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 The
Fifth Meeting of the Philippines-Malaysia Working Group on Migrant Workers
was convened at The Heritage Hotel, Pasay City, Philippines on 21-22 July
2008, with Hon. Esteban Conejos Jr., Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs,
leading the Philippine Delegation, and Hon. Dato’ Raja Azahar bin Raja Abdul
Manap, Senior Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Home Affairs,
leading the Malaysian Delegation.
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As
in previous meetings of the Working Group, the discussions were held in a
cordial atmosphere and directed at finding constructive, operational
solutions to issues concerning migrant workers.
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The
meeting was described as most timely by both sides in view of the recent
Malaysian announcement to address undocumented aliens and foreign workers,
particularly in Sabah.
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During the meeting, both sides discussed and agreed on the following:
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to cooperate closely so that the there would be minimal adverse impact
arising from the action to be undertaken by the Malaysian government;
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that the Malaysian government has established procedures for the humane
and orderly conduct of the arrest, detention and repatriation of illegal
migrants, and would endeavor to include measures to improve facilities
for those processes;
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to step up efforts to regularize eligible migrants;
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that children unaccompanied by parents will not be placed under arrest
but turned over to the care of appropriate authorities;
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that only those deportees who are medically fit would undertake the
travel; and
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to facilitate travel documentation of deportees.
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The
meeting also agreed to redouble efforts for instituting long-term solutions
to the problems of cross-border travel, work and migration, including a
proposed bilateral Border Pass Agreement and the possible deployment of
Malaysian Immigration Attachés at the One-Stop Processing Center in
Zamboanga.
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The
meeting noted developments on the recruitment and employment of Filipinos in
Malaysia as well as the implementation of Malaysia’s Anti-Trafficking Law.
END
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