The way forward: good practices and recommendations
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Migrant access to social protection: A review of 120 countries and nine Bilateral Labour Arrangements
such, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment provides for partial social protection coverage through its Overseas Workers Welfare Fund. It has however been
noted that benefits granted under those mechanisms are relatively modest.
Furthermore, countries, of origin, transit and destination should consider, as a unilateral measure, the establishment of a national social protection floors for nationals and
migrants, in line with the Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 No. 202. Recommendation No. 202 calls upon member States to establish and maintain national
social protection floors comprising basic social security guarantees to ensure at a minimum that, over the life cycle, all in need have access to essential health care and
to basic income security. As per article 6 of the, such guarantees should be provided to at least all residents and children, as defined in national laws and regulations and subject
to a country’s existing international obligations. As such, migrants should have access to these basic social security guarantees in the State where they reside, their transit
countries as well as in their home country before, they leave and when they return. Furthermore, a migrant’s dependent family members of migrants who remained in the
country of origin should also have access to these basic social security guarantees. Where there are legal provisions or bilateral or multilateral agreements in place
providing for higher levels of protection, or where the countries concerned are parties to international or regional Conventions containing higher requirements with regards
to migrants’ social security rights e.g. ILO Convention No. 118 and No. 157 these should prevail. In giving effect to the Recommendation, member States are encouraged
to apply, among others the principles of universality of protection, based on social solidarity; social inclusion, including of persons in the informal economy; non-
discrimination, gender equality and responsiveness to special needs.
Additionally, NGOs, other groups, family members can also contribute to migrant workers’ social protection, especially where coverage is fragmented.