Australian Ambassador to ASEAN meets migrant workers and support providers in Thailand
A visit to the Migrant Resource Centre, supported by the TRIANGLE in ASEAN programme, provided an opportunity to speak with migrant workers and the organizations providing support.
BANGKOK, Thailand (ILO News) - H.E. Will Nankervis, Australian Ambassador to ASEAN, visited a Migrant Worker Resource Centre (MRC), operated by HomeNet in the Bang Bon area of Bangkok, to see first-hand the range of support services available to migrant workers and their communities.
TRIANGLE in ASEAN is a partnership between the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and the ILO, with the overall goal of maximizing the contribution of labour migration to equitable, inclusive and stable growth in ASEAN.TRIANGLE in ASEAN provides direct services to migrant workers and their communities through a network of 22 Migrant Worker Resource Centres (MRCs) in 20 locations across six ASEAN member states. MRC services are delivered through partnerships with government institutions, trade unions and civil society organizations, and provide a range of services, including counselling, training and legal assistance.
Despite the significant contributions that migrant workers make to their countries of origin and destination, many migrant workers, especially women, face labour related abuse and exploitation, and receive lack of social protection and sub-standard housing. In Thailand, approximately 2.5 million documented workers from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar work in agriculture, construction, fishing, manufacturing, and services including domestic work, according to the Department of Employment in 2023.