinos acquired US citizenship in 2009.
China-Taiwan pact could displace Filipino workers
Labor and economic officials have expressed
concern over the impending pact between China and Taiwan of an Economic
Cooperation Framework Agreement and its impact on OFWs. The pact, they said,
could threaten the jobs of Filipinos with Taiwanese firms in both the
Philippines and Taiwan since the agreement would give firms the option of
relocating to the mainland. No less than Philippine President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo echoed these sentiments as she instructed officials to look
into its possible consequences, which also include a decrease in tourist
arrivals from Taiwan. Already, the relaxation of barriers to travel between
China and Taiwan has resulted in a 14.7 percent drop in tourist arrivals from
Taiwan to the Philippines in 2009. At present, there are about 94,000 Filipino
workers in Taiwan.
OFWs
repatriated from Taiwan, UAE due to crisis
Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates sent home
the most number of Filipino workers as a result of the global economic downturn,
the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said. As of 30 September 2009,
4,428 out of the total 6,957 displaced Filipino workers came from Taiwan, while
1,357 were from the UAE. Among those displaced, 4,495 came back home, official
figures state. Labor officials, however, were quick to declare that overseas
deployment of workers is expected to increase, particularly to the Middle East
and the Republic of Korea. They said there at least 5,000 jobs for nurses in the
Gulf area, but also acknowledged the scarcity in takers for fears of personal
security, among others.
Distressed repatriated from Middle East
Three batches of 574 distressed overseas
Filipino workers from different parts of the Middle East arrived home late this
month. According to labor officials, 426 came from Saudi Arabia; 100 from the
United Arab Emirates; Jordan, 28; Bahrain, 13 and seven from Syria. No less than
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo welcomed the returning workers, who were
brought back home as a result of maltreatment, labor in poor working conditions,
unpaid salaries, police and immigration cases and various illnesses. Their plane
fares and were shouldered by both government agencies and private firms. In
addition, they will be given allowances to cover for travel expenses within the
country. Officials also said they would provide the repatriated workers with
livelihood and skills training, as well as assistance in obtaining jobs back
home.
Seafarers
hijacked, rescued
Nineteen Filipino seafarers were among the
latest victims of another hijacking off the coast of Somalia. The sailors,
aboard the South Korean-owned and Marshall Islands-flagged M/V Samho Dream, were
on their way from Iraq to the state of Louisiana in the United States when
Somali pirates seized their vessel. The South Korean government said it would
not enter into any negotiations with the pirates, and at the same time mobilized
a 4,500-ton destroyer to the Somali coastline.
Meanwhile, 15 seamen rescued from the sunken
cargo ship M/V Kea have been repatriated. Officials said the seafarers, onboard
the Barbados-registered vessel, returned home from Cape Villano, Galicia, Spain,
site of the ship’s mishap. However, they noted that two more Filipino sailors
were still missing. A third ship with Filipinos onboard, M/V VOC Daisy, was
intercepted almost 200 miles off southeast Oman. Authorities confirmed that 21
Filipino crew members are being held by pirates as a result.
Arroyo to
plead for two Filipinos on death row
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she plans
to appeal to Saudi Arabia’s king to spare the life of an overseas worker
sentenced to death for allegedly killing his landlord in June 2009. The
Filipino, who hails from the same province as Arroyo, was given 30 days to
appeal his case, which the president intends to undertake on his behalf before
King Abdullah bin Aziz Al Saud. Meanwhile, Arroyo’s spokesperson said she was
assured by Spanish King Juan Carlos I of his intercession to save a Filipino
woman from capital punishment, this time in Kuwait, for reportedly slaying her
employer’s 22-year-old daughter in 2007.
Top
airport official probed for human smuggling
Manila’s airport authority has launched a probe
into alleged human smuggling activities by its own assistant manager. Angel
Atutubo, a retired armed forces general, took a leave of absence before being
placed under preventive suspension after reportedly allowing a batch of about 70
oil rig workers to depart for Timor Leste using a chartered plane without going
through the standard pre-departure procedures. While Atutubo has denied any
wrongdoing, his superiors found that five of the 70 passengers possessed fake
travel documents, while one did not have any in-hand. They were also informed
that Atutubo signed a permit to allow the passengers to board the plane from the
ramp area, with the help of hired mini-buses and cars. Airport authorities have
already sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation and a task force
set up to combat human smuggling to probe the case. Meanwhile, the Justice
Department has filed human trafficking raps against a private firm alleged to
have facilitated the issuance of quick loans and used mere tourist visas and
fake job offers to deploy 137 Filipinos as bus drivers in Dubai. The drivers
said they were being made to pay Php1.9 million (US$41,000) in outstanding
loans.
Teachers
win lawsuit, US$1.8 million
A judge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
has ordered a California-based placement office to pay an estimated US$1.8
million to a group of about 360 Filipino teachers. The teachers sued Universal
Placement Inc. (UPI), which was found guilty of charging fees that reached as
high as US$15,000 per person. The judge said the firm operated without a proper
Louisiana license since it was based in a different state, but indicated that
she could not order the company to return all other fees obtained from the
teachers, nor nullify their contracts with the agency since these were beyond
her jurisdiction. Aside from the hefty fees, the teachers said they were ordered
by UPI to surrender a percentage of their annual salaries. For its part, UPI
said it provided the teachers with a full disclosure of all fees and costs they
needed to shoulder, and laid blame on the teachers’ union, the Louisiana
Federation of Teachers, which also filed a complaint against the firm.
Sources: “Arrival of 15 Pinoy seamen delayed,”
Manila Bulletin, 4 April 2010; “19
Filipino sailors in hijacked tanker – DFA,”
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 5 April
2010; Lawrence Agcaoili, “OFW inflows seen growing by 8-10%,”
The Philippine Star, 7 April 2010;
Mayen Jaymalin and Rainier Allan Ronda, “15 seafarers from sunken ship due in RP
today,” The Philippine Star, 7 April
2010; Rudy Santos, “MIAA executive probed for human smuggling try,”
The Philippine Star, 7 April 2010;
“NAIA GM faces probe over human smuggling,”
ABS-CBN News, 8 April 2010; “Taiwan,
Emirates sent home most OFWs,” Business
World, 8 April 2010; “All about overseas absentee voting,”
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 10 April
2010; “300 Filipino teachers sue LA-based recruiter,”
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 11 April
2010; “4,141 overseas Pinoys cast votes,”
ABS-CBN News, 11 April 2010; “POEA sees South Korea hiring 5,000 Pinoy
workers,” Manila Bulletin, 12 April
2010; “Human trafficking charges filed against lending firm,”
Manila Times, 14 April 2010; “OFW
remittances rise 7.1% in February,” The
Philippine Star, 16 April 2010; “GMA moves to save 2 OFWs from death,”
Manila Bulletin, 17 April 2010;
“Placement firm ordered to refund $1.8 million to Filipino teachers,”
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 17 April
2010; “Pinoy teachers win case vs US recruiter,”
The Philippine Star, 18 April 2010;
“No takers for nursing jobs,” 21 April 2010,
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 21 April
2010; Mia M. Gonzalez, “RP prepares for impact of China-Taiwan ECFA,”
Business Mirror, 21 April 2010; Chino
S. Leyco, “Gov’t sells $346-million worth of OFW bonds,”
Manila Bulletin, 21 April 2010; “Ship
with 21 Filipino sailors hijacked,”
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 22 April 2010; “The PRC-Taiwan pact will hurt
us,” Manila Times, 22 April 2010;
Dennis Gadil, “Gov’t may issue 2nd OFW bond in Q4,”
Malaya, 23 April 2010; Karl Wilson,
“Repatriated Filipinos arrive to big welcome,”
The National, 23 April 2010; “Arroyo
set to meet with repatriated OFWs from Mideast,”
GMA News, 24 April 2010; Paolo
Romero, “OWWA told to assist returning overseas workers,”
The Philippine Star, 24 April 2010;
Michelle Remo, “BSP jacks up remittances growth forecast”,
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 25 April
2010; Rodney J. Jaleco, “’Pinoy teachers in Louisiana knew what they were
getting into’,” ABS-CBN News, 25
April 2010; Jimmy Calapati, “BOP seen dropping for 2nd year in 2010,”
Malaya, 26 April 2010; Jimmy
Calapati, “BSP ups ’10 remittance forecast,”
Malaya, 26 April 2010; Veronica Uy,
“In 2009: Filipinos 3rd most number of new US citizens,”
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 26 April
2010; Jerrie M. Abella, “Overseas absentee voter turnout hits 12%,”
GMA News, 28 April 2010; Mia M.
Gonzalez, “Labor deployment to ME will continue to rise,”
Business Mirror, 28 April 2010
Groups deplore rising cases
of illegal deployment of foreign workers
Last year, some 412
complaints of illegal deployment were lodged by migrant workers to the NGO,
Transient Workers Count Too (TWCT), while another group, the Humanitarian
Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) received similar complaints from 400
other migrant workers. The increasing incidents of employers deploying their
migrant employees to jobs other than those contained in their work permits have
alarmed various migrant advocacy groups. They suspect that employers are using
this technical loophole as a means to exploit their migrant workers and escape
the responsibility of paying their wages when the illegal arrangement is
uncovered by authorities. Member of Parliament Halimah Yacob, chair of the
Parliamentary Committee for Manpower, also echoed this sentiment and called for
tougher measures and stiffer penalties against errant employers behind the
illegal deployment of migrant workers. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Manpower
alleged that the problem is now under control after the ministry intensified its
efforts to go after errant employers and educate foreign workers about their
employment rights.
Sources: Leong Wee Keat,
“Complaints of workers deployed illegally up from 16 to 412,”
Today Online, 9 April 2010; Leong Wee
keat, “Illegal hiring of foreign workers under control,”
Today Online, 27 April 2010
54 Burmese irregular migrants
suffocated to death
Fifty-four Burmese irregular
migrant workers died from suffocation while being transported to Phuket inside
an airtight frozen seafood container truck. The 37 women and 17 men who died
were among 121 Burmese passengers inside the cold storage truck. They each paid
a Thai human smuggling syndicate 5,000 baht to sneak them into the Thai resort
island where they hoped to find work as day laborers. Ten other Burmese migrants
who suffered from dehydration and lack of oxygen were taken to the hospital
while the 57 other migrants who escaped unharmed have been arrested for
unauthorized entry into Thailand.
Source: “54 illegal workers
from Myanmar die in cold storage in Thailand,”
Japan Today, 11 April 2010
Vietnam
(see also
China, Taiwan)
Migrant worker deployment
In the first three months of
this year, nearly 17,000 Vietnamese migrant workers were deployed overseas under
the government’s labor export program. Malaysia and Taiwan continue to be major
destinations for Vietnamese workers because these two countries have no strict
language or skills requirements for foreign workers. In addition, Vietnam
expects to send some 12,500 migrant workers to South Korea under the Employment
Permit System. Other countries that have job opportunities for skilled
Vietnamese workers in the fields of security, construction, welding, mechanics
and services, include the UAE, Qatar and Libya.
New regulation to require
expat workers to obtain work permits
The Ministry of Labor, War
Invalids and Social Affairs has issued a new regulation requiring all foreign
workers in Vietnam to obtain work permits starting July. However, many
expatriate workers have expressed concern over the lack of clear guidelines on
how they can comply with the new rule. According to official data, there are
currently close to 60,000 documented expatriate workers in Vietnam and an
additional 20,000 other foreign workers who are undocumented, most of whom are
in manual labor.
Sources:
“17,000 Vietnamese workers sent abroad in first quarter,”
Saigon GP Daily, 4 April 2010;
Bernama, “Vietnam sends abroad 17,000 guest workers in first quarter of this
year,” 5 April 2010; “Work permit labyrinth frustrates expats,”
Thanh Nien News, 10 April 2010;
“Nearly 17,000 Vietnamese migrate overseas for employment in Q1,”
VietNamNet, 15 April 2010
PACIFIC
Australia
(see also
Sri Lanka,
Indonesia, New Zealand)
Australia freezes processing
of asylum claims from Afghans, Sri Lankans
On 9 April, Australia
announced that it was suspending the processing of all new immigration claims
from Sri Lankans and Afghans effective immediately. According to Immigration
Minister Chris Evans, the decision was made on account of the improving security
conditions in the two countries, with Sri Lanka having ended its two-decade
civil war and Afghanistan implementing constitutional and legal reforms. The
federal government will allegedly review the situation in Sri Lanka after three
months and in Afghanistan after six months. Although the asylum claims from
nationals of these two countries will not be processed during the suspension
period, Australian authorities will continue to conduct health and security
checks on them. Australian officials clarified that despite its hard line stance
against people smuggling, it will not abandon its humanitarian responsibility of
providing protection to people who are genuinely in need of it.
The opposition and various
human rights groups warned that the government’s decision might violate the
country’s international obligations and Australia’s own Racial Discrimination
Act. Critics also questioned the government’s assessment of the security
conditions in Afghanistan. For its part, the UNHCR expressed concern that the
prolonged detention of asylum seekers covered by the suspension order might have
ill effects on their health and wellbeing.
Meanwhile, refugee advocates
expressed doubt that the policy change will have a negative impact on boat
arrivals. In the month of April alone, 16 boats had arrived in Australia
carrying more than 600 asylum seekers or a total of 49 boat arrivals since the
beginning of this year. Even during the monsoon season from January to early
April when seas were rough, more than 1,808 irregular migrants and 96 crew
members have made it to Australia by boat.
In Indonesia, UN High
Commissioner for Refugees in Indonesia Manuel Jordao believes that many of the
close to 4,000 asylum seekers currently registered with the UNHCR are likely to
make their own way to Australia with the help of people smugglers rather than
wait to be resettled through legal channels. In addition, there are thousands of
other Afghans, Pakistanis, Iranians, Iraqis and Sri Lankans hiding in the
mountains outside Jakarta who bypass the UNHCR altogether and rely completely on
people smugglers to take them to Australia. Authorities estimate that around 80
percent of the asylum seekers heading to Australia by boat are from Afghanistan
and Sri Lanka and are therefore affected by the new asylum processing freeze.
Christmas Island facilities
stretched to accommodate more new arrivals
The Department of Immigration
was earlier quoted as saying that Christmas Island has the capacity to hold
2,040 people. However, as of 2 April, the number of people in immigration
detention on the island has already reached 2,066 and the flow of asylum seekers
shows no sign of abating. This development notwithstanding, Prime Minister Kevin
Rudd continued to claim that there is still room for more asylum seekers on the
island. Earlier, the immigration department transformed some teaching rooms into
additional dormitories and last November it set up tents to accommodate more
people. The department also made room by sending people to the mainland, some of
whom had been granted visas while others were simply moved to other detention
facilities, like Villawood. Meanwhile, the federal opposition has challenged
Immigration Minister Chris Evans to disclose how much it is costing the
government to accommodate the increasing number of asylum seekers on the island.
In related news, Immigration
Minister Chris Evans announced on 18 April that the federal government plans to
reopen the isolated detention center at the Curtin Air Base in the Kimberley
region to relieve the overcrowding of detainees on Christmas Island. The
announcement came amid criticism by human rights groups, refugee advocates and
the UNHCR that the combination of troubling factors, such as mandatory
detention, freeze on the processing of asylum claims, and the geographical
isolation of the Curtin facility, might jeopardize the health and well-being of
asylum seekers.
40 Tamil asylum seekers in
Merak stand-off now in Australia
Indonesian authorizes are
moving to end its six-month stand-off with a group of more than 200
Australia-bound Tamil asylum seekers who refused to leave their boat at the port
of Merak. However, before the impasse could be resolved, 40 asylum seekers
belonging to some 15 families from the original Merak group had made their way
to Australia just ahead of the asylum processing freeze. The group included
nine-year old Brindha who appealed to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd six months ago
to accept her as a refugee and allow her to settle in Australia
Coalition backtracks on
proposed immigration cut
According to opposition
immigration spokesperson Scott Morrison, the average net overseas migration
intake of over 300,000 a year that occurred under the Rudd administration was
unsustainable and would not be allowed by the Coalition. However, the
Coalition’s plan to slash immigration intake if it wins the elections was
strongly opposed by business groups on the grounds that such a move would pose a
threat to Australia’s productivity. Experts also questioned the figure cited by
Mr. Morrison which allegedly includes foreign students and temporary workers.
Morrison’s announcement also
angered senior opposition members who complained that the decision was made
without prior consultation. The
backlash on the proposed migrant cut forced Mr. Morrison to later admit that his
comment was not a Coalition policy but was simply a personal observation.
Sources: Paige Taylor, “80
aboard as 101st asylum-seeker boat arrives undetected at Christmas
Island,” The Australian, 1 April
2010; Paige Taylor, “Capacity exceeded on Christmas Island with 138 new
arrivals,” The Australian, 2 April
2010; AAP, “Another asylum boat intercepted,”
ABC News, 2 April 2010; Paul Maley
and Paige Taylor, “Christmas Island goes over the limit for detainees,”
The Australian, 3 April 2010;
“Christmas Island not full yet, says Rudd,”
ABC News, 3 April 2010; “Still room
on Christmas Island: Rudd,” Sydney
Morning Herald, 3 April 2010; “Boat with 54 asylum seekers intercepted,”
The Age, 4 April 2010; Alison Rehn, “Tardis
solution as more asylum seekers arrive,”
The Daily Telegraph, 5 April 2010; Patricia Karvelas, “Coalition to reduce
migration,” The Australian, 6 April
2010; Joe Kelly, “Coalition to call business leaders over plan to cut migrant
numbers,” The Australian, 7 April
2010; Patricia Karvelas, “Business rejects migrant cut,”
The Australian, 7 April 2010; Phillip
Coorey, “Libs turn on Abbott over cuts to migrants,”
Sydney Morning Herald, 8 April 2010;
Tom Allard, “Boat people trade ‘out of control,’”
Sydney Morning Herald, 9 April 2010;
Katharine Murphy and Andrew Heasley, “Opposition signals it is all at sea on
immigration,” The Age, 9 April 2010;
AAP, “Immigration clampdown: processing asylum seeker claims from Sri Lankans
and Afghanis suspended,” Sydney Morning
Herald, 9 April 2010; AP, “Australia: No more Afghan, Sri Lankan refugees,”
The Star Online, 9 April 2010;
Katharine Murphy and Michelle Grattan, “Rudd backflip slams asylum seeker door,”
The Age, 10 April 2010; AAP, “Another
asylum seeker boat arrives,’ Sydney
Morning Herald, 10 April 2010; AFP, “UNHCR reviewing rules on Afghan and Sri
Lankan refugees,” The Daily Star, 10
April 2010; “Asylum policy may face legal challenge,”
The Age, 10 April 2010; Josh Gordon,
“Legal bid likely on refugees,” The Age,
11 April 2010; Andrea Hayward, “Policy change ‘unlikely to stop boats,’”
The Age,
11 April 2010; Karlis Salna, “Rudd defends asylum seeker ban,”
Sydney Morning Herald, 11 April 2010;
AAP, “New asylum seeker boat intercepted,”
The Age, 11 April 2010; Reuters,
“Australia warns boatpeople may be sent home,”
The Star Online, 11 April 2010; Tom
Allard, “Indonesia briefed, and backs freeze,”
Sydney Morning Herald, 12 April 2010;
Paul Maley and Paige Taylor, “Asylum claim freeze won’t stop the boats, says
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith,” The
Australian, 12 April 2010; Phil Mercer, “Australia faces backlash over
freeze on accepting refugees from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan,”
VOA News, 12 April 2010; Mark
Metherell and Belinda Kontominas, “Afghan boat stance at odds with travel
warning,” Sydney Morning Herald, 12
April 2010; Charles Miranda, “Flotilla of asylum seekers heads to Oz,”
The Daily Telegraph, 12 April 2010;
“Opposition slams asylum seeker policy,”
The Age, 12 April 2010; Stephen Johnson, “Another boat arrives as UN slams
freeze,” The Age, 16 April 2010;
“Parts of Sri Lanka, Afghanistan OK: PM,”
The Age, 16 April 2010; Cortland Bennett, “Curtin Air Base to hold asylum
seekers,” The Age, 18 April 2010; Tom
Hyland, “Reports throw doubt on tough refugee stance,”
The Age, 18 April 2010; Bill Tarrant,
Reuters, “Australia to move asylum-seekers to military base,”
The Star Online, 18 April 2010; AAP,
“Detention centre a ‘living hell hole,’”
The Age, 18 April 2010; “Fifty people arrive on island,”
Sydney Morning Herald, 18 April 2010;
AAP, “Labor’s refugee policy out of Howard era,”
Sydney Morning Herald, 19 April 2010;
AP, “UNHCR concern as Australia detains asylum-seekers,”
Taiwan News Online, 19 April 2010;
“Curtin shows Rudd can’t stop boats: Libs,”
The Age, 19 April 2010; Mark Davis,
“Ruddock derides reopening of Curtin,”
The Age, 20 April 2010; Stephen Fitzpatrick, “Merak girl Brindha beats ban
on refugees,’ The Australian, 21
April 2010; Patricia Karvelas, “Teens settle in amid fears of isolation,
distress,” The Australian, 21 April
2010; “Boat intercepted off WA,” Sydney
Morning Herald, 21 April 2010; Paige Taylor, “Asylum seekers arrive at
Christmas Island,” The Australian, 24
April 2010; Paige Taylor, “Disorder not enough for asylum,”
The Australian, 24 April 2010; “Boat
arrivals hit ‘new milestone,’” Sydney
Morning Herald, 26 April 2010; “Boat with asylum seekers intercepted,”
Sydney Morning Herald, 26 April 2010;
Alison Rehn, “$344 million to house 4200 refugees at $82,000 a head,”
The Daily Telegraph, 27 April 2010;
“Asylum seeker boat ‘will cost $3.3m,’”
Sydney Morning Herald, 27 April 2010; Karlis Salna, “Navy intercepts asylum
seeker boat,” Sydney Morning Herald,
28 April 2010; “Another asylum seeker boat intercepted,”
Sydney Morning Herald, 29 April 2010
Pro-migrant groups slam new
visa policy
Migrant advocacy groups are
questioning the so called Silver Fern job search visa, a new scheme that would
allow skilled young overseas graduates to come to New Zealand to find employment
within a nine-month period. The scheme is open to skilled young graduates from
other countries between the ages of 20 and 35. The move, according to
Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman, is intended to draw in young people with
the right skills to New Zealand.
However, migrant groups say it would be unfair to let these young foreign
professionals get stuck in New Zealand after finding out that there are no
available jobs for them.
Migrants are good workers:
survey
The Department of Labor
conducted a survey last year on some 424 employers who had contacts with
Immigration New Zealand to assess the costs and benefits of hiring migrant
workers. The survey revealed that 87 percent of employers had good reviews about
their migrant employees. More than one-third of respondents claimed that the
skills and experience of their migrant employees were not available in New
Zealand. Immigration Minister
Jonathan Coleman said the survey results affirm the positive impact of migrant
workers to the country’s economy.
Kiwi migration to Australia
rising anew
Data released by the
Statistics New Zealand in March showed that long-term migration of Kiwis to
Australia is again rising. The average number of long-term departures to
Australia before the global economic crisis was 4,200. This dropped to 2,100
during the 2009 recession but the current seasonally-adjusted figure has gone up
to 3,000 a month. The data also
showed a surge in short-term visitors from Australia and a rising number of
arrivals from Korea and China.
Sources: NZPA, “Survey shows
migrants are good workers – minister,”
The New Zealand Herald, 13 April 2010;
“Kiwis heading for Australia again,”
The New Zealand Herald, 23 April
2010; “New visa under fire,”
The New Zealand Herald, 26 April 2010
|
Editors |
Fabio Baggio and Maruja Asis |
|
Researchers |
Cecilia Marave, Christian Soler, Leonila
Domingo and John Paul Asis |
|
Citation |
Asian Migration News,
1-30 April 2010 |
|
Past Issues |
|
|
Correspondence |
Scalabrini Migration Center
|