Objective 6: Facilitate fair and ethical recruitment and safeguard conditions that ensure decent work

The Republic of Korea introduced the Employment Permit System (EPS) in 2004, which recognized the need for low-skilled workers by Korean enterprises (particularly of small and medium sizes) in construction, manufacturing, agriculture and services, and introduced a government–to-government labour recruitment programme based on mandatory MOUs with 15 countries in Asia. A major achievement is the reduction in the average cost paid by a worker from US$3,509 under the trainee system in 2002 to US$927 under the EPS system in 2011.

The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through department order No. 130 (2013) has regulated that no fees or other charges for recruitment, placement or providing employment can be placed on seafarers.

The India Emigration (Amendment) Rules 2009 provide protections regarding recruitment of foreign workers, including limiting the maximum amount for service charges, requiring the registration of recruitment agents, and preventing licensed agents from employing sub-agents to conduct their business.

UAE law includes the prohibition of accepting or demanding payment from workers whether before or after recruitment (Article 18 of UAE Labour Law No. 8, 1980).
The provision stipulates:
"It is not permissible for any licensed labour agent or supplier to demand or accept from any worker whether before or after his recruitment, any commission or material reward in consideration for arranging such recruitment, nor may he obtain from him any expenses except as may be decided or approved by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

There is a bilateral agreement between Indonesia and the Republic of Korea on the placement of Indonesian labor migrants to ensure their fair treatment according to the Korean employment permit system scheme.                          

In Sri Lanka officials admit that going through the formal channel does not guarantee that migrants will receive their agreed-upon salary.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy has a network of Offices for Labour and Social Affairs in four EU countries. The so-called “labour attachés” that head these four offices provide labour and social affairs services to Bulgarian citizens in seven countries. 

This Act aims to promote opportunities for overseas employment and to establish a safe and fair system of migration, to ensure rights and welfare of migrant workers and members of their families, to enact a new law by repealing the Emigration Ordinance, 1982 (Ordinance No. XXIX of 1982), and for making provisions in conformity with the International Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and the Members of Their Families 1990 and other international labour and human rights conventions and treaties ratified by the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

The global Integrated Programme on Fair Recruitment aims to promote fair recruitment practices globally and across labour migration corridors, including Philippines, Hong Kong, Nepal, Jordan, and Tunisia from West Africa and to the Middle East. 

The ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour is an open platform for the review, discussion and exchange of the best practices and ideas between governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and civil society stakeholders on key issues facing migrant workers in ASEAN. The forum also has produced recommendations to advance the implementation of the principle of the ASEAN declaration and protection and promotion of the rights of the migrant workers.