regulating recruitment agencies in the philippines - united arab emirates corridor dovelyn rannveig...
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![Page 1: Regulating Recruitment Agencies in the Philippines - United Arab Emirates Corridor Dovelyn Rannveig Agunias Policy Analyst, MPI June 3, 2010 Washington,](https://reader036.vdocuments.site/reader036/viewer/2022082505/56649d965503460f94a7ffd8/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
MIGRATIONS’ MIDDLEMENRegulating Recruitment Agencies in the Philippines - United Arab Emirates Corridor
Dovelyn Rannveig AguniasPolicy Analyst, MPIJune 3, 2010
Washington, DC
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Outline
1. Agencies’ Value vs. Cost 2. Key Regulatory Challenges 3. A Three Tier Labor Migration System 4. Policy Options
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1. Agencies’ Value vs. Cost
Value: Provide information, matching assistance and many kinds of logistical support while in the Philippines and upon arrival in the UAE.
Cost: Charge excessive or unauthorized fees, engage in fraud and deceit and activities that border on human rights abuse
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2. Key Regulatory Challenges Policy mismatch on:
who can participate in overseas employment
the allowable fees recruiters can charge migrants
terms and conditions that must be included in every contract
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Domestic Worker Entitlements Under Philippine Regulation US$400 minimum monthly wage continuous rest of at least eight hours per day paid vacation of not less than 15 calendar days for every
year of service employer assistance in remitting a percentage of salary
through proper banking channels no salary deductions no confiscation of passport and work permit personal life, accident, medical, and repatriation insurance free roundtrip economy-class air ticket or money
equivalent in case of contract renewal
Source: POEA, Guidelines on the Implementation of the Reform Package Affecting Household Service
Workers.
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2. Key Regulatory Challenges Difficulties in implementation
monitor the welfare of workers
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Services Rendered to Migrant Workers at the Philippine Consulate in Dubai, First Three Quarters, 2008 and 2009
Services 2008 2009 Monthly average for 2009
Daily average for 2009
Verify documents Employment contract 7,712 9,738 1,082 49
Recruitment agreement 480 238 26 1Manning agreement 7 7 1 0
Special power of attorney 735 316 35 2Job orders 1,170 631 70 3
Trade licenses 738 294 33 1Issue overseas employment certificates 20,395 24,187 2,687 122Provide legal counseling 25,025 28,450 3,161 144Visit hospitals 78 86 10 0Visit jails 150 239 27 1Provide medical assistance 282 650 72 3Answer queries through a 24-hour hotline 29,110 34,300 3,811 173Repatriate distressed workers 457 668 74 3Accept runaways to Filipino Resource Centers
835 960 107 5
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Reasons for Seeking Refuge at Filipino Workers Resource Center, December 2009
1.Noncompliance with the minimum salary of US$400 per month
119
2. Delayed payment of monthly salary combined with 117
Long working hours 98 Lack of food 95Verbal abuse 93
Overwork 55Sexual assault/harassment 14
Physical cruelty 6Rape 4
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2. Key Regulatory Challenges Difficulties in implementation
monitor the welfare of workers establish an adjudication system
that migrants with complaints are willing to use
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Top Ten Complaints against Employers and Recruiters in the United Arab Emirates, 2009
Against employers Against recruiters
Overworked (cleaned more than one house or worked more than 18 hours per day)
117
Agency did not provide help 13
Physically maltreated 84 Migrant escaped from the agency 11
Not paid or underpaid 72 Returned by the employer to the agency
7
Denied food 53 Agency substituted contract 7
Verbally abused 30 Migrant did not want to return to the agency for fear of abuse
6
Sexually harassed 15 Returned by the agency to an abusive employer
5
Wrongly accused of theft 11 Physically maltreated by agency personnel
4
Threatened death or incarceration 13 Rejected by the agency after being returned by employer
4
Not allowed to go home and not allowed to terminate contractRaped
94
Lost contact with the agency in Dubai Agency planned to send worker to another country without worker consent
11
[KK1]This has nine complaints for each column, not ten - please check
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Isolated Cases or Tip of the Iceberg?
Recruitment Violation Cases by Type of Complaint, 2008
Status of Cases Filed in 2008 as of October 2009
Misrepresen-tation in re-cruitment/
place-ment30%
Collection of excessive fees 23%
Nonissuance of appropriate receipt 17%
Premature fee collection
7%
Violation of other provi-sion of labor
code7%
Unauthorized withholding of
docu-ments5%
Failure to re-imburse ex-penses 4%
Other7%
Decided in < 1 month2% Decided in
2-3 months
14%
Decided in 4-6
months21%
Decided in 7-9
months13%
Decided in 10-12 months5%
Decided in 13-18
months3%
Pending 42%
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A Three Tier Labor Migration System
•labor movements that are documented and organized, based on written contractsTier 1
•labor movements based on informal agreements typically characterized by a lower wage, a different job and reduced or forgone benefits. Tier 2•Labor movements that bypass the system altogether through visitor’s visa Tier 3
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Policy Options
Keep Low-Skilled Migration Low
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Demand and Supply Deployment of New Hires to the UAE, Domestic Workers and Professional, Technical and Related Workers, 1997 to 2008
Top Ten Approved Job Orders to the United Arab Emirates, 2005 to 2009
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
Profes-sional, technical, and re-lated workers
Domestic workers
Year
Num
ber
of d
eplo
yed
new
hire
s
2005 2006 2007 2008 20090
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
Domestic helpers and re-lated Waiter, bar-tenders, and relatedService workers (n.e.c.)Sales, shop assistants, and demonstra-torsCharworkers, cleaners, and relatedProtective service workers (n.e.c.)
Year
Num
ber
of jo
b or
ders
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Policy Options
Keep low-skilled migration low Make it harder for unscrupulous
recruitment agencies to receive and keep a license
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Proportion of Filipino Recruiters by the Number of Workers Sent to the United Arab Emirates, 2000 to 2009
1-20
21-40
41-60
61-80
81-100
101-150
151-250
251-350
351-450
451-550
551-750
751-950
951-1150
1,151-1,350
1,351-1,550
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
2009
2000
Percentage of recruiters
Num
ber
of w
orke
rs
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Changing Rules AND Changing Ways
Changing Rules
Compatible and enforceable rules Allowable fees Standard contracts Agency liability
Capable institutions
Empowered migrants
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Dovelyn Rannveig Agunias
Policy Analyst, MPI
1-202-266-1925
For more information: