International Labour Organisation (ILO) published its report on International Migrant Workers. Report was published amid COVID-19 pandemic and increased global industrialisation that have impacted world’s economy by shift in workers crossing borders to look for employment.
Key findings of report
- As per ILO report, number of international migrant workers has increased to 169 million globally. It has increased by 3% since 2017.
- Share of youth migrant workers (aged 15-24) has also increased by almost 2% (accounting to 3.2 million) since 2017.
- COVID-19 pandemic has exposed baseless situation of international migrant workers because number has increased from 164 to 169 million.
- As per report, migrant workers’ situation has intensified their vulnerabilities, especially for women migrant workers amidst the covid-19 pandemic.
- Women are over-represented in low-paid and low-skilled jobs.
- Women migrant workers have restricted access to social protection and fewer options are available for support services.
- Because of high youth employment rates, share of youth among international migrant workers has increased to 10 percent in 2019 from 8.3 per cent in 2017.
- Europe, Central Asia and America host 63.3 per cent of all migrant workers.
- Migrant workers accounted for about 59 per cent of the world’s international migrant population in 2017. But factors like economic inequalities and seeking employment have contribute towards rising labour migration.
How migrant labors are protected?
Migrant workers contribute to their country’s economy and send their remuneration home which boost economy of their country of origin too. However, some unskilled migrant workers are vulnerable to violence of human trafficking. In order to provide them protection and management of migrant workers flow, ILO standards on migration provide for tools like Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 and Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949.