Photo credit: Cambodianess
A new migrant worker resource centre (MRC) established in Siem Reap province will strengthen awareness-raising and support service for potential and returning Cambodian migrant workers, particularly in the fishing and seafood processing sectors.
Phnom Srey Organization for Development will work in close collaboration with the Provincial Department of Labour and Vocational Training to operate the MRC in Siem Reap. The initiative aims to expand access to training and informational materials on safe migration and labour rights, provide capacity building for key stakeholders, deliver legal assistance for comp;aint cases and increase livelihoods and psycho-social services to support reintegration of returnee migrant workers.
Cambodian migrant workers contribute greatly to the country’s economic and social development. In 2024, remittances from migrant workers reached nearly US$3 billion, equivalent to 6.1 percent of Cambodia’s gross domestic product (GDP). These financial flows make an outsized contribution to reducing rural poverty and supporting economic growth across the country.
The expansion of support services in Siem Reap is particularly timely in light of the mass return of Cambodian migrant workers during the recent border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. Research conducted by ILO and IOM has identified returnees iin the province as experiencing some of the highest rates of debt and unemployment during tje initial stage of their return home.
The MRC in Siem Reap will benefit from tje capabilities of both Phnom Srey Organization for Development and the Provincial Department of Labour and Vocational Training, working together to improve safe migration and decent work for Cambodian and Lao PDR.
