Labour Migration from Colombo Process Countries: Good Practices, Challenges, and Ways Forward,’ Issue in Brief, IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the Migration Policy Institute www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/ColomboProcessBrief.pdf Bakewell,

manage labour migration by, for example, amending existing regulations or adopting new legislation, creating new government structures dedicated to managing labour outflows, signing bilateral agreements (BAs) and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with key destination countries and launching innovative programmes and activities at various levels of government. Despite successes in key areas, challenges remain, especially surrounding implementation. There is often a gap between the stated aims of policy measures and their application on the ground, particularly in four key areas: dissemination of information, the recruitment process, welfare support to migrants (at all stages of the migration cycle) and maximizing the benefits of labour migration. Indeed, policymakers in CP Member Countries face a formidable task: creating efficient and equitable migration systems that benefit labour migrants and their families while contributing to long-term economic growth and development in both source and destination countries. Governments have many options as they work to meet these and other challenges. This brief highlights 10 potential areas of focus, such as (1) improving pre-departure orientation programmes, (2) developing and harmonizing recruitment regulations between origin and destination countries and (3) enhancing welfare support at destination. Success requires serious investments in building capacity to fill critical information gaps. To this end, we recommend a three-pronged strategy: developing knowledge based on policy-relevant research, formalizing practical policy dialogues and forging meaningful partnerships among the major actors in labour migration. MAY 2012 ISSUE NO. 1 2I