ASEAN Forum to Address Online Recruitment Risks for Migrant Workers
The 19th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour, hosted by the Philippines on 14–15 October 2026, will focus on protecting migrant workers through regular and safe pathways, including online recruitment risks.
The story in focus
The 19th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour will be hosted by the Philippines on 14–15 October 2026, focusing on protection of migrant workers through regular and safe migration pathways, with subthemes on online recruitment risks and access to protection, remedy and support.
- The Philippines will host the 19th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour on 14–15 October 2026.
- The forum theme is protection of migrant workers through regular and safe migration pathways.
- Subthemes cover online recruitment challenges and access to protection, remedy and support.
Forum Focus and Venue
The 19th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour will be hosted by the Government of the Philippines on 14–15 October 2026. The Philippines chairs the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers for 2025–2026.
The forum is an open platform for governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and civil society to review good practices and develop recommendations on migrant worker issues in South-East Asia.
Online Recruitment and Protection Gaps
The theme is “Protection of Migrant Workers through Regular and Safe Migration Pathways.” One subtheme examines risks associated with online recruitment, including exploitation, cyber and online fraud, third-country recruitment and regulatory gaps. Discussions will consider the roles of origin and destination countries and promoting safe pathways amid evolving labour market needs and digital platform use.
A second subtheme addresses protection and support services, complaint procedures, legal remedies and barriers to justice, including for workers affected by fraudulent recruitment and trafficking. Attention will be given to victim identification, including coercion into cyber-enabled scams, and access to legal aid and grievance mechanisms.
Expected Outcomes
The forum is expected to develop recommendations on online recruitment challenges, identify good practices on access to remedy and support, strengthen labour migration frameworks and enhance cooperation among ASEAN Member States and stakeholders to protect migrant workers from irregular and unsafe pathways.
What are the main topics of the 19th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour?
The forum focuses on protecting migrant workers through regular and safe pathways, with subthemes on online recruitment risks—including exploitation, fraud and regulatory gaps—and on access to protection, remedy and support, including legal aid and complaint procedures.
Sources & further reading
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