Public Discussion and Book Launch:

“Repression and Resilience: COVID-19 Response Measures and Migrants Workers in Major East and Southeast Asian Destinations”

Date and Venue:

Thursday, December 17, 2020, 2-4PM Western Indonesia Time/ Online (Zoom).

Keynote, Speakers and Discussants:

• Eni Lestari, Chairperson International Migration Alliance (IMA)
• Mariko Hayashi, Research Coordinator, Director of Southeast and East Asia Center 
• Andika Wahab, Fellow Institut Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
• Lennon Ying-Dah Wong, Director, Service Center and Shelter for Migrant Workers, Serve the People Association, Taoyuan (SPA)
• H.E. Umar Hadi, Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea
• Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu, Executive Director of Forum-ASIA

Moderator and Facilitator:

• Adeline Tinessia, Australia National University (ANU)
• Rafendi Djamin, Senior Advisor Human Rights Working   gRoup

For Attendance Registration: Click HERE

About the Discussion:

Will COVID-19 pandemic bring transformation towards an inclusive governance of migrant workers regardless of their status?

The pandemic has emphasised on border controls, as countries use travel bans and restrictions to protect their own population from the virus entering into their borders. It can be mandated by each country’s constitution, allowing them to focus on protecting and serving their own citizens, however at a time of crisis, it may gear up the use of politics based on sectarian populism or nationalism.

Migrant workers globally have become one of the most vulnerable and disproportionately affected groups from the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and who are faced with the greatest risk of coronavirus infection. Temporary, low-wage and/or undocumented migrants have limited or no access to healthcare, information, daily necessities and personal protective equipment (PPE), poorer occupational safety and health, lack of physical distancing in employer-provided housing and lack of firewalls and fears of arrests and detention, therefore their rights to health is unfulfilled. This is despite the fact that migrant workers play an especially crucial role in the fight against COVID-19, such as in care and frontline settings. The discrimination that migrant workers faces has been exacerbated bythe pandemic. Migrant workers are also suffering the economic ramifications due to the pandemic’s effect on the global economy.

Joined by scholars and experts of civil society organisations working on the frontline to address the challenges faced by migrant workers, this study aims to 1) assess the impact of pre-existing migration policies and COVID-19 public health measures, often based on strong national interests, on migrant workers, 2) explore how vulnerabilities translate to real-life experiences of migrant workers, and 3) how state and non-state actors, including businesses and civil society, are dealing with challenges faced by migrant workers. This research is also aimed at amplifying voices of those who are affected and bringing them to the multi-stakeholders at the national and regional levels.

This research is part of an initiative of civil society actors in both East and Southeast Asia to work collaboratively to address issues faced by an increasing number of migrants moving cross-regionally.