[ARTICLE] Summary Article on IMA Asia Pacific Meeting
10 April 2025
The members of the IMA Chapter Asia Pacific met for the first time this year on 21 March 2025 to discuss issues and campaigns, preparation for May Day, the IMA 6th Global Assembly (GA), and the collaboration and support that can be provided for one another.
Exploitation of migrants continues: 1) migrant workers’ wages are still far from adequate, 2) regulations governing migrant workers do not favor them, perpetuating exploitation and forced migration, 3) there is no regulation for domestic workers, as seen in Malaysia, resulting in domestic workers not receiving their rightful entitlements, 4) the budget for addressing migration issues in Bangladesh is decreasing, as countries like Switzerland and the US cut funding, 5) there is a rise in forced scamming/labor trafficking cases in Cambodia and Myanmar affecting migrants from Indonesia and Bangladesh. Although many victims have been repatriated, a significant number remain trapped in Cambodia and Myanmar, 6) in Taiwan, there has been an increase in education trafficking for the exploitation of migrant students and English teachers from the Philippines, who are promised high salaries end up working more and receiving less wages than what is stated in their contracts, 7) the activities of migrant activists in Hong Kong are heavily restricted, making it difficult for them to gather in one place. This forces migrant activists to use cultural events to connect with their communities. Additionally, the protection provided by the Hong Kong government and sending countries is still inadequate, 8) in Indonesia, reintegration programs remain problematic and need to be tailored to the specific needs of returned migrants.
In light of the increasing cases of fraud affecting migrant workers, members agreed to plan a campaign to prevent and stop fraud/ scam against migrant workers. Members also agreed to share any article, news, or information regarding issues of trafficking. A campaign to recruit new members was also discussed to expand IMA's reach in other countries/areas. Additionally, the campaign for living wages continues, along with the need to revise migration protection laws in both sending and receiving countries to align with the needs of migrants.
Although the members have not yet planned activities to commemorate May Day, they do have plans to organize events or join with other organizations for activities. The 6th IMA Global Assembly (GA) is also announced to take place on October 23-26, 2025.
