Labor Migration in Asia: Balancing Remittances, Rights, and Regional Development

The report Labor Migration in Asia: Fair Recruitment, Training, and Development by ADBI, OECD, and ILO shows how migration drives growth through remittances while exposing millions of workers to unfair recruitment, poor training, and systemic risks. It calls for stronger governance, fairer recruitment practices, and better skills development to turn migration into a true engine of shared prosperity.

The report Labor Migration in Asia: Fair Recruitment, Training, and Development, prepared by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the International Labour Organization (ILO), examines one of the most powerful forces shaping Asia today: the cross-border movement of workers. Migration, the study argues, is both a driver of growth and a source of vulnerability. Millions leave their home countries each year, sending back billions in remittances that sustain families and bolster national economies. Yet the very pathways that enable this mobility are often littered with risk, exploitation, and systemic governance gaps.

A Region on the Move

The analysis begins with a portrait of regional flows. South Asia and Southeast Asia remain the world’s largest suppliers of labor, while wealthier Asian economies and the Gulf states serve as the most common destinations. The scale is immense: for Nepal and the Philippines, remittances account for a striking share of GDP, transforming them into central pillars of development strategies. But the report highlights a troubling paradox. Migration offers families a route out of poverty, but it also locks entire states into dependency on foreign job markets. In some countries, exporting labor has become as crucial as exporting manufactured goods, embedding migration into the very structure of their economies.

The Unfinished Battle for Fair Recruitment

If migration is a ladder of opportunity, recruitment is the first rung, and for too many, it is broken. Across Asia, migrants frequently encounter a system where recruitment agencies and middlemen extract exorbitant fees, pushing workers into debt even before departure. This indebtedness ties them to employers in ways that amplify vulnerability to abuse. The study acknowledges progress, pointing to reforms inspired by the ILO’s Fair Recruitment Initiative and to bilateral agreements that seek to regulate flows. Some governments have tightened licensing rules and imposed fee ceilings. Yet enforcement remains weak and loopholes abound. The central warning is unmistakable: unless recruitment practices are cleaned up through stricter oversight, transparency, and cooperation across sending and receiving countries, exploitation will persist at scale.

Training for Opportunity, Not Exploitation

Beyond recruitment, the report emphasizes that training and skills development are crucial factors in determining whether migration ultimately benefits workers and their countries in the long run. Too often, migrants are dispatched abroad for low-skilled jobs with little preparation, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and limiting their chances of advancement. The Philippines stands out as a regional leader, having institutionalized pre-departure training that addresses language, culture, and professional skills. Nepal, however, struggles with accessibility: rural workers frequently cannot reach formal training centers, leaving them ill-prepared for the challenges they will face overseas. The contrast underscores the stakes. Effective training can transform migration from a survival strategy into a platform for personal mobility and national development, while weak systems consign workers to cycles of low pay and high risk.

Lives Behind the Numbers

Case studies from Nepal and the Philippines vividly illustrate the report’s themes. In Nepal, remittances have become a lifeline, but at a heavy cost. Workers heading to the Gulf or Malaysia face widespread reports of fraud, contract substitution, and unsafe working conditions. Families benefit financially, but these gains are often overshadowed by the sacrifices migrants endure. The Philippines, by contrast, has built one of the most sophisticated labor export regimes, complete with regulatory agencies and extensive support networks. Yet even there, migrants abroad continue to confront hardship, discrimination, and precarity. These country experiences, the report suggests, are not just anecdotes but emblematic of the broader migration system: no matter how advanced governance becomes, it can only partially shield workers from global inequalities.

Remittances: Lifeline or Trap?

The study devotes significant attention to the economics of remittances, noting their dual nature. On the one hand, they reduce poverty, finance education, and sustain small businesses, particularly in rural communities. On the other hand, heavy reliance on money from abroad can create economic fragility, discouraging investment in domestic job creation and fostering cycles of dependency. Policymakers, the report argues, must therefore find ways to channel remittance inflows into long-term productive investment. Without such strategies, remittances risk becoming a stopgap rather than a foundation for sustainable development.

The final chapters and annexes are rich with comparative tables and economy-specific notes, mapping out the diversity of Asia’s migration landscape. Some nations send workers abroad by the millions; others are destinations heavily reliant on foreign labor. What unites them is complexity: migration in Asia is a multidimensional force that touches economics, politics, and social structures alike.

Looking to the future, the report warns of new pressures. Climate change threatens to displace millions, creating additional drivers of cross-border movement. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of migrant workers, many of whom were left stranded or excluded from host-country protections. Meanwhile, technology is reshaping recruitment systems, offering potential for transparency but also new risks of digital exploitation.

Migration is not a temporary issue but a structural feature of the global economy. With fairer recruitment, stronger training systems, and smarter use of remittances, it can serve as a force for shared prosperity. Without them, Asia’s migrant workers will continue to shoulder the costs of opportunity abroad while others reap the rewards. The responsibility lies with governments, international organizations, and private actors alike to ensure that the promise of migration is not squandered but fulfilled.