Myanmar detains over 120 Indonesian, Taiwanese fishermen

YANGON: More than 120 mostly foreign fishermen have been arrested and detained in Myanmar's notorious Insein prison for illegal fishing, official sources told AFP Monday. More...

Domestic workers talk about abuse in teary 'court session'

SINGAPORE: She was hit with a spoon and slapped hard for waking up "late" at 7.30am. Foreign domestic worker Mary Rose Catador Colocar was also ordered to stand and sit 500 times while holding her ears. More...

Malaysia, Indonesia in talks over maids employment: official

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian households may be able to employ Indonesian maids again by next month as Malaysia and Indonesia were discussing the matter, local media reported Monday. More...

Indonesian Ban On Maids Working in Malaysia Could End Next Month, Says Minister

Malaysian households may be able to employ Indonesian domestic maids again by next month, Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said on Sunday.More...

Illegal Burmese migrants: caught between hiding or becoming legal

MANY OF the estimated 2 million Burmese migrants currently living in Thailand can remember the mass deportation a decade ago. With the threat of another mass expulsion looming, migrant workers are exploring their options and hoping to avoid the panic, the desperation and the dangers of November 1999. More...

Some Feature Stories:

1. Migrant Workers' Cooperatives as a Crisis Response
2. Joint Panel on Maids' Employment
3. Indonesia May Resume Sending Maids To Malaysia In August
4. ECONOMY: Migrant Miseries Will Trickle Down Worldwide, U.N. Warns
5. Maids Allege Violence, Abuse
6. Government, Malaysia Tighten Rules on Migrant Workers

Statement on Trade-Finance Linkages (May 2009)

Statement for World Conference on Financial and Economic Crisis and Development

Summary recommendations:

In line with the general consensus on the need to revamp and strengthen regulatory tools for finance, the  trade and investment negotiations at all levels that affect the utilization of such tools, especially negotiations on financial services in the WTO, should be put on hold indefinitely... More

Migrant Workers Groups-Joint Statement

Joint Statement on the death of 2 Burmese in detention center in Malaysia

Death of 2 Burmese Indicative of State of Detention Places in Malaysia; Denial of Healthcare is a Violation of Right to Life

We, the undersigned, are alarmed to hear that Sa La Hin, 26, and Thang Hoih Ping, 21, two Burmese migrants, have died in the Malaysia’s Juru Immigration Detention Centre from Leptospirosis. This is disease that is usually caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals, such as rodents, cattle, pigs, horses, dogs and wild animals. The fact, that 2 persons are dead and others have been infected by this disease, again highlights the state of hygiene, cleanliness and healthcare at Malaysian Detention Centres... More

SAPA-WGML Position Paper

Joint Position on the Perspectives & Strategies
of Asian Migrants on the Global Economic Crisis
25 February 2009

Please click here to download PDF copy.

MCM 2008 Report now available!!

Human Rights and Dignity for ALL Migrants:
A Report of the 2008 MFA Migrants' Campaign Month (MCM)
25 November - 18 December 2008

Please click here to download PDF copy.

GFMD 2008 Report now available!!

Mobilizing Migrant Community and Civil Society Voices for the 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development: The Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) Experience

Please click here to download PDF copy.

MFA Statement

Rohingya Plight is an ASEAN Issue: Stop Passing the Buck!
(6 April 2009)

As ASEAN gears up for another series of meetings on 10-12 April in Pattaya, Thailand, Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) calls on them to convene an urgent meeting to face the Rohingya issue squarely and not wait for the Bali Ministerial Conference... More

Announcement!!!

MFA New Office Address

Effective 16 March 2009, MFA's new office address and contact details will be:

85-C Masikap Extension
Central District, Diliman
Quezon City 1100
Philippines

Tel: (+63-2) 928-2740
Telefax: (+63-2) 433-3508
Email: mfa@pacific.net.hk

Media Statement

Malaysia's "Foreign Workers' First Out" Policy is Unjust, Discriminatory and Unconstitutional

We, the undersigned organizations, groups and networks, concerned about migrant and worker rights, are appalled at Malaysia's unjust, discriminatory and unconstitutional anti-worker policy, known as 'Foreign Workers First Out' (FWFO) policy when it comes to retrenchment... More

Women's Day Statement

Uphold the rights and support the struggle of women migrant workers

8 March 2009 - Today on the occasion of International Women's Day, we celebrate the immeasurable contribution of women around the world. On this day, Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) calls on the international community to uphold the rights and support the ongoing struggle of women migrant workers... More

MFA Statement

MFA Cautions Against Ignoring Migrant Workers Amidst the Global Crisis

MFA Statement

MFA Condemns Thai Government for Atrocities at Sea and Calls for Comprehensive Approach to Protect Rohingya

Women and Migration

CEDAW General Recommendation on Women Migrant Workers

The UN Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Committee, affirming that migrant women, like all women, should not be discriminated against in any sphere of their life, decided at its 32nd Session in January 2005 to issue a General Recommendation on some categories of women migrant workers who may be at risk of abuse and discrimination.

The General Recommendation 27, also known as GR 27, aims to elaborate the circumstances that contribute to the specific vulnerability of many women migrant workers and their experiences of sex- and gender-based discrimination as a cause and consequence of the violations of their human rights. More