Public attitudes towards migrant workers in Asia

Abstract

Public attitudes play an important role in shaping policy towards migrant workers and have an impact on the status and well-being of migrants. Although governments and international organizations often point to the mutual benefits of migration for countries of origin and destination, studies have shown that the public generally hold negative perceptions of migration and migrant workers. The public's fears and apprehension are particularly intense in light of the global economic downturn and jobs crisis. This paper looks at the knowledge and attitudes of the public in Asian host societies to migrant workers drawing upon the International Labour Organization (ILO) research conducted in four countries in Asia. The paper also presents various studies and research findings from across the world and further explores strategies for influencing public attitudes and promoting integration. The ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (2007) recognized the need to promote harmony and tolerance in destination countries towards migrant workers and following this, the 4th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour (a meeting of member states, trade unions, employer organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Southeast Asia) in October 2011 put forward specific recommendations to promote a positive image, and the rights and dignity of migrant workers in the region.

Skill flows and the Fourth Industrial Revolution: future questions and directions for the ASEAN Economic Community

“…5 Yet, at the same time, about 80% of respondents in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand felt that government policies to admit migrant workers should be more restrictive. And it is not always the case that skilled workers are more welcome than low-skilled workers (Tunon and Baruah 2012). During the 2011 general election in Singapore, "foreign talent"-professionals with well-paying jobs-was a hot-button issue.…”

Healthcare financing and social protection policies for migrant workers in Malaysia

“…Citizens' concerns around resource constraints is a popular narrative in many countries globally, with common threads of blaming non-citizens for diminishing public resources, like healthcare, education and housing [42][43][44][45]. The majority of Malaysians surveyed in a 2019 study, believed that migrant workers should not receive the same pay or benefits as locals [46].…”

National and Regional Obligations, the Metaphor of Two‐Level Games, and the ASEAN Socio‐Cultural Community

“…Attitudes in host societies are crucial: They can contribute to determining whether discrimination is tolerated or not, and to shaping policy (Tunon & Baruah, , p. 150). Indeed, for the International Organization for Migration (), “informing and educating the public may be the single most important policy tool in all societies grappling with migration, since managing migration also involves managing how migrants are perceived in society” (p. 4).…”

“…The way forward—to a more satisfactory and durable national/regional solution—must go via a substantial investment in public education (Tunon & Baruah, , pp. 158–159).…”