The meeting was hosted by the Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference in Taiwan. In his welcome address Archbishop Hung, the Archbishop of Taipei, highlighted the growing numbers of migrant workers and new immigrants in Taiwan and focused on some of the complex pastoral issues that are emerging mainly in the fields of human trafficking, employment and alienation, religious freedom, divorce and children's education.

On the first day of the meeting (June 24), the AWG visited the different Catholic Migrants' Institutions or migrants' shelters in the Diocese of Hsinchu that cater to the pastoral needs of the international migrant workers and new immigrants and more particularly those that had become victims of labor trafficking. Looking at the situation of the migrant workers in the shelters in the Diocese of Hsinchu, we, the members of the Asia Working Group, commend the Chaplains, the dedicated staff of these centres, the pastoral workers, and the volunteers in Taiwan who never tire in recovering their dignity.

In further discussing the migrant worker situations in the other Asian countries, the ICMC Asia working group noted the important differences in attitude between the countries in their primary concerns and in the ways of responding to the specific migrant worker's needs. Though the differences at times seemed very important, the following conclusions, common understanding and recommendations emerged from the discussions:

I. Levels of shared concern

1. There is general consensus on the fact that there is a need for the Church in Asia to act in a cohesive and consistent way, be it in favor of internal migrants as much as in favor of international migrants;

2. There is consensus on the need for closer collaboration for the socio-pastoral care for migrants between the Church of the countries of origin and the Church of the countries of destination. The Churches of both countries need to define ways to minimize risks while better organizing these exchanges;

3. There is good understanding of the fact that the Church, in playing a too prominent role in favor of migrants, may in some countries be perceived fueling animosity and be interpreted as anti-national or as proselytizing;

4. There is consensus on the fact that families left behind need specific support which urgently needs to be developed. Even if it is noted that many migrant workers migrate because of their commitment to support their families - up to abandoning all of their salary and enduring the pain and the humiliations - their families very often are left unaware of their suffering;

5. There is consensus on the fact that female migration calls for specific attention and measures of protection;

6. There is general feeling that migrant workers in Asia are very often looked upon as a commodity. Governments, employers and brokers in the countries of origin and destination alike tend to look at the profit these workers constitute. Even their families- who all too often remain ignorant of the hardships the workers go through - expect more money to be sent home. In this sense Asian migrant workers are often called the unknown heroes / heroines of their families;

7. There is shared concern on the fact that migrants have very little power against the brokers and that their status, even in regular migration conditions, is very often dependent on the legislation of the host and the countries of origin as well as on the attitude of the employers. Migrant workers are often on the losing end;

8. There is growing consciousness of and concern for the need to advocate and dialogue with national authorities and governments to increase impact and prevent those systems and issues that lead into suffering and discrimination;

9. There is understanding that illiteracy and unawareness of the legislation and of the host country's cultural patrimony very often turns against the migrant worker generating profit for others. This implies the need for better preparation and information;

10. There is consensus on the need to better prepare international emigrants to avoid many of the abuses or to at least equip them with a clear and legal way of handling in cases of abuse;

11. There is shared concern on the fact that there are many legal and procedural restrictions against migrant workers and that their access to basic facilities in health, education, social assistance, housing, job finding and that even the freedom to fulfill their religious duties often remains limited;

12. There is recognition of the fact that international standards and their regular publication (such as the tier list) are helpful and that they may prove to be good incentives for governments to legislate adequately. It is understood that the absence of adequate legislation and proper implementation generate incentives for profit oriented business such as organized labor and sex trafficking.

13. There is shared concern that the proximity in which many migrants are forced to live, fundamentally affects some of the moral and societal values and that it leads to diminished human dignity.

14. There is consensus on the need to change the mentality of the authorities and the employers, who very often - even with trade unions - focus more on the profit than on the human dignity of the migrant worker.

II. Practical Recommendations

1. Advocate with the respective governments for the ratification of the Convention on the protection of Migrant workers and their Families;

2. Advocate with the respective governments and authorities for the ratification of the ILO Convention on the protection of Domestic workers;

3. Register the people who are leaving. Make sure addresses of next destination are known to obtain a more exact statistical picture on how many and where the workers have gone;

4. Pressure the governments to provide sufficient work at home rather than incentivizing its active population to migrate for higher income;

5. Inform the populations and communities left behind on the reality of the migrant worker situation and break the myth of the green grass on the other side of the hill;

6. Capacitate migrant workers; ensure training and make sure he/she receives updated information of the country he/she is going to;

7. Integrate migration issues as a part of the curriculum in the training and ongoing education of seminarians, religious and priests as well as those meant for the many interested lay people;

8. Recognize the specific needs of migrants when reintegrating in their country of origin;

9. Advocate against governmental agreements with countries known for excessive hardships of migrant workers and discourage any migrant worker decision of accepting labour contracts in countries;

10. Promote multilateral agreements rather than bilateral to increase protection levels and to create the incentives for governments to adapt legislation and procedures towards more respectful attitudes;

11. In some of the situations that would oppose the government and the Church, possibly even leading to conflict, it is recommended to use appropriate intermediaries e.g. laity and NGO's or other structures to avoid conflict;

12. Consider interreligious dialogue as an urgent and important imperative in developing operational models with migrant workers. It has e.g. proved possible and efficient to collaborate with Buddhists to develop targeted migrant support;

13. Include all people in the service, assistance and support offered as this will guarantee broader community support;

14. Organize and possibly subsidize volunteers to work with and on behalf of migrants;

15. Support and commit to the development of regional initiatives in order to enhance national response models to regional and international migration;

16. Establish regular meetings with local and national authorities and develop effective networking with civil society and all actors involved in assisting migrant workers;

17. Promote, advocate and evaluate a direct hiring system linking the employers and migrant workers as an alternative model to the present exploitative and profit oriented system. All Catholic institutions and employers are to be encouraged to use the direct hiring system;

18. Analyze and report on the gaps between legislation and its implementation. Be aware that official statistics may not always reflect reality;

19. Read and follow the recommendations made by the civil society group for the Global forum Migration and Development 2012 coordinated by the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC).

For the Asia Working Group,

JOHAN KETELERS, Secretary General, ICMC

FR. ELISEO M. NAPIERE, MSP, Secretary, AWG - ICMC/FABC