Wage Theft and Development Loss As the world moves forward in building back better, it is pertinent to recognize how migrant workers’ experience of wage theft has had a subsequent impact on development in more ways than one. The colossal amount that migrant workers lose in wages and benefits is equivalent to what is lost in reintegration, in remittances, and in economic development gained from migration overall. Considering the amount documented through the Justice for Wage Theft platform is only a small fraction of the total owed to migrants across the world, it can be inferred that there is also a significant loss of potential success stories of migrant workers - in entrepreneurship, social enterprises, and successful return and reintegration programs. When migrant workers return empty-handed, without having been able to receive their wages and end-of-service benefits through years of service, countries of origin simultaneously bear the brunt of wage theft experienced by migrant workers as they return home. Migrant workers experience psychosocial impacts as a result of wage theft. As they return home, they are burdened with an increasing load of problems they need to figure out solutions to as a result of being unpaid their dues and salaries. Instead of looking forward to coming home to their families, they are burdened to deal with issues such as unpaid debt, unemployment, and especially the survival of their families while dealing with the uncertainty of their livelihood. Countries of origin in this respect bear the costs manifested by the psychosocial impacts which migrants experience - specifically in the form of social protection needed to support migrants upon their return. Let’s not make the mistake by equating wage theft with the pandemic because wage theft was there before the pandemic. The pandemic only amplified these problems because employers chose to use the pandemic as an excuse to not pay wages and benefits to migrants. Sumitha Shaanthini Kishna, Chairperson of the Executive Committee, Migrant Forum in Asia at the UN General Assembly Side Event, “Strengthening Migrant Protection: Addressing Wage Theft Against Migrant Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic “ While countries of origin attempt to manage the consequences of wage theft to their migrants, countries of destination continue to reap the benefits of the service and hard work of migrant workers and its resulting contribution to the economic growth of countries of destination. From this perspective, migrant workers are subsidizing the development of countries of destination. There is an increasing disconnect between countries of origin and destination as the amount of wages lost in the growing cases of wage theft continues to be unknown and unaccounted for. Without the sense of accountability from states, there is also a sense of justice that is missing for migrants as they step into their lives after migration. There is a need for countries of origin and destination to step up in partnership and collaboration to leverage access to justice for migrants while forming a linkage with sustainable and inclusive reintegration. A framework must be developed to identify co-responsibility between states 8