Southeast Asian leaders adopted a regional declaration on Sunday seeking to curb abusive recruitment practices and strengthen protections for migrant workers, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported, during the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in Manila.

Source: Philippine News Agency

The ASEAN Declaration on Fair, Ethical and Sustainable Recruitment for Empowered Migrant Workers seeks to promote transparent, fair and accountable recruitment practices; prevent excessive and unreasonable recruitment fees; ensure equal employment opportunities and protection for migrant workers; strengthen the regulation and oversight of recruitment agencies; enhance access to justice and effective remedies; and foster greater cooperation among ASEAN member states.

600,000 Filipino workers across ASEAN

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the declaration would help protect around 600,000 Filipino migrant workers across ASEAN member states by strengthening safeguards throughout the recruitment and employment process. "This declaration ... advances ASEAN instruments towards the protection and promotion of rights of migrant workers," Cacdac said during a press briefing on Sunday.

Cacdac said the agreement also addresses emerging challenges in labour migration, particularly online recruitment and employment schemes that expose workers to exploitation, including illegal recruitment, human trafficking and online employment scams. He cited the need for closer coordination between countries of origin and destination, including recognition of each other's recruitment licensing and processing systems, and said the framework would reinforce cooperation in rescuing and repatriating Filipinos caught in scam hubs, while ensuring access to legal assistance and welfare services for those detained or held in host countries.

No penalties — and zero placement fees remain a goal

DMW Assistant Secretary Levinson Alcantara said the declaration is covered by the ASEAN Committee on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers and has been included in its 2026-2030 work plan. Implementation initiatives are already being prepared, with initial activities expected in early 2027.

Alcantara said the declaration does not provide for penalties or sanctions against member states that fail to address unethical recruitment. Instead, it emphasises capacity-building, stronger institutions and closer cooperation. He added that the long-term goal is to move toward zero placement fees across ASEAN, although member states have yet to harmonise their regulatory systems.

Why it matters beyond Southeast Asia

Recruitment fees and online job scams are among the biggest risks facing migrant workers across Asia, including the lakhs of Punjabi and Indian workers who travel abroad for work every year. A regional standard that presses agencies on fees, licensing and oversight — even without sanctions — sets a benchmark that workers and advocates can cite when recruitment goes wrong.

The declaration builds on earlier regional commitments, including the 2007 ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers and the 2017 ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.