Officials from more than 20 labour importing and exporting countries met in Abu Dhabi yesterday to discuss the market regulation for Asian migrants amid growing calls for their protection from abuse. Asian workers fill all sorts of low-paid construction, domestic, retail, manufacturing and agricultural jobs across the Gulf, outnumbering nationals.

The issue of migrant workers? rights has come into focus recently as the weak dollar means the real value of their remittances have fallen. Most are paid in dollar-linked Gulf currencies and the issue has led to strikes and riots in Dubai.

The two-day meeting organised with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) includes the 10 Asian labour-exporting countries.

It is the first time that a labour-receiving country hosts the meeting which will bring together fellow Gulf Arab labour importers as well as Yemen, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea.

Human Rights Watch urged officials to discuss ?widespread violations of workers? rights?, saying abuses include unpaid wages, confiscation of passports, deception on recruitment and, in some cases, physical violence.

?It is encouraging that representatives from countries that send and receive migrant workers will sit at the same table,? said Nisha Varia, senior researcher for the women?s rights division of Human Rights Watch.

Talks will focus on labour rights, protection of remittances in countries of origin and destination and multilateral cooperation on contract cycles and labour market information.

Human Rights Watch urged officials to establish equal protection for domestic workers under labour laws and reform of the sponsorship system that makes it difficult for workers to change jobs or leave the country without consent. It also urged countries of origin to monitor recruitment agencies and labour-receiving states to give migrants access to justice.

Lin NOUEIHED