Asian Migrant Centre - About MD Programme

The Migration and Development (M&D) Programme focuses on the economic and development issues in relation to migration.

Addressing the Root Causes of Labour Migration

The M&D Programme spearheads AMC's analysis, response and strategies on development issues as these relate to labour migration. AMC has strong partnerships with social movements in Asia and globally in the advocacy to build people-centered, sustainable, gender-fair, rights-based and empowering development paradigms. AMC is part of the regional and global movements against neo-liberal development paradigms. AMC believes that this model is one of the root causes of modern-day mass labour migration which is exploitative and premised on the commodification of migrants, women and workers as cheaper, vulnerable labour.

The Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), of which AMC is a member, spearheads the advocacy in Asia for the promotion of the "right to development" principles as embodied by the 1986 United Nations Right to Development Declaration. Therefore, AMC is one of the key groups in MFA that helps in the formulation of joint analysis, positions, proposals and policy/advocacy agendas on migration and development.

Global Forum on Migration & Development

AMC and MFA have spearheaded Asian migrants' engagement with the inter-governmental "Global Forum on Migration and Development" (GFMD). AMC joined MFA and partners since 2006 in the migrants' and civil society campaigns to ensure the right to development perspective in the GFMD.

Building Concrete Development Alternatives: The MSAI Strategy

In terms of helping develop people-centered economic development strategies, AMC pioneered since the mid-1990s the "Migrant Savings for Alternative Investments" (MSAI) strategy. The MSAI strategy recognises the enormous economic potential of migrant labor, and fights to transform this into actual social power to be harnessed for just and people-centered development.

The MSAI strategy is implemented by AMC and MFA partners across Asia, through savings mobilisation and social enterprise projects involving migrants and their families, and communities back in the home countries. These MSAI projects (e.g. Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, etc.) help migrants prepare economically for their opportune return and reintegration back home. These projects help develop the capacity of migrants and their families to build, mobilize and wisely use their savings, and to assist migrants and their families to make alternative investments in social enterprises in their home countries, not only as an additional source of livelihood but also to contribute to community and national development. By mobilizing their huge economic potential and creating viable, productive enterprises in their home countries, migrants and their communities are able to regain control of economic production and to generate social value-added products, services, jobs and income for local members of the community.

The MSAI strategy has several guiding principles. Investments should be economically viable and profitable; they should promote human rights, social justice, gender equality, and ecological sustainability; they should work to change the roles of migrants and women towards more equality; and they should contribute towards basic social change, just development and nation building.

The MSAI strategy employs several operational components to channel migrants and their economic power towards reintegration and economic development:

-     Mobilization of migrant savings in the host countries, especially group savings;
-     Building of social enterprises back in the home countries;
-     Facilitation, guidance and capacity-building by NGO partners and advocates; and
-     Intermediation and support by governmental, inter-governmental, private and development agencies on technical, infrastructure, logistical, legal/policy and related needs.

MSAI provides interventions at all stages of migration. At the pre-departure stage, MSAI conducts education and training on work-related skills and migrants’ rights, as well as on the risks and realities of migration in the various host countries. MSAI also provides awareness raising activities regarding the issues migrants may face upon their return and reintegration. While onsite in the host countries, MSAI engages in organizing savings groups and unionization. The MSAI program also works to ensure migrants understand development issues. The return and reintegration stage is particularly emphasized in the MSAI program. Migrants focus on enterprise development and community organizing, and continue to form and strengthen networks with governments, organizations and communities. The program also provides ongoing advocacy and training, educating migrants’ families and communities on a wide range of issues, especially in regard to economic and development issues and needs.

Since 1998, several MSAI savings projects and pilot social enterprises. Migrant savings schemes were established in the host countries (Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Macau, Malaysia, Japan); migrants’ pilot social enterprises were initiated in the home countries (Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand). Many of the projects and savings groups continue to the present, but some have stopped after the migrants have gone back home or due to other dififculties. The enterprises are mainly agriculture-based, producing organically grown livestock and crops.

MSAI partners are currently building linkages with other microfinance, savings, cooperative, social enterprise, and community development groups in specific countries in Asia, in order to broaden and rpelicate the strategy.

MSAI savings continue to grow as migrants save more and as greater numbers of savers take part in the program. Migrants and advocates are now in the position to more effectively engage with national policy-makers and expand the multi-stakeholder character of the program.

(Last update: December 2008)