CMW/C/PHL/CO/3 fees, require workers to pay hidden fees, and are complicit in birth certificate falsification, notably in the domestic and construction work sectors, to circumvent age restrictions. 51. The Committee recommends that the State party reinforce the regulatory regime for private recruitment agencies and strengthen the existing licensing system for recruitment agencies to ensure the rights of migrant workers in accordance with the Convention, and provide data in its next periodic report on recruiters blacklisted and prosecuted for violations of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Rules and Regulations (2016). Return and reintegration 52. The Committee notes the information provided on the legislative, policy and programmatic measures taken to facilitate the voluntary return and reintegration of overseas Filipino workers. It is concerned, however: (a) That social and labour reintegration and recovery initiatives provide only temporary relief, and do not address the longer-term needs of overseas Filipino workers and their families; (b) That no information has been provided on the protection of overseas Filipino workers and their families from involuntary return and on the mechanisms in place to ensure due process; (c) About the situation of migrant workers who have been internally displaced due to the conflict in Mindanao. 53. The Committee recalls its previous recommendations,16 and further recommends that the State party facilitate the repatriation and reintegration of all migrant workers and their families in need, including by: (a) Adequately funding initiatives that facilitate livelihood assistance, access to decent and stable employment, psychosocial support and capacity-building for returning workers and their families, as well as access to essential health care, childcare facilities and income security, paying special attention to the needs of those who return with a disability; (b) Providing clear information on how to access the entitlements provided by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, including registration for repatriation support programmes; (c) Addressing in bilateral agreements with all destination countries the portability of social security contributions, including those for old age pensions; (d) In coordination between local and national governments and among civil society organizations, establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to determine and systematically report on the impact of the initiatives taken; (e) Expedite efforts to provide durable solutions to internally displaced migrant workers and their families, in line with the recommendations made by the Human Rights Committee.17 Situation of children and adolescents in the context of international migration 54. The Committee is concerned about the high number of overseas Filipino workers who are separated from their families and the situation of children left behind in the State party, particularly with regard to their psychosocial development. It regrets the absence of in-depth studies on the situation and a comprehensive strategy specifically targeted at addressing the long-term needs of these children, given the enduring situation of migrant workers’ families being separated. 16 17 GE.23-08778 Ibid., para. 45. CCPR/C/PHL/CO/5, para. 40. 11

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