COVID-19 Response: Policy Changes are needed to protect migrants in Malaysia
Social distancing is almost impossible for migrant workers who live in crowded housing in Malaysia, and ECCHR discusses how garment companies could have conducted adequate human rights due-diligence pre COVID-19.
We continue our COVID-19 conversations with community members from around the world. As updates pour in, we wanted to share some of the inspiring actions we’re hearing about from partners. Utthan, a survivor leaders’ collective in India, wrote this letter to Corona, as if corona were a person. International Justice Mission (IJM) is working in the Greater Mekong Subregion to protect the large workforce of migrant labourers crossing borders to find work across a range of industries. And partners in Latin America shared a reflection on the situation in Colombia (in Spanish) and concerns related to the duration of the quarantine.
COVID-19 Response: Updates from the frontlines in Malaysia
Last weeks’ webinar session focused on the impacts of the pandemic in Malaysia, particularly on migrant workers.
Malaysia is home to an estimated 5.5 million migrant workers, more than half of whom are undocumented. These workers come from countries across Asia, with the majority coming from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Social distancing is almost impossible for migrant workers who live in crowded housing, which is often the case on construction sites, and maintaining good hygiene is a challenge in these living conditions. Not being able to move (for two months now) has had implications for migrant workers’ mental health. Without work, migrant workers are not able to send remittances to their families back home – money that is especially needed by families during and in recovery from lockdown situations.
As a result of a wage subsidy programme that excludes foreign workers, companies might not renew or might terminate the contracts of migrant worker employees in order to reduce the cost of their operations during the recovery period. From previous incidents of mass lay-offs, we know these result in an increased number of undocumented workers.
Many workers who have been told to continue working have not been provided with masks or disinfectant products, and there is little social distancing in the workplace. Isolating migrants are increasingly worried that those who are still working may bring the virus back to their shared living quarters.
The following policy changes would be particularly useful: 1) wave penalties for migrants who want to return home but have entered illegally or overstayed their visa; 2) loosen the rules for changing employers and industries, and 3) regularization of irregular migrants to extend legal status to undocumented migrants.
Please access the recording of the webinar here, and a written summary here.
Here’s a round-up of other noteworthy updates and initiatives:
UNODC published a thematic brief on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Trafficking in Persons, and this Foreign Policy article discusses the world’s unpreparedness to protect people vulnerable to exploitation.
The ILO has compiled and analyzed the challenges faced by National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and the impact on the collection of labour statistics.
The Center for Child Rights and Corporate Responsibility (CCR CSR) has sought to get a more up-to-date picture of the current situation at factories across Asia, and how it is affecting parent and juvenile workers.
Aajeevika Bureau, an Indian-based non-profit organization, has produced a report on ‘circular migrants’ with recommendations meant to recognize this essential community and factor their needs into urban planning and development.
ECCHR considers how garment companies could have conducted proper human rights due diligence in the years preceding COVID-19 and actions they should now take to protect supply chain workers.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and UN Women have launched a survey on COVID-19 and Human Trafficking in 25 languages.
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