Background Information Cambodia

TRIANGLE in ASEAN Programme Quarterly Briefing Note

Cambodia (April – June 2021)

Key partners Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MOLVT)

Provincial Departments of Labour and Vocational Training (PDOLVT), Kampong Cham, Prey Veng, Battambang, and Kampot

Cambodian Labour Confederation (CLC)

National Employment Agency (NEA)

Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW) Phnom Srey Organization for Development (PSOD) Gender and Development Cambodia (GADC) Target sites Kampong Cham, Prey Veng, Battambang, Phnom Penh, and Kampot Focal point Mr Veth Vorn, National Programme Coordinator, [email protected], +855 12 777264

Background information

Cambodia is a major country of origin for migrants, with over 1,100,000 abroad in 2020 (UNDESA). Most seek work outside of the country due to a lack of sufficient employment opportunities available domestically and the significant wage differentials of employment overseas. The primary destination country for Cambodian migrant workers is Thailand, with workers commonly migrating into the fishing, agriculture, livestock, construction, manufacturing and service sectors, including domestic work.

Only a small proportion of these workers use regular channels to migrate due to the high cost, considerable time investment and administrative complexities involved. According to a survey conducted by the ILO and IOM, less than a third of Cambodian migrants use regular channels to migrate, with the majority relying on social networks and unlicensed brokers (53 per cent) to go abroad. (ILO and IOM, 2017).

Since 2010, the Republic of Korea has become the second most popular destination for regular Cambodian migrant workers. Cambodia also has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Japan, but far fewer migrants travel there for work, likely due to the technical requirements of the Industrial Training Program and Technical Internship Program. MOUs with the governments of Kuwait and Qatar were signed in 2009 and 2011, but so far, no Cambodian migrant workers have been sent through these channels.

Bilateral agreements on the deployment of domestic workers abroad have also been signed with several destination countries, including Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. However, these agreements have proven contentious, with reports of abuse and exploitation of domestic workers recorded in all countries where Cambodian domestic workers are employed. In response, the Cambodian Government suspended ‘first-time’ migration to Malaysia for domestic work in 2011. After several years of a bilateral negotiation between Cambodia and Malaysia, an MOU to resume the deployment of domestic workers was signed in 2015. However, the restriction remains officially in place pending agreement on standard operating procedures for sending domestic workers abroad (ILO, 2017).

The Cambodian Labour Migration Policy and Action Plan (2019-2023) outlines the government’s commitment to leveraging the benefits of labour migration for the country’s long-term development. The policy is unique within South-East Asia in applying a holistic and multi-ministerial approach to labour migration governance.

International Labour Organization +662 288 1742 ILOTV Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Building www.ilo.org/asia iloasiapacific Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand ILO.ORG @ILOAsiaPacific Copyright © International Labour Organization 2021

TRIANGLE in ASEAN Programme Quarterly Briefing Note

Since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Cambodia at a glance the entire world, including the ASEAN region. Women and men migrant workers in the region are striving to Population: 16.72 million protect their livelihoods and their health through the crisis, yet many are disproportionately affected by  Labour Force: 9.32 million COVID-19 and its economic and health impacts. During Source: UN Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2019 this reporting period, TRIANGLE in ASEAN has focused Revision; ILOSTAT 2019 on both a legal and humanitarian response to the Migrant workers in Thailand COVID-19 crisis.

MOU migrant workers = 231,151 (Women= 102,713 / Men= 128,438)

Registered migrant workers completing nationality Key developments verification including those under the 2019 Thai Cabinet Resolution1 = 213,455 The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all social (Women= 96,083/ Men= 117,372) dimensions in Cambodia, including employment and Migrant workers under the 4 August 2020 Cabinet migration. While some migrant workers continue to return Resolutions (includes border employment)2 = 70,994 home due to job losses, others have begun (re)migration, (Women= 31,626/ Men= 39,368) with reports of migrant workers crossing the border to

Source: Office of Foreign Workers Administration, Department of Thailand despite entry restrictions. The pandemic also Employment, Ministry of Labour, Thailand (November 2020) continues to impact the delivery of ILO activities in Migrant workers in other Cambodia. destination countries According to a United Nations report, over 200,000 (43 Malaysia: 30,113 migrant workers per cent women) Cambodian migrant workers have been (Women= 25,872 / Men=4,241) recorded as returned to Cambodia since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In April and early May, Phnom Republic of Korea: 49,099 migrant workers Penh and several provinces, including Kampong Cham, (Women=10,403 / Men=38,696) were placed under lockdown due to community Japan: 9,195 migrant workers transmission. As of 30 June 2021, 50,385 infections and (Women=3,867 / Men=5,328) 602 recorded deaths resulting from COVID-19 were Singapore: 851 migrant workers reported by the Cambodian Ministry of Health. (Women=831 / Men=20)

Source: MoLVT’s Policy on Labour Migration 2019-2023; Point in time On 29 June 2021, the Cambodian Government agreed to measurement from Cambodian Government data (2018) extend existing policy support until September 2021, TRIANGLE in ASEAN delivers assistance directly to migrant including a cash transfer programme for poor and workers and their communities through eight Migrant Worker Resource Centres (MRCs). These MRCs are vulnerable households. It is expected that it will be managed in partnership with government institutions, trade unions and civil society organizations and, in each location, accessible to returned migrant workers and their families. linked with an additional MRC in the local Provincial Department of Labour and Vocational Training. These MRCs are based in Battambang (with the National From March to June, the Provincial Departments of Employment Agency), Kampong Cham (with Phnom Srey Labour and Vocational Training (PDoLVTs) in Organization for Development), Kampot (with the National Employment Agency), and in Prey Veng (with Cambodian Battambang, Kampong Cham, Prey Veng and Kampot Labour Confederation). reported 17,080 migrant workers (M:11,189; W:5,891)

Since the start of the programme until the end of 2020, in quarantine. Migrant workers returned predominately TRIANGLE in ASEAN reached 41,127 migrant workers (53% women) through Cambodian MRCs. from Thailand, followed by Malaysia and Viet Nam.

1 The August 2019 Cabinet resolution allows migrant workers to On 29 June, following the closure of 575 construction sites renew a work permit without leaving Thailand. This include those who have completed nationality verification and held temporary passports, and camps in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, travel documents, or certificate of identity. reports emerged that migrant workers, including a 2 This Cabinet resolutions, in response to COVID-19, granted extensions to four groups of migrant workers, whose work permit significant number of Cambodians, living on-site lacked would expire during that time, including MoU workers with a completed four years contract, and migrant workers holding border access to food and health care. Migrant workers also passes under border employment scheme. returned to Cambodia, reports suggest.

TRIANGLE in ASEAN Programme Quarterly Briefing Note All ILO supported Migrant Worker Resource Centres (MRCs), and the PDoLVTs remained open during the period. MRC staff, working with the Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW), and officials of PDoLVTS provided direct relief assistance and used remote counselling.

Main programme activities: April – June 2021

On 1 April, an initial meeting between ILO and the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training was organized to discuss the development of the labour migration law. The discussion focused on the importance of being in line with national and international standards and having consultations with relevant stakeholders. In addition, it discussed areas of support, including technical and policy advice and financial support from ILO, sharing of international and regional good practices and labour standards and the timeframe for development of the law.

On 18 May, TRIANGLE in ASEAN discussed steps forward for the monitoring and evaluation tool for Cambodian Private Recruitment Agencies in the context of COVID-19 with the two employer associations, the Association of Cambodian Recruitment Agencies (ACRA) and Manpower Association of Cambodia (MAC). Both indicated a willingness to move forward to the pilot stage in the second half of 2021.

In this quarter, the PDoLVTs and MRCs in Kampong Cham, Prey Veng, Kampot, and Battambang provided emergency support to 332 returned migrant workers. This includes the provision of personal protective equipment to 40 (M:20; W:20) migrant workers. PDoLVTs also ensured that 292 returnees (M:156; W:136) were able to return to their home communities and had food supplies after they completed quarantine. In addition, counselling was provided to 145 returnees (M:80; W:65). To enhance awareness about the transmission of COVID-19, the PDoLVT in Kampong Cham disseminated 1000 posters on COVID-19 risks from the Ministry of Health.

In this quarter, PDoLVTs ordered US$16,000 in compensation to 96 migrant workers (M: 62; W: 34) for cancelled deployment to Thailand as a result of the complaint resolution process. LSCW reported 56,000,000 Cambodian Riel was granted by court order in Cambodia to 19 men prospective migrant workers who had their jobs cancelled. Two migrant women received 50,000 Thai Baht through a court order in Thailand. LSCW also assisted in releasing five migrant workers who crossed the border to Thailand despite restrictions and helped three migrant workers return from Malaysia. In addition, one migrant worker was financially assisted to return to Prey Veng after completing quarantine.

On 10 June, TRIANGLE in ASEAN supported LSCW to organize a Virtual Case Management and Do No Harm Training for MRCs, PDoLVTs, MoLVT and civil society. The main objective was for participants to increase their understanding of case management for migrant workers and the effective use of referral mechanisms ensuring non-discrimination for returned migrant workers. Twenty-five participants (M:11; W:14) attended the training.

On 30 June, TRIANGLE in ASEAN, together with National Employment Agency (NEA) and Developing Markets Associates Global, jointly organized a virtual training on SaverAsia with 45 managers and officials (M:30; W:15) from Job Centres in 13 provinces/cities and staff from the central NEA in Phnom Penh. The training provided participants with the opportunity to discuss remittances and different ways to send and receive money, learn to use the SaverAsia app to find information about remittance services and financial education, and develop an outreach event plan and budget cascading events promoting SaverAsia. All 13 Job Centres developed their local SaverAsia outreach plans and will implement these from July.

In this quarter, TRIANGLE in ASEAN facilitated the attendance of Ms Khiev Socheat, Head of Employment and Manpower Office from the PDOLVT Kampong Cham, to attend the Skills Dimensions of Labour Migration course delivered by the International Training Center of the ILO.

On Domestic Workers Day, 16 June, TRIANGLE in ASEAN hosted an event to launch the Asia Pacific summary of the ILO’s new global report, Making Decent Work a Reality for Domestic Workers: Progress and prospects ten years after the adoption of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189). The regional summary was

TRIANGLE in ASEAN Programme Quarterly Briefing Note developed by TRIANGLE in ASEAN. The event was attended by 254 participants (W: 152; M: 62; Non-binary: 2; Not provided: 38). At the event, the ILO also launched a video, produced with support from TRIANGLE in ASEAN, that shows how the goal of improving conditions for domestic work is shared by government, employers and domestic workers, unions and civil society actors across ASEAN. The whole event recording and the presentations can be retrieved on the event website.

Upcoming activities and key dates (July – September 2021)

Date Event Location Attendees Purpose

July SaverAsia local Phnom Prospective migrant To organize SaverAsia (ongoing) outreach events Penh and workers, migrant awareness-raising events in 13 Job returnees, and their on the use of the mobile Centres families; local authorities app provinces

July Support consultations Phnom ILO, MoLVT, relevant To present the proposed (ongoing) on labour migration Penh government institutions, new framework of the law law development tripartite constituents, and generate inputs from NGOs, UN agencies stakeholders

August Hold offline or online Phnom ACRA, MAC, recruitment To discuss piloting the (ongoing) workshops on the Penh agencies, ILO, MoLVT, M&E tool among selected M&E system for the relevant government agencies and develop recruitment agency institutions, NGOs, steps forward for Code of Conduct employers, UN agencies progressing the Code of Conduct

September Organize GADC Phnom GADC staff, selected To build the capacity of Facilitator Training on Penh/ Prey facilitators, TRIANGLE in facilitators to deliver “By Women, For Veng ASEAN networking using a Women” approach to participatory model begin women’s networking activities

August/ National Tripartite Face-to- Tripartite partners and Review progress in September Preparatory Workshop face or CSOs implementing past AFML TBC for the 14th AFML online recommendations and meeting discuss the theme of the 14th AFML

TRIANGLE in ASEAN Programme Quarterly Briefing Note

Media Coverage

MediaDate CoverageTitle Media source 23 April Two arrested for attempting to smuggle 6 illegal workers to work in Khmer Times Thailand

24 April Three jailed for smuggling migrants to Cambodia Khmer Times

10 June Abuse of women and children increasing during COVID-19 crisis Khmer Times

11 June A Decade of Decent Work for Domestic Workers Cambodianess

15 June A decade of decent work for domestic workers; are we making a The Phnom Penh Post different

17 June A decade of decent work for domestic workers; are we making a The Phnom Penh Post difference (Khmer language)

28 June 80,000 migrant workers locked in Thai camps for 30 days UCAnews

29 June Exodus of Cambodian workers as Thailand closes construction New Straits Times camps

30 June 27 more Covid deaths, 1,130 infections in Cambodia The Phnom Penh Post

TRIANGLE in ASEAN extends the cooperation between the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Global Affairs Canada on protecting migrant workers and enhancing development opportunities. TRIANGLE in ASEAN aims to ensure that the benefits of labour migration are equally realised by men and women migrant workers; employers and governments. In shifting emphasis towards leveraging the development potential of migration, TRIANGLE in ASEAN aims to shape labour migration opportunities to support inclusive and sustainable growth in the ASEAN Economic Community. TRIANGLE in ASEAN engages institutionally with ASEAN and focuses on delivering in six countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam).