Since the start of the pandemic, more than 200,000 migrant workers have been repatriated to
Asia from different parts of the world. This number is expected to climb exponentially over the
next few months, says a press release.
Countries like India, Nepal, Bangladesh and the Philippines, anticipate the eventual return of
a large number of their migrant workers population abroad. Without proper controls,
employers might take advantage of mass repatriation programs to terminate and return
workers who have not been paid their due compensation, wages and benefits.
Thus, without ensuring that companies and employers are doing their due diligence to protect
and fulfil the human rights and labour rights of repatriated migrant workers, states across the
migration corridor become complicit in overseeing procedures where millions of workers will
be returning without their earned wages or workplace grievances being heard, nor seeing
justice in their situation.
"Extraordinary times, call for extraordinary measures" said William Gois, Regional
Coordinator of Migrant Forum in Asia adding, "millions will suffer if this crime goes
unnoticed. We cannot see this as collateral damage brought by the pandemic".
It should be a priority to guarantee that all repatriated workers with legitimate claims are able
to access justice and some kind of compensation, he added.
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