In the lead-up to the second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), scheduled to take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5 to 8 May 2026, PSI has joined other global union federations in issuing a joint statement.

The unions warn that the current UN Zero Draft of the Progress Declaration represents a dangerous step backwards. It moves away from a rights-based approach and dilutes important references to core International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The statement stresses that when migrant workers are denied fundamental rights or trapped in precarious visa systems that silence their voices, the consequences reach far beyond the workers themselves. It weakens the democratic foundations of our societies, erodes collective bargaining, and drives down working conditions for all. For the trade union movement, defending migrant workers’ rights is inseparable from the wider struggle for democracy and shared prosperity.

Instead of strengthening protections, the draft shifts migration governance toward a technocratic “labour market” model that risks treating migrant workers merely as economic inputs rather than rights-holders.While welcoming some positive elements - such as stronger language on recruitment fees and debt bondage - the global unions are demanding six urgent changes:

• Guaranteeing the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining for all migrant workers

• Restoring international labour standards as the foundation of migration policy

• Strengthening labour inspection and enforcement mechanisms

• Ensuring portability of social protection

• Prioritising regularisation pathways over temporary and employer-tied schemes

• Establishing binding regulations on fair recruitment

The statement also emphasises that migrant workers must have effective access to justice, including the ability to pursue claims for wage theft, workplace violations, and harassment even after returning to their country of origin. It highlights that wage theft is the clearest indicator of forced labour, and that migrant workers are three times more likely to be trapped in forced labour than other workers.

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