Chiang Rai, the north most province of Thailand, shares borders with Myanmar and Laos which are the major countries of origin for migrant workers. Tok tells us the unique situations of the border region and experience of migrant workers there.

This episode is a part of the series focusing on COVID-19’s impact on migrant workers in their major destinations in East and Southeast Asia, following up the cross-regional joint research conducted as part of BEBESEA initiative in 2020.

Joined by Suebsakun Kidnukorn (aka Tok), from Mae Fa Luang University, who is also the Coordinator for the Aid Centre to Migrant Workers in Chiang Rai, we hear about migrant workers' situations in Thailand during the pandemic and latest developments.

COVID-19 & Migrant Workers Series is in collaboration with Hamburger Podcast by HRWG Indonesia and supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

COVID-19 has been a huge challenge but given an opportunity for the wider society to be aware of the plight of migrant workers. How can we go beyond charitable work and build solidarity for structural changes? 

This episode is a part of the series focusing on COVID-19’s impact on migrant workers in their major destinations in East and Southeast Asia, following up the cross-regional joint research conducted as part of BEBESEA initiative in 2020.

Joined by Jolovan Wham, a prominent Migrant Rights Activist in Singapore, we hear about migrant workers' situations in Singapore during the pandemic and latest developments.

COVID-19 & Migrant Workers Series is in collaboration with Hamburger Podcast by HRWG Indonesia and supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

COVID-19 has illustrated resilience of migrant worker communities - how the government, the international community or donor organizations can support them and work with them?

This episode is a part of the series focusing on COVID-19’s impact on migrant workers in their major destinations in East and Southeast Asia, following up the cross-regional joint research conducted as part of BEBESEA initiative in summer 2020.

Joined by Jotaro Kato, Research Associate of the Institute of Asian Migrations, Waseda University, we hear about migrant workers' situations in Japan during the pandemic and latest developments.

COVID-19 & Migrant Workers Series is in collaboration with Hamburger Podcast by HRWG Indonesia and supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

"What will happen to the society and economy of Malaysia if migrant workers no longer benefit from labour migration?" - a question arose amid the pandemic.

This episode is a part of the series focusing on COVID-19’s impact on migrant workers in their major destinations in East and Southeast Asia, following up the cross-regional joint research conducted as part of BEBESEA initiative in 2020.

Joined by Andika Ab. Wahab, a Fellow at the Institute of Malaysian & International Studies (IKMAS), National University of Malaysia (UKM), we hear about migrant workers' situations in Malaysia during the pandemic and latest developments.

COVID-19 & Migrant Workers Series is in collaboration with Hamburger Podcast by HRWG Indonesia and supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

“At home, we are afraid of employers, not the virus; On holiday, we are afraid of the police, not the virus,” a migrant domestic worker told Fifi. 

This episode is a part of the series focusing on COVID-19’s impact on migrant workers in their major destinations in East and Southeast Asia, following up the cross-regional joint research conducted as part of BEBESEA initiative in summer 2020. 

Joined by Fifi Ng, a member of migrant solidarity committee, autonomous 8a, we hear about migrant workers' situations in Hong Kong during the pandemic and their development until today.

COVID-19 & Migrant Workers Series is in collaboration with Hamburger Podcast by HRWG Indonesia and supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. 

“We can choose to change by changing our own life.” Our first guest of I’migrant podcast is Eni Lestari, a prominent migrant workers’ rights advocate based in Hong Kong. She tells her story about her own experience as a migrant worker from Indonesia, organising and empowering fellow domestic workers, breaking fears and building international solidarity.

Driven by the need to support her family following the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, Eni left Indonesia to become a domestic worker 21 years ago. A victim of labour abuses by her employers and agencies, she became an activist advocating for better protection and empowerment of migrant workers.  From a migrant domestic worker suffering labour rights violation to an internationally known change maker, she takes us to her road to empowerment.

In this first episode, our co-hosts talk about this podcast and why we want to have conversations on this platform. Why migrants' (migrant workers') stories? And why East and Southeast Asia? Meet our team and join our upcoming discussions. 

A sharing stories podcast of migrants in East and Southeast Asia.