KARACHI, Nov 4: Putting forward a set of proposals for the national policy on migrant workers, speakers at the two-day national conference called for formulating a comprehensive policy to protect the rights of migrant workers.

They observed that a lack of basic education, English language proficiency and vocational training exposed migrant workers to abuse and discrimination.

Tackling these two issues on a priority basis would not only ensure, to some extent, protection of their rights but would also help increase foreign remittances, they said, arguing that literate and multi-skilled workers earned higher remuneration.

They also urged the government to chalk out country-specific strategies to secure migrant workers’ rights and strengthen economy.

The conference, organised by the Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid, was the last in a series of consultative meetings held in all four provinces this year in collaboration with the Islamabad-based Solidarity Council.

Sindh Minister for Labour Ameer Nawab was the chief guest.

Presenting the proposals, Dr Sabur Ghayur, Chairman Policy Planning Cell, Labour and Manpower Division, said that the number of migrant workers was continuously rising every year and this was resulting in a surge in foreign remittances.

“The previous year witnessed the highest number, i.e. 287,000, of workers migrating abroad. Of these, 143,699 were unskilled. Major destinations have remained Saudi Arabia and the UAE, followed by Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Libya and Qatar,” he said, adding that a lack of skills and proficiency, both in English and the host country’s language, minimised their prospects for good employment opportunities abroad.

“Almost half of the migrant workers are employed in low-paid jobs. We don’t have vocational training institutions exclusively for such workers and the training being imparted to them here is of low quality.”

Pointing out the various challenges to safe migration, he said that the issue of a lack of information about migration and migrants was the most critical one. “There is a dire need to set up a migrant information system. There are hardly any counselling centres in the country to guide intending migrants, majority of whom are deprived of informed choices on their prospective work destinations and details of job descriptions.”

Another critical omission, he observed, was information on returning migrants. “There is no data on people returning to the country. Further, a mechanism is, as yet, missing on collecting, collating and analyzing information that relates to major destinations.”

About the issues involved in the migration cost, he said that there was no formal system of financing migration, and people had to barrow money from informal sources or have it by selling their assets.

Recovering the cost of migration normally required a whole year’s earning, he added.

Missions’ role

Highlighting the gaps in diplomatic efficiency, he said: “The responsiveness of Pakistani missions abroad in showcasing Pakistani workforce and advancing the agenda of Pakistani migration is observed to be far from the desired level while the export of Pakistani workforce is not seen as a priority area.” This lacklustre attitude added towards the workers’ woes, he observed.

Emphasizing that the government needed to make country-specific migration strategies, he said huge employment opportunities existed for Pakistanis abroad and a renewed focus on tapping these prospects would be an important factor in not only tackling unemployment and poverty in the country but also in raising the levels of remittances.

Superior judiciary’s role

The speakers also voiced their concern over the rampant violations of labour rights in the country, and said that despite the fact that Pakistan had ratified eight conventions of the International Labour Organisation, their implementation remained too weak.

“The superior judiciary needs to be sensitized on the issue. After ratification, implementation of international conventions becomes binding on that signatory. So, these conventions should be treated as law of the land and the superior judiciary needs to intervene,” said Zia Awan of the LHRLA.

Agriculture sector

The speakers also called for unionisation of the agriculture sector, and said that it was unfortunate that labour laws didn’t cover this very important sector that comprised a huge number of women workers. Trade unions had lodged a legal complaint on this issue more than 14 years ago, but the decision was still pending, they regretted.