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Project
8d
Model Code of Conduct for Recruitment
Agencies
Summary
Short term contract migration from South Asian countries
began soon after the oil price hike of the early 1970s. Initially,
recruitment of workers was managed by state agencies; over time,
however, private agencies began to play an active role in securing
demands, negotiating with employers, recruiting workers and processing
their documents. The rise of strong economies in South-east Asian
countries led to increased demand for migrant labour, contributing
to the further growth of recruiting agencies.
The agencies have been playing a crucial
role in exploring the market and securing overseas employment; it
is also true that the recruitment sector is beset with many problems
that contribute to hardship, misery and harassment of migrants and
potential migrants. In some countries the industry began wielding
substantial power. Lack of accountability of the sector has led
to demands for developing an effective code of conduct for the agencies.
It is in this context that this study is proposed.
Key Research Questions
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Examine the backdrop of the development
of the recruitment industry in the five south Asian countries; |
![](../../images/general/bullit_6x6_beige.gif) |
Identify the problems that exist in the
labour recruitment sector for overseas employment; |
![](../../images/general/bullit_6x6_beige.gif) |
Assess the existing regulatory frameworks
that guide the recruitment industry in these countries; |
![](../../images/general/bullit_6x6_beige.gif) |
Analyse the self regulatory mechanisms of
the recruitment industry in these countries and identify best
practices in the region and in countries such as the Philippines |
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Type(s) of Migration
Global
Labour Mobility
Region
Bangladesh / South
Asia
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Convenor
Richard
Black
Investigators
Choudhury
Abrar (RMMRU)
in collaboration with SAMReN partners
Key activity
1. |
Interviews with government
functionaries dealing with labour migration and recruitment
industry (such as the Bureau of Manpower Employment and
Training in Bangladesh, Philippines Overseas Employment
Authority and Sri Lankan Bureau for Foreign Employment) |
2. |
Meetings with a select
group of leading recruiting agencies and their federating
associations, and members of migrant support groups, returnee
migrants’ associations, experts and civil society
activists. |
3. |
Survey of documents pertaining
to the issue in government, private sector and civil society
institutions. |
4. |
A regional workshop with
representatives of the recruitment industry, governments
and civil society. |
Key Outputs
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A regional workshop in
Dhaka |
![](../../images/general/bullit_6x6_beige.gif) |
A monograph |
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Policy briefing |
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Newspaper reports |
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