Migrant Forum in Asia together with Caritas Lebanon Migrants Center organized the Lawyers Beyond Borders national consultation in Lebanon on March 13, 2016 at Padova Hotel bringing lawyers and advocates to talk about who are working on labour and human rights violation cases of migrant workers in the country. Lawyers joining the “local chapter” in Lebanon identify major and common areas of concern on the situations of migrant workers and collaborate…

As we celebrate today the 25th Anniversary of the UN’s International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families, the LBB Phil, by way of expressing its support to and solidarity with all the migrant workers, launched its first Book, a compendium of Selected Philippine Laws, Rules and Regulations on Overseas Employment on 16 December 2015, in Quezon City, Philippines.  The book launch was…

Organized by Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) and the Malaysian Bar Council (MBC) with support from the Open Society Foundations (OSF), the 3rd Regional Conference of the Lawyers Beyond Borders Network was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 14-15 November 2015. The meeting concentrated on progress, updates, and information sessions from its local chapters (Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh) as well as from its individual participants-the meeting concentrated on Gulf…

The 3rd Conference of the Lawyers Beyond Borders  (LBB) Network is scheduled on 14-15 November 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The conference will be held at the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel. This year’s meeting will focus on the following key objectives: Review progress on the action plan from the previous Lawyers Beyond Borders Conference Acceleration and facilitation of access to justice for Migrant Workers and members of its families Continue outreach to…

  The launching of the LBB Bangladesh was held on July 4, 2015 in Bangladesh. This one-day workshop was centered around capacity building aimed to convened workers and practitioners on labor and human rights violation cases of Bangladeshi migrant workers. Dr. Chowdhury Abrar, Executive Director, Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit presented reports that delved on two main topics: “International Human Rights Instruments Relevant to MW’s and their families” &…

LBB Sri Lanka’s first meeting and launching was held on July 20, 2015 in Colombi, Sri Lanka attended by 22 lawyers who practice in different courts from Colombo and provinces in Sri Lanka. The launch was organized by the MFA and local LBB member, Lawyers Network for Migrant Workers. The report by the Sri Lanka chapter of the LBB relays some of the difficulties Sri Lankan workers face as migrant…

We are very much pleased to inform you that Lawyers Beyond Borders Philippines, Inc., or LBB Phil, has just lauched its Access to Justice Periodic Forum today, 7 September 2015, in partnership with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Regional Satellite Office XII.  The same was participated by 50, more or less, Returning-Overseas Filipino Workers and was witnessed by Regional Director Ofelia B. Domingo, CESO III (Department of Labor and Employment XII),…

5-7 September 2014 Beirut, Lebanon The Lawyers Beyond Borders network was established by MFA in 2011 in response to the crucial need for more fair and adequate legal redress mechanisms for migrants, and increased coordination among legal practitioners in countries of origin and destination. Members of the Lawyers Beyond Borders network focus on migrant workers’ rights violation cases in Asia (West Asia in particular), and they make efforts to facilitate access…

On 1-4 May 2014 in Dubai, the UAE, MFA held a lawyers’ caucus as a major part of the Regional Workshop on Ethical Business and Recruitment Practices in Labour Migration in the Middle-East, North Africa and Asia. This was a training program for practitioners held in partnership with Migrant Forum in Asia, the Middle East Centre for Training and Development and the Diplomacy Training Program (DTP). Thirty-two participants from 13…

PRESS STATEMENT 14-16 April 2014, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia We, the members of the Advisory Committee of the Asian Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Labour Migration representing fifteen countries, met on 14-16 April in Kuala Lumpur for the 2nd Advisory Committee Meeting and Fact-Finding Mission to inquire on the situation of migrant workers in Malaysia. We consulted the Members of Parliament, Migration Working Group, Migrant Care, Malaysian Trade Union Congress, trade unions, Bar…

Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), Friedrich‐Ebert‐Stiftung (FES), Office for Regional Cooperation in Asia, UN Women and the Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs (COWA) convened the 7th Meeting of the Asian Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Labor Migration focusing on Gender-Sensitive Strategies for Migrant Workers, on 22-24 November 2013, in Bangkok, Thailand. Since 2007, MFA and network partners, with the support of FES, have been facilitating a parliamentarians program aimed at identifying the…

The Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) and the Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) held its 2nd regional capacity building program on human rights advocacy and migrant workers in the Middle East.  The training program took place 10-14 November 2013 in Doha, Qatar and was hosted by the National Human Rights Committee, Qatar. DTP is an independent NGO seeking to advance human rights and empower civil society through quality education and training…

The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants conducted an 8-day country visit (Nov. 3-10, 2013) to the state of Qatar upon the government’s invitation.  As part of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate, Mr. François Crépeau was invited to examine the state of protection for migrant workers in Qatar.  Upon the end of the country visit, the Special Rapporteur submits a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council to highlight…

The 2013 People’s Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights (PGA) is an independent civil society and grassroots people’s process held in conjunction with the 2013 UN High Level Dialogue on Migration & Development (HLD). This year, the PGA will be held on 30 September (Monday) – 4 October (Friday), at the Church Center of the UN (CCUN), in New York, USA. Activities will include a labor & community…

From 26-30 November, the Philippines will host the 5th World Social Forum on Migration. The World Social Forum on Migration (WFSM) is one of the thematic processes of the World Social Forum (WSF). The WSF is a global process of, and by, social movements, mass organisations, civil society, activists and advocates. As reflected by its slogan, “Another World Is Possible”, the WSFM explores an alternative world order, and the building of…

From 23-25 November 2011, Migrant Forum in Asia and local organizing partner, Human Rights and Development Foundation in partnership with Open Society Foundations (OSF), hosted Lawyers Beyond Borders: Building Partnerships for Justice for Migrant Workers in Bangkok, Thailand. The conference was the first of its kind, bringing together 31 lawyers from the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia who specialize in cases involving migrant workers. In addition to the lawyers were civil society activists in…