Telangana delegation to tour Philippines to study migrant worker policies

Hyderabad: A delegation from Telangana will visit the Philippines from August 17 to 21 to study that country's migration and labour policies for workers employed abroad. The team will use the findings to develop and adopt similar measures for the large number of Telangana workers in West Asian countries.

The 11-member delegation includes legislators and experts on the subject. It will examine the Philippines' policies and institutional mechanisms for the welfare and protection of migrant workers in Gulf nations, according to Swadesh Parkipandla, a member of the Non-Resident Indian Advisory Committee (NRIAC). Return and re-integration policies will also be studied, he said.

The delegation's focus will be on welfare programmes, institutional systems, and best practices followed in the Philippines. The visit is expected to provide inputs for a proposed Telangana Gulf NRI policy and a welfare board for these workers.

M. Bheem Reddy, Vice-Chairman of NRIAC, said the Philippines has very strong migration policies. “They have labour attaches, welfare officers, and special arrangements in Philippine foreign missions in Gulf countries. Their embassies are quite strong there,” he told The Hindu. He described the country's migration-driven policies as one of the best models in the world.

Reddy also noted that the Philippines has robust pre-departure orientation programmes, along with skilling and upskilling schemes. “Bilateral agreements with Gulf countries are important and the government has a hand in negotiating better salaries for their workers,” he added.

Commenting on the ongoing conflict in West Asia involving Israel, the US and Iran, Reddy said that despite the situation, there is still scope for skilled worker migration. He pointed to Saudi Arabia being confirmed as the host for the FIFA World Cup 2034, which he said would open up a larger number of opportunities for skilled workers.

During the visit, the delegation will meet experts and officials, and visit the Indian Embassy in Manila, the Commission on Overseas Filipinos, and the Department of Migrant Workers. Experts from the Migrant Forum in Asia and Building and Wood Workers' International will brief the delegation on issues concerning migrant workers.