Malaysia Strengthens Labour Migration Agreement Negotiations

The initiative comes as around 2.13 million migrant workers contribute to Malaysia's economy, including large numbers of women employed in the care sector.

Malaysia is strengthening its ability to negotiate labour migration agreements by training government officials responsible for shaping policies that affect millions of migrant workers. The two-day programme, organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in partnership with Malaysia's Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR), was held in Kuala Lumpur on 28–29 July 2026 with support from the European Union through the PROTECT project.

The initiative comes as around 2.13 million migrant workers contribute to Malaysia's economy, including large numbers of women employed in the care sector. The training focused on helping officials negotiate agreements that improve recruitment practices, employment conditions and worker protection.

Building stronger migration governance

Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Human Resources, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO), labour departments from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, as well as officials from the governments of Sabah and Sarawak.

The programme was designed to strengthen the capacity of government agencies to negotiate, implement, monitor and evaluate Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements (BLMAs) using international labour standards and examples of good practice from ASEAN and other regions.

Across Southeast Asia, an estimated 23.6 million people live outside their country of origin, including 7.1 million who migrate within the ASEAN region. Since much of this migration is temporary, bilateral agreements have become an important tool for managing labour mobility in a structured and mutually beneficial way.

Rights-based approach remains the focus

The training highlighted that effective labour migration agreements should be aligned with international labour and human rights standards while addressing the specific needs of women migrant workers. Officials also studied the United Nations Network on Migration's 2022 Guidance on Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements, which promotes rights-based and gender-responsive approaches developed through cooperation between governments and stakeholders.

ILO Regional Labour Migration Specialist Nilim Baruah said negotiating labour migration agreements requires specialised technical skills grounded in international labour standards. He noted that the officials participating in the training will play a key role in shaping future agreements that both protect workers' rights and support well-managed migration.

Partnership supports safer labour mobility

Pekka Penttila, First Secretary for Trade and Economic Relations at the Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia, said the programme reflects the strong partnership between the European Union and Malaysia, built on shared commitments to human rights, labour standards, gender equality and international cooperation.

The training forms part of the PROTECT project—Ensuring Decent Work and Reducing Vulnerabilities for Women and Children in the Context of Labour Migration in Southeast Asia. Funded by the European Union and led by the ILO, the project supports reforms to labour migration governance, strengthens recruitment regulation and promotes fair, rights-based and gender-responsive labour migration across Southeast Asia.