The Migrant Workers Rights Programme seeks to remedy the extreme situations of a lack of legal protection, rights to redress and access to justice for migrant workers. The abuse, exploitation and discrimination faced by migrant workers are rooted in the absence of a comprehensive legal protection for migrant workers who are often treated as temporary cheap commodity to meet development needs. The situation is made worse when the costs of migration had also pushed many poor migrant workers to become undocumented migrant workers. Some exploitative employers also refused to renew work permits and defaulted in paying wages, hence forcing migrant workers to become undocumented too.
However, CARAM Asia viewed the lack of documentation as an administrative issue which should not deny undocumented migrant workers their human rights. Through advocacy with various stakeholders, CARAM Asia’s lobby for a comprehensive legal protection for all migrant workers regardless of immigration status.
Foreign Domestic Workers (FDW) programme area focuses on the recognition of domestic work as a socio-economic activity and to have it included under national employment act or labour laws in both origin and destination countries.
Key activities include advocacy, utilising appropriate international instruments, public campaigns and awareness programmes. It will also build regional cooperation with other networks, trade unions and organisations to strengthen the response towards protecting and promoting labour and health rights of foreign domestic workers. Read more about the FDW Campaign here
CARAM Asia also initiated the formation of the United for Foreign Domestic Workers Rights (UFDWRs), a coalition of regional or international groups to advocate for foreign domestic workers’ rights.
Click to read the UDFWR booklet
Click to read the UDFWR blog
Key Priorities:
-
Foreign Domestic Workers
-
Access to justice/ legal framework
-
Undocumented migrant workers
Task Force Members
Convener
-
Sheepa Hafiza, Director, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC)
Members
-
Adaleh Center for Human Rights Studies, Jordan
-
Asosiasi Tenaga Kerja Indonesia (ATKI), Indonesia
-
Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Bahrain
-
Bangladeshi Ovibashi Mohila Sramik Association (BOMSA), Bangladesh
-
Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (H.O.M.E.), Singapore
-
Migrant Services Centre (MSC), Sri Lanka
-
Nepal Institute of Development Studies (NIDS), Nepal
-
Pourakhi, Nepal
-
Rights Jessore, Bangladesh