OVERSEAS Filipino workers (OFWs) have been among the frequent victims of human and labor rights abuses against migrant workers, according to data released by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) on Wednesday.
The study revealed that Filipino and Indian workers, both at 7%, were among the common victims of migrant work abuse, following Chinese (8%), Bangladeshi (17%), and Nepali (20%) workers.
BHRRC said reports from Dec. 1, 2022, to Nov. 30, 2023, revealed that migrant workers across Asia have suffered some of the worst forms of abuse. “Worryingly, the scope and scale of abuse is believed to be much higher than these figures indicate,” it said in a statement.
Among the reported cases reported by migrant workers in Asia were wage theft (30%), occupational health and safety breaches (29%), recruitment fee-charging (26%), intimidation (22%), and precarious or unsuitable living conditions (18%).
“Migrant workers have endured recruitment fee-charging and exploitative debt, wage theft, employers taking advantage of precarious immigration status, as well as threats and physical abuse,” said BHRRC Senior Migrant Rights Researcher Isobel Archer in a statement.
“Low-wage, temporary or undocumented workers are particularly vulnerable to labor rights abuse, while gender and nationality also shape the form and extent of abuse experienced by migrant workers,” she added.
The study also noted that agriculture and fishing (24%), manufacturing (19%), and construction and engineering (19%) were the most dangerous sectors for migrant workers in the region.
The research showed that most companies tied to abuses in Asia were headquartered in the United States in 17 cases. Companies in Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Australia were involved in seven cases each.
Meanwhile, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said women migrant workers were the most vulnerable to different kinds of workplace violence and abuse.
In a media briefing on Tuesday in Quezon City, ILO Philippines National Project Coordinator Rex Varona said eight out of 10 Filipino migrant workers employed in precarious work susceptible to abuse are women.
To assist overseas workers, the ILO said its Safe and Fair (SAF) program has helped a total of 2,540 Filipino women migrant workers to have access to psychosocial, legal, health, and other capacity-building initiatives.
In an interview, Mr. Varona said in Filipino, “We aim to expand and institutionalize the initiatives set by the SAF program, including the reintegration program, social protection mechanism, migrant resource centers, and training tools for our migrant workers,” citing that government bodies could participate in strengthening these programs.
The SAF Program, launched in 2018 together with the United Nations (UN) Women, which will conclude by this year, aims to ensure safety and fairness in labor migration for women in Southeast Asian countries. — Jomel R. Paguian
