Social Welfare of the Migrant Worker

1
(Social Welfare of the Migrant Worker)
Issues and Challenges for Cultural Diversity in
North East Asia

• Jong-Sam Park (DSW, DDS, THM)
• International Council on Social Welfare(ICSW),
• (President of North East Asia Region)
• World Vision Korea, (President CEO)

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Globalization What does this mean?

• A perception of globally integrated system of
  physical communication (telephone, internet,
  airline network, etc.)
• Shared entertainment (film and TV popular and
  classic music, sport)
• Economic exchange and capital flows
• Accelerating spread of ideas and of competing
  spiritual values

Globalization The Borderless World(Kennchi
Ohmae, 1990)
This view captures the sense of radical progress
and modernity, and of life beyond the constraints
of the traditional nation-state.
GlobalizationThe Economic Perspective(David
Henderson, 1999)

• The idea of globalization as a model of fully
  internationally integrated market as those
  meeting
• two conditions
• Free movement of goods, services, labor and
  capital thus a single market in inputs and
  outputs
• Full national treatment for foreign investors
  (and national working overseas) so that,
  economically speaking, there are not foreigners.

Globalization A Mixture of Legal and
Organizational categories
Globalization essentially refers to mixture of
international, multinational, offshore and
global activities and involves general
progression from the domestic to the
global.(Richard OBrien, End of Geography, 1992)
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International Migrants
Globalization and Labor Movement
There is far less globalization in respect of
labor movement. Despite fear in the West about
millions of actual or potential immigrants, and
creation of new ethic minorities in Western
Europe, it cannot seriously be claimed that
contemporary globalization has much do with labor
movements.
At most 2 per cent of the worlds population live
outside their country of origin. (Castler and
Miller, 1993) And the total global flow of
migrants (estimated at 25-30 million in the 1980,
many of them temporary refugees) was 0.5 per cent
of the Worlds population.
Globalization and Migrant Workers

• The only concerted attempt to create National
  treatment for migrant workers has been
• within the EU single market.
• But realization of free movement has been very
  slow despite cross-border rights to welfare
• benefits, freedom from controls, some mutual
  recognition of qualifications and substantial
• wage differentials.

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Facts and Figures on International Migration
No country of the world remains unaffected by
international migration flows. They are all
either countries of origin, transit or
destination for migrants, or all
three simultaneously. Like other flows, whether
financial, commercial, or flows of information or
ideas, the rising tide of people crossing
frontiers is among the most reliable indicators
of the intensity of globalization.
International Migrants

• At the start of the 21st century, one out of
  every 35 persons worldwide is an international
• migrant.
• The total number of international migrants is
  estimated at some 175 million persons.
• (2.9 of the world population)
• Some 48 of all international migrants are women.
  
• Over the last 35 years, the number of
  international migrants has more than doubled.

Migrants as percentage of total population by
countries, 2000
Source UN Population Division International
Migration 2004
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Migrants stocks by World Region
Migrants stocks by Country

• This list includes counties from all world
  regions Germany (7.3 million), Ukraine (6.9
  million),
• France (6.3 million), India (6.3 million), Canada
  (5.8 million), Saudi Arabia (5.3 million),
• Australia (4.7 million), Pakistan (4.2 million),
  United Kingdom (4.0 million), Kazakhstan (3.0
• million), Cote dIvoire (2.3 million), Iran (2.3
  million), Israel (2.3 million).

The United States (35 million) and the Russian
Federation (13.3 million) top the list of the 15
countries with the largest international migrant
stocks in 2000.
Immigration and Emigration Countries
While all of the 10 major emigration countries
between 1970 and 1995 were to be found in the
developing world, not all of the 10 major
immigration countries were developed countries.
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Foreign Labor Force
Immigration and Emigration Countries

• Over this period, the leading net immigration
  countries were the United States (16.7
• million immigrants), the Russian Federation (4.1
  million), Saudi Arabia (3.4 million)
• and India (3.3 million).
• Mexico (6.0 million emigrants), Bangladesh (4.1
  million), and Afghanistan (4.1 million)
• were the main emigration countries.

Among OECD countries, the highest numbers of
foreign workers in 1999 were found in the United
States (16.68 million), Germany (3.57 million),
Australia (2.37 million), France (1.53 million),
and the United Kingdom (1.1 million). The
proportion of foreign workers in the labor force
is highest in Luxembourg (57.3), Australia
(24.6), Switzerland (18.1), the United States
(11.7), Austria (10.02), Germany (8.75), and
France (5.8).
Migrant Remittances
For developing countries, migrant remittances
continue to be a major source of national income.
Worldwide, India (USD 11.5 billion), Mexico
(USD 6.5 billion) and Egypt (USD 3.7
billion) received the largest amounts of money
from their diaspora. However, due to its often
informal character, the total volume of
remittances is difficult to establish.
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Highly Skilled Workers

• The United States (1999 370,000 persons), Japan
  (2000 129,000) and Canada (2000
• 86,200) experienced the largest annual inflows of
  highly skilled workers among the worlds
• high-income countries.
• The United Kingdom (2000 39,000), Australia
  (1999-2000 30,000), and Germany (2000
• 2001 11,800) followed.

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Migrant Remittances

• Over the last 20 years, annual official
  Development Assistance and Foreign Direct
  Investment.
• For example, as a proportion of total financial
  inflows, remittances amounted to 66 in
• Morocco, 51 in Egypt and Tunisia, 35 in Cape
  Verde, 30 in Nigeria, and 27 in Benin and
• Burkina Faso.

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Irregular Migration

• Irregular migration continues to be a complex
  phenomenon on which accurate and reliable
• data are not readily available.
• Some 700,000 to 2 million women and children are
  estimated to be trafficked across
• international borders each year.
• Approximately 500,000 persons enter the United
  States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
• illegally every year.

Estimates of persons entering countries of the
European Union by irregular means vary
from 120,000 to 500,000 annually. People
smuggling is a very lucrative business generating
billions of USD in revenues every year. The fees
paid to migrant smugglers increase proportionally
to the distance covered between country of origin
and destination.
Globalization and Global Governance (Issues)

• What does Globalization means?
• Is it inevitable?
• And, if so, is it desirable?
• How does the system-the present network of
  formal and informal rules and institutions -
  actually work?

• What are the major gaps and deficiencies?
• What would be a practical agenda for
  international economic policy reform?

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Global Variable Geometry
The system of global governance that is emerging
as a response to globalization is a complex,
often ad hoc, set of rules regimes and
institutions which go beyond traditional ideas of
limited co-operation between nation states but so
far fall short of a unified global system
underpinned by global law enforcement. It is an
untidy world with overlapping jurisdictions and
competition between different kinds of rules and
institutions.
Author Vincent Cable, 1999
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Regionalism
Author Vincent Cable, 1999

• Intergovernmental Clubs (OECD, the G7, UN, WTO,
  World Bank, etc.)
• Regional Clubs (APEC, EU, NAFTA, TAP, ASEAN,
  etc.)
• Functional Clubs (International Telelcome and
  Postal Union, etc.)

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National Politics in a Global Economy

• Economics may be increasingly global. Politics
  is still national.
• The legitimacy of politicians resides essentially
  in their domestic electorates. (not in IMF, UN,
  WTO, EU)
• There is a growing tension between deepening
  economic integration and the virtual absence of
  meaningful political integration in globalized
  world.

National Politics and Globalization Some Major
Changes

• Effective global governance to cope with market
  failures and cross-border co-operation,
• Measure to ensure that the international public
  sector institutions and regulators are
  democratically accountable
• A clear sense of subsidiary such that national
  (sub-national) politics enjoy maximum
  decentralization of decision making within global
  or regional rules.

International Rules and National Sovereignty

• The traditional view of international relations
  can be caricatured as one of Solid nation-states
  interacting through trade or military alliances
  but without Significant loss of sovereignty
  (Bull, 1997)
• Globalization has, however, set in train a series
  of changes which shake to its Foundations the
  idea of the national state. The clear boundaries
  between domestic
• and foreign policies have been
  eroded.

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Social Safety Net and the Migrant Worker in Korea
International Rules and National Sovereignty

• Large number of issues which were once seen as
  purely domestic are now influenced by events
  abroad Tax levels and structures Regulation of
  financial institutions Social security system
  Product and technical standards Workers
  conditions Ownership of utilities Corporate
  governance and company law Environmental
  protection
• Competition policy Government
  budget deficit Education standard Human rights.
  

• A more contentious area where there may be limits
  to national autonomy and
• Regulatory competition is in relation
  to fair competition.

- Social Safety Net(SSN) is a social welfare
system that protect people from ages,
illness, unemployment, accidents and poverty. -
It includes public social welfare support and
four major social insurances.(National
pension, Medical insurance, Unemployment
insurance, Workers accidents compensation
insurance)
- Social Safety Net of the migrant workers is a
social welfare system, facilities and
services that protect well-being of the migrant
workers. - The migrant workers as members of
Korean society, their well-being should be
protected through SSN. As workers and residents
of Korean society, their basic welfare rights
must be guaranteed as basic human right.
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Social Safety Net and the Migrant Worker in Korea
- In Korea, the migrant workers are not covered
by SSN. - Though accident compensation
insurance is covered and medical insurance is
partially covered for the migrant workers, they
are totally excluded from the benefits for
national pension, unemployment compensation
program, public working, loan working, job
training as well as other public aid programs.

• - By the end of 1980s, the migrant workers in
  Korea were suffering from unbearable
• burdens(delayed wage payment, industrial
  accidents, physical abuse at workplace, sexual
• abuse, etc.) and their basic human rights were
  grossly violated.
• - Many NGOs and religious group as well as
  voluntary citizens groups were organized for
• advocating the migrants human rights, workers
  rights as well as welfare rights.

- Social Welfare Program of the migrant workers
finally drew the attention of government as well
as the civic society.
- By the end of 2003, the number of organizations
supporting the migrant workers were amount to
159. Religious Organization-137 Citizens Human
Right Movement Organization-8 Labor Movement
Organization-3 Medical Service
Organization-8 Legal Service Organization-3
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Social Service Delivery System

• Government Organization (GO)
• Religious Organization
• Labor Organization
• Non- Government Organization (NGO)

Types of Job for the Migrant Workers

• Factory Worker
• Construction Worker
• Fisher or Marine Product Industry Worker
• Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock Worker
• Restaurant Kitchen, Dish Washing, Waiter
• Nursing, Care-worker
• Housekeeper, Maid

• Waiter/Waitress at the Bar
• Others

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Some Difficulties of the Migrant
Workers(Workplace)

• Long Working Hours
• Poor Working Condition
• Occupational Disease
• Injury at Workplace
• Overdue Wages
• Low Wages
• Fast Work Speed

• Conflict with Korean Workers
• Conflict with Korean Supervisor
• Mockery or Insults in Workplace
• Body Search in Workplace
• Physical Assault
• Sexual Harassment
• Rape or Sexual Violation

Social Life Problems of the Migrant Workers

• Food
• Clothing
• Lodging
• Financial Problems
• Marital Problems

• Health Issues
• Climate or Weather
• Language and Communication
• Cultural Difference
• Exploitation by Brokers

The Main Reason for the Migrant Workers to visit
the Center

• To consult some problems
• To meet friends or acquaintances
• To get job information
• To get medical services

• 5. To participate in religious activities
• 6. To get educations
• 7. Others

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Activities of the Center for Migrant Workers

• Events(Picnic, Camp, Athletic Activities. Etc.)
• Medical Services
• Consulting Problems on the Labor Problems and
  Immigration Difficulties
• Korean Language Education
• Computer Education
• Industrial Safety Education

• Sex Education
• Shelter Service
• Supporting Migrant Workers Community
• Inducing Labor Unions Support for Migrant
  Workers
• Meeting for the International Marriage Family

• Day Care Service for Migrant Workers Children.
• Reintegration Program for Returning Home Country
• Establishment of Sisterhood Relationship between
  Migrant Workers and Koreans
• Publishing Newsletter/Newspaper

• Solidarity with other Centers for Migrant Workers
  in Korea
• Solidarity with other Centers for Migrant Workers
  in Foreign Countries
• Advocacy for Reforming the Foreign Labor Policy
  of Korean Government
• Missionary Work

• Co-op for Migrant Workers
• Research Projects on Foreign Workers

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Consulting Activities of the Center for Migrant
Workers

• Overdue Wages
• Medical Services
• Industrial Accidents
• Fine Policy for Illegal Aliens
• Shelter
• Legal Advice

• Violence or Outrage on the Migrant Workers
• Rape or Sexual Abuse
• Referral Service
• Death Cases
• Refund of Airfares
• Retirement Allowance

Korean NGO Advocacy Movement for Welfare Right
of Migrant Workers

• - Beginning 1991, Korea began to import migrant
  labor from other countries.
• - Korea had been one of the manpower
  exporting countries in the 1960s and 1970s
  during its industrial
  development stage.
• - By the end of 80s, the so-called
  3D(Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous) manufacturing
• companies were faced with the
  manpower shortage.

- Thus, the migrant workers have been imported
officially under Industrial Trainee System.
- Many migrant workers from Southeast
Asia, Middle East, Africa and Russia came to
Korea to capture Korean Dream.
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Korean NGO Advocacy Movement for Welfare Right
of Migrant Workers

• Disclosure of inhumane treatment of the migrant
  workers at the workplace, and passive approach to
  the problems on the part of Government, many
  human right activists and religious leaders took
  initiatives in supporting the helpless migrant
  workers, and organizing themselves to become
  active agents of relief, development and advocacy
  for
• the human rights (welfare rights and
  basic workers rights) of the migrant workers.

• Strategies that these activist groups employed
  are in accordance with a core agenda
• for labor migration policy (ILO
  activities with governments and social partners)
  comprises seven basic components

1) Applying international standards to protect
the basic rights of all migrants 2) Monitoring
migration and the conditions of migrant
workers 3) Consulting social partners and other
stakeholders 4) Developing coherent national
policies and measures on labor migration, based
on ILO principles
5) Enhancing administrative capacities for
managing migration 6) Preventing discrimination
and facilitating the social and economic
integration of immigrants 7) Engaging in
regional and international dialogue and
cooperation.
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Korean NGO Advocacy Movement for Welfare Right
of Migrant Workers

• Social welfare service activities by voluntary
  organizations supporting the migrant workers have
  been carefully researched, evaluated by Korean
  government with the
• help of the stakeholders.

5. Two big challenges with managing social
welfare for the migrant workers are 1) to
increase possibilities for regular legal
migration 2) to try to find ways to
reduce illegal migration.
- The results of the study will become some
basic information upon which Korean government
and civic society will design the social welfare
programs for the migrant workers,
especially those who will be invited to work in
Korea.
- It is estimated that there are 406,000 foreign
residents in Korea, majority of them are the
migrant workers, of whom 60 are undocumented
migrant workers living under fear of
being arrested and deported.
- This would concern people who try to enter
without permission, overstay their visas, use the
services of smugglers or seek to stay through
illegal means. - Irregular
migrant workers are most vulnerable for in humane
treatment and exploitations.
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Task of Central and Local Government for
Assisting the Migrant Workers

• Re-enforcement of Basic Labor Law and Supervision
  of the employers of the Migrant Workers
• Prevention and Solution of Irregular Practice of
  Employment Agency
• Solution of Labor Problems(Industrial Injuries,
  Overdue Payment, etc.)

• Creation of Special Agency(Department) for the
  Migrant Worker
• Reform the Existing Law affecting the Migrant
  Worker
• Securing Basic Labor Right for the Migrant Worker
• Upgrading Selection Standard of the Migrant Worker

• Management of Demand/Supply Workforce
• Effective Management of the Migrant Worker

Tasks of Local Government for the Migrant Work

• Change Negative Attitude of Community People
  toward the Migrant Worker and Acceptance of the
  Migrant Worker as Members of Local Community
• Social Welfare Policy Formation and Providing
  Social Service for the Migrant Worker

• Reform Medical Insurance System as well as Social
  Welfare System
• Increase Supportive Program for the Welfare of
  the Migrant Worker
• Support the Migrant Workers Events in the
  Community
• Support the Organization of the Migrant Worker

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Task of the Ministry of Law for the Migrant
Workers

• Simplify Legal System for Residing in Korea,
  Processes of Entry/Departure of Immigration
  Office
• Humane Treatment of the Migrant Worker and
  Prevention of Problems caused by International
  Employment Agency
• Prevention and Control of Illegal Activities

• Offering Convenience for the Migrant Worker to
  Visit Homeland Regularly
• Providing Basic Information on Korean Life and
  Basic Education on Basic Korean Law
• Remission of past Illegal-stay in Korea
• Legislation of Unbiased Law affecting Migrant
  Worker

• Prevention of Illegal Stay
• Severe Punishment of Irregular Practice of
  Employers

Korean NGO Advocacy Movement for Welfare Right
of Migrant Workers
- Many forms of social actions were taken
systematically by the activist groups including
appealing the migrants human right violation
cases to higher courts. - Responses from
general public and politicians were positive.
- Several meaningful laws protecting the
migrant workers rights were legislated, and
amended.
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Korean NGO Advocacy Movement for Welfare Right
of Migrant Workers

• - Thanks to the efforts of the migrant advocacy
  group, quite recently employment
• permit system is put into practice.

- Under the new system, Korea plans to admit
25,000 migrant workers this for manufacturing,
farming, and construction jobs from six
countries the Philippines, Mongolia, Sri Lanka,
Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. - Another
38,000 foreigners are expected come in under
industrial trainee scheme.
Mr. Brunson McKinley, director general of the
International Organization for Migration made
the following comments Korea is ahead of other
countries in importing labor and in trying to
be best organized to receive migrant in a legal
and sensible way. There is a lot to learn
from (here). Id say the employment permit
system that Korea is beginning to put into place
is a very interesting and important
effort.
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Thank you very much!