Illuminating Causes and Barriers Underpinning Forced Labour in Nepal-Malaysia Migration Corridor
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Abstract
Abstract: This study problematises Malaysia's migrant workers' governance by highlighting that while it can address forced labour, it has no jurisdiction over the recruitment process in source countries. This study attempts to persuade that any efforts to eliminate forced labour should address root causes and barriers underpinning it through a comprehensive migration trajectory approach – i.e., pre-recruitment, pre-departure and post-arrival (during employment) stages. This study focuses on the Nepal-Malaysia migration corridor as one of the essential labour migration pathways involving hundreds of thousands of Nepalis employed as temporary, unskilled and low-wage labourers. Findings and subsequent analyses were informed through a workers' survey involving 76 Nepali workers in Malaysia, in-depth interviews with 28 Nepali workers and 13 Nepali community leaders in Malaysia, and five Nepali leaders in Nepal. Though this study specifically covers the Nepal-Malaysia migration corridor, the causes and systemic barriers discussed are highly relevant to other migration corridors (e.g., Indonesia-Malaysia and Bangladesh-Malaysia).
Keywords: forced labour, migrant workers, Nepal, Malaysia, Migration corridor,
DOI: 10.17576/sinergi.SI1.2023.04
Article information: Submission date: 6 April 2021; Acceptance date: 13 November 2022; Publication date: 31 Mac 2023.
Declaration and acknowledgement: This study was supported by the Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (CENTHRA) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Research Grant OO-2021-003]. We wish to take this opportunity to express our most profound appreciation to CENTHRA for its continuous support and generosity and the valuable advice from CENTHRA’s Founder, Mr Azril Mohd Amin. We would also like to show our gratitude to SINERGI’s anonymous reviewers and their constructive feedback in improving the quality of the manuscript.
Abstrak: Kajian ini mengetengahkan permasalahan berkaitan tadbir urus pekerja asing di Malaysia dengan menekankan bahawa meskipun Malaysia boleh menangani buruh paksa, walaupun terdapat pelbagai kekangan – negara tidak mempunyai bidang kuasa terhadap proses merekrut pekerja asing di negara sumber. Kajian ini menekankan bahawa sebarang usaha menghapuskan buruh paksa perlu menangani permasalahan punca dan penghalang menerusi kerangka migrasi yang holistik merangkumi fasa pra-pengambilan, pra-penempatan dan pasca-ketibaan (tempoh pekerjaan). Kajian ini memfokus kepada koridor migrasi Nepal-Malaysia iaitu salah satu laluan migrasi buruh terpenting melibatkan ratusan ribu warga Nepal yang bekerja sebagai pekerja asing sementara, tidak mahir dan bergaji rendah di Malaysia – sebagai kajian kes. Penemuan dan analisis kajian hasil daripada kajian tinjauan melibatkan 76 pekerja Nepal di Malaysia, dan disokong dengan beberapa sesi temu bual mendalam dengan 28 pekerja Nepal dan 13 pemimpin komuniti Nepal di Malaysia, dan lima pemimpin komuniti di Nepal. Walaupun kajian ini fokus terhadap koridor migrasi Nepal-Malaysia, punca dan penghalang sistemik dibincangkan dalam kajian ini amat relevan dalam konteks koridor migrasi lain (e.g., Indonesia-Malaysia dan Bangladesh-Malaysia).
Kata kunci: buruh paksa, pekerja asing, Nepal, Malaysia, koridor migrasi,
DOI: 10.17576/sinergi.SI1.2023.04
Maklumat artikel: Tarikh Penghantaran: 6 April 2021; Tarikh penerimaan: 13 November 2022; Tarikh penerbitan: 31 Mac 2023.
Penghargaan dan pengisytiharan: Kajian ini disokong oleh Pusat Penyelidikan dan Advokasi Hak Asasi Manusia (CENTHRA) dan Geran Penyelidikan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia OO-2021-003]. Kami ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk merakamkan penghargaan yang paling mendalam kepada CENTHRA atas sokongan dan kemurahan hati yang berterusan serta nasihat berharga daripada Pengasas CENTHRA, En Azril Mohd Amin. Kami juga ingin menunjukkan rasa terima kasih kami kepada penyemak tanpa nama SINERGI dan maklum balas membina mereka dalam meningkatkan kualiti manuskrip.
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