Capacity building training programme for migrant workers

NIZAMABAD: The three-day capacity-building training programme of the Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) for better protection and welfare of migrant workers, especially those who have gone to the Gulf countries to work, will conclude on Wednesday. Migrant leaders from 10 countries, including India, are attending the event which started on July 3 in Bangkok.

Migration management became crucial after Covid-19 while expanding opportunities for migrants to express their voices internationally and gaining solidarity has become a challenge.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle from Bangkok, Manda Bheem Reddy, president of Emigrants Welfare Forum in Telangana, said that the purpose of the programme is to bring together the main leaders of the migrant communities, share their field experiences in solving problems and the government systems they use.

Multiple factors need to be considered when viewing immigration as a phenomenon. Violence and exploitation of workers continue despite government policies for migrant workers and migration rights organisations.

The event decided to make connection arrangements to strengthen the network at the field level which included creating a way to share good practices, and strategies among fellow migrant workers and exploring new ways to work together, building collaborative relationships and identifying new areas where problems need to be solved.

Reddy said that he explained to the migrant leaders that they are guiding Gulf returnees on how to approach district collectors for resolving their grievances. “Our volunteers will help the Gulf returnees to upload their issues on the ‘Madad’ portal,” he said.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) identified around 169 million (16.9 crore) migrant workers in the world in 2019. They are 4.9 per cent of the world's workforce.