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MANILA, Philippines -- Migrant workers should not be made “scapegoats” in the present global financial crisis, the top official of the International Labor Organization (ILO) said Wednesday, as the world prepares to celebrate International Migrants Day Thursday.
In the face of reports of layoffs, wage cuts, returning migrant workers, drops in immigrant intakes, director-general Juan Somavia cautioned traditionally labor-receiving countries against hasty actions involving migrant workers.
"While the full impact of the crisis on migrant workers is yet to unfold…yet all sectors may not be equally affected, and destination countries should assess their labor market needs before resorting to general layoffs of migrant workers," he said in a statement e-mailed by the local ILO office.
"It is important that migrant workers do not become scapegoats for the current financial and economic crisis," he said.
In October, as the effects of the financial crisis that started in the United States began to spread and affect the entire world, ILO had projected that 20 million people might lose their jobs.
Somavia repeated his statements on the crisis that the current global financial and economic crises would seriously impact the estimated 200 million migrant workers worldwide.
"Past experience makes us painfully aware that migrant workers, especially women workers and those in irregular status, are among the hardest hit and most vulnerable during crisis situations," he said.
Somavia said labor-sending countries affected by the crisis with an increasing number of return migrants and falling remittances should look at providing decent work opportunities at home, and make migration a choice and not a necessity.
He suggested that countries look into the 2008 ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, particularly the integrated strategy for decent work, as a solid foundation for addressing the current crisis.
The declaration espouses the principles of sustainable institutional and economic environment, social protection (social security and labor protection), social dialogue and tripartism, and fundamental rights at work (including freedom of association and right to collectively bargain).
"A growing global mobilization involving, among others, global and regional trade union federations, employers' organizations and national associations will be critical in advancing migrant worker concerns," said the head of the tripartite international organization.
Somavia said that the celebration of International Migrants Day would recognize the "huge but often unrecognized contributions to growth and development of both their host countries and home communities" of the world's 200 million migrants, half of whom are women.
The International Migrants Day is celebrated December 18, the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
Taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, the UNGA proclaimed the day International Migrants Day on Dec. 4, 2000.
"On this International Migrants Day, the ILO renews its commitment to promote decent work for all women and men migrant workers worldwide in close collaboration with the United Nations family," Somavia said.
The Philippines has one of the biggest number of migrant workers; of the eight million Filipinos abroad, half are temporary migrant workers who have not acquired residence status in the host countries.
