Each year estimated six million currently residing in other ASEAN member states. The majority ofudmigrants are low-skilled, and many are irregular. Cambodia, Lao Democratic People’s Republic,udMyanmar, Indonesia, Viet Nam and the Philippines are identified as the sending countries whileudSingapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam are the receiving countries. As mentioned by theudILO (International Labor Organization), migration should be a choice rather than a necessity. Whileudmigration may provide a route out of poverty, it is important to balance the promotion of migration withudappropriate protection measures. The 2007 Declaration on the rights of migrant workers acknowledgesudthe obligation for receiving states to “facilitate access to justice and social welfare states as appropriateudand in accordance with the national legislation of the receiving state” and to “promote fair andudappropriate employment protection, payment of wages, and adequate access to decent working andudliving conditions” (ASEAN, 2007: §7 & §8). However, the concern is that the Declaration contains noudexplicit actions towards the establishment of portability schemes for social security benefits. This paperudwill explore on the reasons why portable social security would be the means to enable the free –flow ofudgoods, services, investment, labors (skilled and low-wages) and capital in this region as envisage in theudASEAN Blueprint planning. Social security being a form of social protection is upheld as a migrantudlabor right by the International Labor Organization, and its establishment is a necessity and await by alludmigrant labors. The paper will also determine the possible ways how the portable schemes can beudaccomplished and taking into account the state members’ sovereignty and delimitation concurrently.udMigration management strengthening and protecting the rights of migrants may become the decisiveudapproach in understanding the need for a portable social security which corresponds to the ASEANudEconomic enhancement goals.
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