Labor migration in Asia: COVID-19 impacts, challenges, and policy responses

The report analyzes the region’s labor migration outlook, corresponding economic and policy developments, and changes caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. It provides an overview of labor migration to and from different Asian economies and details policy approaches in major origin and destination economies of labor migrants. Chapter 1 examines the latest regional trends, including the pandemic’s effects on labor migration flows and remittances. Chapter 2 looks at migrant job losses and COVID-19 infections, as well as policy responses to the pandemic in terms of healthcare access, occupational safety and health, housing, social protection, and the resumption of labor migration. Chapter 3 focuses on return and reintegration challenges and policy measures in the wake of the pandemic.The report provides up-to-date comparative statistics on labor migration flows in, to, and from Asia. Two statistical annexes offer detailed economy fact sheets and coverage of intra-Asia and cross-regional migration flows. This report draws on discussions between policy makers and experts that took place at the 11th ADBI-OECD-ILO Roundtable on Labor Migration: Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic and Building Back Better, held in April 2021 and co-organized by the Asian Development Bank Institute, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the International Labour Organization.