Funded by HTRI and in collaboration with Migrasia, researchers assessed the feasibility of a randomized evaluation to determine the effectiveness of social media campaigns in reducing the incidence of migrant worker exploitation in Hong Kong and the Philippines. 

Migration intermediaries play a legitimate role in efficient employment matching across borders. However, exploitation and forced labor can occur when unethical intermediaries take advantage of information asymmetries to charge exorbitant fees to migrant workers for their services, who often take on substantial debt and risks to finance recruitment-related costs. Migrasia, a think tank focusing on migration in the Hong Kong-Philippines corridor, utilizes social media to address information barriers and improve the identification, protection, and empowerment of migrant workers, and increase accountability of malicious recruitment agencies and other migration intermediaries. Furthermore, these campaigns provide support and access to redress for those who have been financially exploited by recruitment agencies and other intermediaries. 

Funded by HTRI and in collaboration with Migrasia, researchers assessed the feasibility of a randomized evaluation to determine the effectiveness of Migrasia’s social media campaigns in reducing the incidence of migrant worker exploitation in Hong Kong and the Philippines. 

Results are forthcoming.

Implementing Partner