Andy Hall, an expert at the Institute of Population and Social Research at Mahidol University in Bangkok, said most labor-exporting ASEAN countries meanwhile, were doing little to protect their migrant workers. He said they had failed to properly regulate migrant labor recruitment, and have neither pushed for the creation of an ASEAN regional agreement to safeguard migrants, who enjoy little protection in the region.
"Even in more advanced migrant-sending countries like the Philippines, [agencies] are mostly unregulated [and] place migrants in dangerous conditions to meet demand at the lowest costs," Hall said in a recent email. "Cambodia is particularly poor at regulating agencies and protecting its citizens working abroad," he added.