During the past few years, reports have indicated that international migration from Asia and the Pacific to the Middle East has been decreasing. To consider this trend, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) organized the Policy Workshop on International Migration in Asia and the Pacific from 15-21 October, 1986, at Bangkok. The Workshop 1st considered the magnitude of international migration. There were an estimated 930,000 Indian workers in the Middle East in 1983, 800,000 Pakistanis, 500,000 Filipinos, 300,000 Bangladeshis, and 200,000 each from the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Workers' remittances to the region reached US $8000-10,000 million per year in 1983. The government policies of the sending countries have been the least adequate in the area of return international labor migration. The Workshop recommended that governments of sending countries 1) ensure that the contracts signed by workers before their departure be honored, 2) provide workers with information on their legal rights in receiving countries before departure, 3) investigate and monitor recruiting agents, and 4) do everything possible to utilize workers' acquired skills on return. The Workshop also recommended that international agencies 1) create standards for data collection on international migration, 2) facilitate the exchange of information on international migration, and 3) sponsor research projects. The Workshop also recommended that governments obtain relevant information on the magnitude, origin, and expenditure of remittances and savings.

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