Event
21 Jan 2022

Launch of the Study on the Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-19 on Migrant Workers in Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, and Thailand

  • Date
    11 Feb 2022, 11:00am
  • Location
    Online
  • Organizer

    Poverty Reduction through Safe Migration, Skills Development and Enhanced Job Placement (PROMISE)

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted migrant workers across Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Thailand (CLMT). Prior to the pandemic, risks posed to migrant workers in Thailand included vulnerability to excessive recruitment fees and migration-related costs, exploitative employment conditions and exorbitant debts owed to recruiters and/or their employers, lack of access to legal protections and social protection, poor working conditions, irregular working days and hours and informal barriers to accessing grievance and remediation mechanisms. There has been significant concern in the international community that the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns exacerbated these vulnerabilities, although the extent has remained in question. 

Migrant workers are essential to economic resilience and recovery across the region and can act as key drivers for building back better. Therefore, a migrant-centred approach to socioeconomic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in CLMT is essential. To support CLMT governments and other relevant stakeholders in shaping policies and programmes for both rapid recovery and longer-term resilience of economies, IOM conducted a study on the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 on men and women migrant workers and their families in CLMT. Findings from the study will provide evidence and recommendations which consider the specific contributions of and challenges for migrant workers and key sectors that employ migrants. 

The launch of the Study on the Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-19 on Migrant Workers in Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, and Thailand on 11 February 2022 will aim to present the key findings and key recommendations from the study as well as gather insights from stakeholders. 

Event Agenda

Time Agenda 
10:00 AM Opening Remarks
Gita Sabharwal, UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand  
10:05 AM Welcoming Remarks 
Geraldine Ansart, Chief of Mission, IOM Thailand
10:10 AM Presentation of Methodology 
Sonia Blue, Displacement Tracking Matrix Coordinator, IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
10:25 AM Presentation of Key Findings 
Carly Fuglei, Lead Researcher and Consultant 
10:40 AM Q&A Session
11:00 AM Panel Discussion 
The Way Forward: Migrant-Inclusive Socioeconomic Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Region
11:55 AM

Closing Remarks
Geertrui Lanneau, Senior Regional Specialist on Labour Mobility and Human Development,
IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

The study was implemented under IOM’s Poverty Reduction through Safe Migration, Skills Development and Enhanced Job Placement (PROMISE) programme with the support of the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). The PROMISE programme, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), works to ensure that safe labour migration translates into inclusive economic development for migrant workers and their families by investing in skills development and entrepreneurship in CLMT. 

Make sure you register for our event at https://bit.ly/3AoHtnL by 10 February 2022.