In a report highlighting the significance of temporary migratory labor programs, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, stated that no one should have to give up their human right to migrate in order to obtain a living wage.
The report, titled “We wanted workers, but people came,” was released on Sunday, International Migrants Day. It focuses on programs that are in place throughout the Asia-Pacific region, which is the world’s largest single producer of migrants.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated, “Migrant workers are often dehumanized,” pointing out that “they are human beings entitled to human rights and full protection of their human dignity.”
Consistently, millions leave their nations under brief work movement programs that guarantee financial advantages for objective nations and advancement profits to nations of beginning.
The report explains in detail how temporary work programs frequently impose a number of unacceptable restrictions on human rights. It demonstrates how migrant workers frequently have to live in cramped, filthy housing, are unable to purchase nutritious food, are denied adequate healthcare, and are frequently forced to spend extended periods of time apart from their families. It also points out that migrants are disproportionately at risk of contracting the Covid-19 infection in some nations due to policies that deny them access to government assistance.
Turk emphasized, “They should not be expected to give up their rights in exchange for being able to migrate for work, even though it is crucial for them, their families, and the economies of their countries of origin and destination.”
One unnamed state is cited as an example in the report, where citizens and permanent residents must obtain permission from the government before they can wed. In another, workers are not permitted to migrate with their families, so certain designated “family zones” cannot be rented out to temporary migrants.
Migrants are required to work on Saturdays and Sundays as part of some seasonal programs, preventing them from attending religious services.
