facilitate this, countries of origin must rapidly set up platforms where workers can lodge online
complaints and also put in place hotline numbers that workers can call on any day to learn
about how to come forward and register their claims for wage theft. Migrant workers must be
provided regular and prompt updates on the progress and the outcome of their claims against
wage theft.
Third, inform and empower: to enable the migrant workers to effectively claim their rights, the
state must use all means of communication available including public and social media, to
inform them of the mechanisms through which they can claim their rights and register their
grievances.
Countries of Destination
To avoid massive wage theft becoming the legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries of
destination must exercise leadership and embrace innovation to tackle this problem until it is
eradicated. The measures below are but a few examples of how countries of destination can
intervene to guarantee justice for migrant workers who were employed in their territories.
First, Build Bridges of Trust: Many of the most vulnerable migrant communities have been
marginalized by societal and political systems for a very long time. As such, they are the most
severely affected by the pandemic. Now is the right time to reach out to affected communities
and build bridges. No amount of policy reforms can restore confidence in an issue which is
persistent and now exacerbated in the time of Covid-19. In order to build trust, countries of
destination must prioritize reaching out to migrant communities and giving them reassurance
that everyone can come forward and register their grievances safely, without incurring in any
legal or economic consequences. Outreach efforts must encompass all migrant workers
including domestic workers and take into account their specific needs. Destination countries
should create a firewall between labor law and immigration enforcement, ensuring that
migrant workers can come forward without fear of retaliation, detention or deportation.
When in countries of destination, workers must be allowed to file complaints online, or directly
in person at relevant ministries. The documentation requirement to file claims for stolen wages
by the legal heirs of migrant workers who lost their lives during the pandemic should be
simplified to avoid delay in submitting the claims for the statutory dues. Workers or their
families should be received with dignity and respect, providing due attention to the registration
of their claims. To support this, public awareness campaigns and social media must be set up,