Third Ministerial Consultation on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origin in Asia

20-21 September 2005, Bali Indonesia

Good Practice: Pre-departure Orientation Program

Experience of Bangladesh, Philippines and Sri Lanka
Presented by: A.K.M. Masud Ali INCIDIN Bangladesh 20 September 2005

Outline of the Presentation

An overview of the added value of PDOS The institutional and legal infrastructure within which the good practices are identified The elements of good practices in PDOS program in Bangladesh, Philippines and Sri Lanka. Examples of good practices in PDOS Way Forward

Stages in Processing Migration

Pre Departure: At every stage of migration Origin process access to authentic information is a precondition Reintegration: to safe migration and it starts Origin at pre-migration stage Post Arrival:
Destination

Pre-Departure Orientation Adds value for all

Migrants
Reduced Aware on their Managing Responsibilities Vulnerability

Benefit to: Maximize benefit Maximum from Government migration Empowerment With Gain from employment Of individual Informed Enhanced Migration Economy Migrants migrant decision of Capacity for regarding safe Destinationlabour migration Migrants Integration Individual Origin Country Country Migrants

The two aspects of PDOS program

PDOS Program

The enabling and supportive institutional and legal infrastructure for safe Labour migration

Institutional and Legal Setups

Mandatory and Enabling Predeparture Registration and Orientation: In the Philippines, POEA Memorandum in Bangladesh (BMET) Circular No. 3, Series of 1983 provided Philippines (OWWA) guidelines for the conduct of a Sri Lanka (SLBFE) for all first-time or compulsory PDOS re-contracted workers, and every
agency is responsible in providing each worker a thorough PDOS

Institutional and Legal Setups

Involvement of private sector and NGOs 520 agencies OWWA

Philippines
703 private agencies

NGOs

Institutional and Legal Setups

Involvement of private sector and NGOs Trade Union bodies SLBFE

Sri Lanka
Private agencies

NGOs

Institutional and Legal Setups

Involvement of private sector and NGOs NGO-self initiative BMET

Bangladesh
Private Recruiting Agencies

BOESL

Institutional and Legal Setups

Involvement of international organizations (Philippines)
Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA)

Gov. of Canada

IOM
Power to choose

GRP

Institutional and Legal Setups

Involvement of international organizations (Bangladesh and Sri Lanka)

Govt.

IOM

Pioneer and piloting (90s) PDOS Training Module on Safe Migration Language Lab Health awareness NGO facilitation

Indicators of Good Practice

Existence of innovative curricula for predeparture programs Rich content of pre-departure orientation seminars Standardization and certification of PDOS Special need focused orientation for specific group of migrants

Indicators of Good Practice

Information

campaigns for awareness and accountability Peer and community involvement in PDOS Enabling migrants to access networks for support and redress

Indicators of Good Practice

Gender

process Country specific cultural, economic and social orientation/sustainability Recent introduction of preemployment orientation seminars before PDOS

sensitive and empowering

PDOS: Indicators of Good Practice

Innovative Curricula for PDOS programes:

participation in the process of Introduction of new for the Empowerment through specific development of curricula skills syllabus development, of time through Optimal allocation accessand training to of experience to occupations, knowledge acquisition ensure consultation with different and new labour markets; destinations skills stakeholders

PDOS: Example of Good Practice

Contents of PDOS:

Migrants Source of Support Worksite Workplace Coping Family Health: Travel Remittance Rights at Language Destination Culture Info. Finance Strategy Safety Document HIV/AIDS Welfare & Responsibilities

PDOS: Example of Good Practice

Contents of PDOS:
Migrants Workplace Coping Rights No single country Safety Strategy Language covers all the topic Travel Culture but the list reflects Worksite Document great potentiality of Info. learning from each other. Family Finance Remittance Welfare

PDOS: Example of Good Practice

Pre-employment orientation seminars (Philippines)
illegal recruitment, list of licensed recruitment agencies, illegal agencies; procedures for application departure, onsite employment and return; job-site information, including culture of the country of destination;

PDOS: Example of Good Practice

Pre-employment orientation seminars
remittances, financial management and Presently the policy makers are livelihood projects, as protection against stressing on pre-employment the insecurity

orientation as an essential element of pre-migration preparation. of overseas employment insurance

coverage for workers and their families.

PDOS: Example of Good Practice

Enabling Network for Support and Redress
Information on: Embassies in destination countries, on their role in supporting nationals;

Philippines: Sri Lanka & Human rights organizations Orientation on Bangladesh: in destinationStay-facilities at countries; Resource Centers destination
Migrants associations and trade unions in destination countries;

PDOS: Example of Good Practice

Sustainability
Migrants Welfare fund Coordinated Effort: GO, NGO, IO, PS

Favourable Institutional Structure

PDOS: Example of Good Practice

Gender sensitive policy

Entertainers:
Entertainers: COPE in the Philippines

Female Special legal Household Protection and Workers Training Sri Lanka Philippines Bangladesh

Way Forward
Decentralization
The origin and destination countries Focus on rights must come together to ensure that PDOS is seen as a Destination specificity Comprehensive process to make Migration safer and beneficial for all. Breaking away gender

stereotype

Focus on Reintegration

Thank you and Welcome to Discussion..