Migration and human security: movement of natural persons and ASEAN economic

integration

I.

Introduction

A countrys competitiveness, productivity and growth depend largely on its ability to

acquire and use new knowledge and constantly upgrade the skills of its workforce.
This is truer today than ever, as the people with the skills and innovative ideas
needed by domestic economies are increasingly free to pursue opportunities the
world over. Numerous countries also do not have educational systems capable of
producing workforces they need, and many more see their most highly skilled
workers emigrate. Moreover, global imbalances have also made some countries rich
in capital and scarce in labour, so that the natural progression for them is to
exchange capital and labour
Over the past decade, the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN), a
political and economic organization of ten (10) countries in Southeast Asia, began to
face these emerging issues head on. In 2007, ASEAN Member States agreed to fasttrack the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015, which is
intended to transform the ASEAN region into a single market and production base,
characterized by, among other things, a free flow of skilled labour (ASEAN,2008)

What is ASEAN?

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established in

Thailand on 8 August 1967 with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration. By 1999,
the Association had reached its current size of ten Member States,
encompassing Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Among the
members, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand are viewed as
countries of destination, whereas Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the
Philippines, and Vietnam are viewed as countries of origin.1

What is the current status of the labour migration in ASEAN countries

https://www.boell.de/en/2015/11/23/labour-migration-asean-region

ASEAN recognises the importance of job creation, developing the quality

of the workforce, and providing social security to the workers. However, migrants
in ASEAN are experiencing a lack of access to regular forms of migration and
safe migration channels; high costs and illegal migration fees; problems with
recruitment agencies and agents; abuses at various stages of the migration
process; trafficking; violence against women and gender-based
exploitation/abuse; large undocumented populations; low wages; long working
hours; exploitative working conditions; non-payment of salaries; workplace safety
and health issues; non-recognition of domestic work under labour laws; abuse
and mistreatment in domestic work conditions; and the criminalisation and
detention of undocumented migrant workers. As the number of migrant workers
increases annually, so does the probability of workers experiencing such
inhumane actions.
International labour migration in ASEAN is increasing greatly, as well as the
statistics showing the levels of intra-regional migration. It may lead to labour
shortages and rising levels of dependency by the retired generation, whereas
others might experience pressures to create jobs for the surplus of young
workers. Despite rapid increases in economic development in countries of origin,
absolute income gaps among destination countries and countries of origin still
exist. Expanding trade and investment; bolstering ties among the regions
governments, employers, and workers; and delivering more harmony, stability,
and dignity to its peoples could increase international mobility rather than
diminish it.2

What are the risks/issues of labour migration in relation to human security

Although there are advantages to the free flow of skilled labour, there are also risks
noted in labour migration. https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/when-is-migration-asecurity-issue/

https://www.boell.de/en/2015/11/23/labour-migration-asean-region

II. Body

What are the existing policies of each countries and ASEAN as whole regarding
labour management?
How does labour migration affects the ASEAN economy? What are its
contributions to the ASEAN Economic Community?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of labour migration

III. Conclusion

How can we improve the labour migration policies of ASEAN

How can we strengthen the ASEAN economy as whole and each ASEAN
countries through labour management?
Moving forward, what can the labour and human resources development
contribute to ASEAN Economic Community
So far sir this is what I am trying to write on. Basically, what I aim on this paper is
to assess the effectiveness of ASEAN policies regarding labour migration.

"Migration and human security: movement of natural persons and ASEAN economic integration"?
You could easily grasp and be the leader of moving forward the advantages from migration as a
human security component of national security and eventually, ASEAN regional security. What do
you think?

http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---robangkok/documents/publication/wcms_160632.pdf