States must do more for human rights

States must do more to uphold the human rights of migrant workers, UN Human Rights Office said yesterday while launching a new report on temporary labour-migration programmes launched within and from the Asia-Pacific region.

The report, titled "We wanted workers, but human beings came", comes ahead of International Migrants Day on December 18.

In a statement, the UN Human Rights Office said every year, millions of migrants leave their countries under temporary labour migration programmes.

These programmes are predominant in migration governance in some regions, including Asia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. They promise to provide economic benefits for destination countries and development dividends for countries of origin, reads the statement.

The report detailed how, in many cases, temporary labour migration programmes impose restrictions on a range of human rights.

It highlights situations in which migrant workers are forced to live in overcrowded and unsanitary housing. They are unable to afford nutritious food, denied adequate healthcare, and face prolonged and in some cases mandatory separation from their families.

Migrants were put at a disproportionate risk of Covid-19 infection by policies that excluded them from government support in several countries, the report mentioned.

"Migrant workers are often dehumanised. They are human beings entitled to human rights and full protection of their human dignity," observed the report.

Illustrative examples in the report show that temporary migrant workers in one state are prohibited under the terms of their work permit from marrying citizens or permanent residents without the express permission of the government.

Another example highlights that certain residential zones are designated family zones, and properties there cannot be rented to temporary migrants as they are not allowed to migrate with their families.

In some seasonal schemes, migrants are reportedly expected to work on Saturdays and Sundays.

In one state, migrant construction workers reported receiving substandard medical care arranged by their employers in clinics. 

"They [migrant workers] should not be expected to give up their rights in return for being able to migrate for work -- however crucial it is for them and their families and the economies of their countries of origin and destination," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.