Date : 18/12/2015
GENEVA, Dec 18 (KUNA) -- On International Migrants Day, ILO Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Arab States Dr. Ruba Jaradat invites the international community to "appreciate what migrant workers give us and in what conditions and reflect on what we give them in return."
On December 18, it is International Migrants Day, a day of global solidarity with migrant workers - or "temporary expatriate" workers as they are called in the Arab world. On this day in 1990, the United Nations adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, said the ILO in a press release.
"Like all human beings, migrant workers are people with names, feelings and dignity. They carry with them stories, responsibilities, and aspirations - and they have rights', ILO said.
According to the ILO, there are globaly an estimated 232 million international migrants, and 25 million of them live in Arab states. Many work in sectors such as construction, agriculture, and services, including domestic work. These tend to be demanding jobs, performed in difficult conditions.
While labour migration is generally welcomed by both countries of origin and destination, and while Anna's story is one of progress and success - despite the many personal sacrifices she had to make - for too many other migrant workers, it is a story of suffering: Too many still end up trapped in exploitation, with hefty recruitment fees to be paid, without proper wages, and at worst without freedom, in situations akin to forced labour, like modern-day slaves.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates some 600,000 cases of forced labour in the Middle East alone, and many of them are migrant workers. (end)
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