This was contained in a statement issued at the end of a four-day regional conference on 'Migration, development and pro-poor policy choices in Asia' in the city yesterday.

Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), University of Dhaka and Department for International Development (DFID), UK jointly organised the conference.

Seventy-nine participants from seven Asian countries attended the conference. The countries are Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the Philippines.

The purpose of the conference was to identify ways to enhance the positive impact of migration.

The statement was issued following a press briefing held at a local hotel.

RMMRU Chairman Prof Tasneem Siddiqui and the Chief of Policy and Strategy (Asia Division) of DFID were present at the briefing session.

The statement called for an effective regulation of recruiting agencies to ensure that their unscrupulous practices are stopped and all migrants are treated equally.

Migrant remittance flows to developing countries adding more than US$ 80 billion per year, it said quoting the World Bank.

After considering case studies on migration issues from Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan and Vietnam, delegates at the conference proposed that these should be integrated into development dialogue, planning and implementation.

" Migration should be effectively integrated into development dialogue, planning and implementation through Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) and other national planning mechanisms or poverty reduction frameworks," the statement said.

It also underscored the need for regional initiatives to explore pro-poor policy on migration and development in Asia.

The statement, however, urged the governments concerned, development and international agencies, civil society organisations and the private sector to come forward in implementing the proposals adopted in the conference.

After the press briefing, a further discussion on the issue was held with Prof Rehman Sobhan, chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in the chair.

Ronald Skeldon, professor of Sussex university, UK delivered a keynote speech on 'Migration and migration policy in Asia: a synthesis of selected cases."

He recommended proper assessment of the role of recruiting agencies in migration linking migrants with prospective employment in domestic and overseas destinations.

He also called for proper evaluation of legal restrictions on migrations particularly on women.