Questions/Answers
Question 1
Please describe the objective of the initiative introduced (200 words maximum)
n Korea, about 600,000 migrant workers are residing, 50,000 migrant workers entry annually. Prior to the initiative, policies were focused on recruiting new migrant workers and supporting their stay in Korea. As a result, however, migrant workers desert their workplaces in the Republic of Korea and become illegal immigrants because of the uncertainty of having to adjust when they would return to their home countries and because of the fact that they could not legally become reemployed without leaving the Republic of Korea.
As so, the 『HAPPY RETURN』 supports them not only stable settlement, warm sojourn environment, but also focusing after they return to their home countries. It hosts briefing sessions on preparing for migrant workers’ return, provides monitoring, educates about job opportunities for returning workers, forms network of job-seekers, and meetings are held between job-seekers and recruiting companies. Customized training by firms operating in the relevant home countries is also provided. And through insurance programs such as the Departure Gurantee insurance or Return cost insurance migrant workers can receive support in finding new jobs or starting their own business after their return.
This is supervised by ILO and which has been widely introduced internationally.
Question 2
Please explain how the initiative is linked to the category and criteria selected (100 words maximum)
Apply principle of equal treatment with natives for foreign workers to observe laws on labor such as Labor Standards Act and Minimum Wage Act. Support them for stable settlement such as 4 major social insurances and foreign workers insurances. The 【HAPPY RETURN】 enable them to realize the dream of enhancing successful quality of life even after they return to their home countries.
Question 3
Please describe in what ways the initiative is contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the SDGs. Specify which SDG(s) it is relevant to. (100 words maximum)
【HAPPY RETURN】 initiative, as a public administrative service, contributes to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals by providing stable settlement and warm sojourn support after entry for the migrant workers, and also supporting happy lives after they return to their home countries thereby improving their quality of lives.
In meanwhile, for 16 sending countries, it creates overseas jobs to solve unemployment and strengthens competitiveness of economic development by earning.
For Korea, many SME(Small-Medium Enterprise)s’ employers can take off their burden and maintain their livings by hiring migrant workers for the sustainable communities.
Question 4
The initiative must have positive impact on a group or groups of the population, especially the vulnerable (i.e. children, women, older persons, people with disabilities, etc.) within the context of your country or region. Please explain how the initiative has addressed a significant shortfall in governance, public administration or public service within the context of a given country or region. (200 words maximum)
Provide fair and transparent public administrative service by fundamentally blocking illegal factors through the signing of MOU between the countries (G2G). In addition, implement 【HAPPY RETURN】 by establishing close cooperative networks through participating in pre-employment training, foreign workers festivals, forums, and workshops in cooperation with the government of the sending countries
Meanwhile, realizing public administrative service of the 【HAPPY RETURN】 by establishing a cooperative model, in which public, financial, and private institutions can all make sustainable growth, where public institutions include Foreign Workforce Policy Committee comprised of 13 ministries, Foreign Workforce Division of the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL), Foreign Workforce Bureau in the HRD Korea headquarters, overseas EPS centers in 16 countries, 24 local offices nationwide, 43 support centers for foreign workers, 1 Counseling Center for Foreign Workers (HUGKorea), Korea Employment Information Service (KEIS), Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service, and HRD Korea, financial institutions such as Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, and private institutions such as National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives and NH Bank.
Question 5
a. Please explain in which way the initiative is innovative in the context of your country or region (100 words maximum)
【HAPPY RETURN】 is an outstanding model of 3 major innovations from the perspective of systematic, human, and administrative services.
From the systematic perspective, migrant workers get equal treatment as natives, are provided social insurances, foreign workers insurance, are applied Labor Standards Act according to law
From the perspective of human service, it supports resolution of difficulties in the workplace, gives employment training, health management education, vaccinations, and gives mental-consulting services.
From the perspective of administrative service, whole sojourn support, workers-network in stages, meetings between job seekers and employers, work experience certification are provided.
b. Please describe if the innovation is original or if it is an adaptation from other contexts (100 words maximum)
【HAPPY RETURN】, the First to be Implemented in the World
This Initiative is the world’s unique public administrative service supporting migrant workers with the stable settlement and warm sojourn environment, and help them to improve their successful quality of life even after they return to their home countries. Currently, it is being spread throughout the whole world, with Japan and Israel using it as their benchmarking model. Meanwhile, the quality of public service for the 【HAPPY RETURN】 has developed every year such as giving vaccinations and treatments for the stress and depression of migrant workers in 2018.
Question 6
Has the initiative been transferred and adapted to in other contexts (e.g. other cities, countries or regions) to your organization’s knowledge? If yes, please explain (100 words maximum)
By supporting the migrant workers life after their return home, HRD Korea has minimized illegal immigration and illegal employment. By providing programs for re-employment in the Republic of Korea can be seen as consideration of not only workforce recruitment but also settlement after their return from the global labor market general standpoint. The advancement of Happy Return has been selected as a Best Practice by the ILO and it made presentation to Pakistan, Myanmar, and Thailand respectively. The initiative is being benchmarked by other labor-receiving countries like Japan and also Israel is under consideration.
Question 7
a. What resources (i.e. financial, human or others) were used to implement the initiative? (100 words maximum)
For the efficient and successful operation of this Initiative, we have secured national budget, and provide all public administrative service on 【HAPPY RETURN】 for free to the migrant workers.
We have newly installed Foreign Workforce Bureau at the HRD headquarters, and are operating 24 affiliated organizations, 16 overseas centers, 43 support centers, and a call center for foreign workers in accordance with the law.
For the systematic implementation of this Initiative, we have created EPS computerized system (https://www.eps.go.kr/), Happy Return website (http://www.returnjob.or.kr/intro.html), and App to provide public service.
b. Please describe whether and how the initiative is sustainable (covering the social, economic and environmental aspects) (200 words maximum)
Provide guarantee of wages equal to those of the natives under the law, and psychological services including counseling service to resolve difficulties in the workplaces, and providing self-development programs to the migrant workers. Give support after they return to their home countries such as job matching and returning worker networks to improve their quality of lives.
Migrant workers could receive 6 – 10 times the wages compared to what they would earn in their home countries so that they could realize their second dreams after returning to their home countries, the sending countries could increase national finance by securing outstanding workers returning to their home countries and receiving remittances, and Korea could resolve labor shortages, thus creating a win-win model.
Secure fairness and transparency in carrying out the program through the implementation between the countries (G2G), and build a cooperative model with comprehensive [HAPPY RETURN】 through public-private cooperation, and create a win-win environment for all including migrant workers and employers.
Question 8
a. Has the initiative been formally evaluated either through internal or external evaluation?
Yes
These outcomes have been acknowledged and Happy Return which is the only system of this sort worldwide has been selected and introduced as a Best Practice through international conferences hosted by ILO. In March of 2013 Happy Return was announced as a Best Practice in Myanmar and in August and December in Pakistan and Thailand respectively.
Meanwhile, one part of HAPPY RETURN, “Find Dormant Insurance Money” project find KRW 10 billion to the migrant workers, receiving the Minister of the Interior Award in 2015 and Minister’s Award for Active Administration in 2018 on “Outstanding Case of Active Administration for 2017”.
b. Please describe the indicators that were used (100 words maximum)
In implementing this Initiative, to achieve successful 【HAPPY RETURN】, we manage through evaluation indicators. Indicators include the following: support for adaptation to employment by visiting the workplace at early stages of entry, visiting consultations for the committed and special re-entry foreign workers whose sojourn period has expired, performances compared to the goals for finding dormant insurance money, evaluations on performances compared to goals for the number of people being trained, and results of holding return home briefings for long-term staying foreign workers.
c. Please describe the outcome of the evaluation (100 words maximum)
Creation of High Performances Through 【HAPPY RETURN】
Increased the quality of life for migrant workers, such as stable settlement, resolution of difficulties, enhancement of vocational competencies, safe public health environment, psychological support, and support for resettlement after returning to home countries. Furthermore, through the support and management of outstanding migrant workers, sending countries have gradually been expanded from 6 countries including the Philippines and Thailand in 2004 to 16 countries including Nepal and Laos presently in 2018. The sending countries get about $5.2billion which give huge economic development, meanwhile also find $56.7million Dormant Insurance to protect migrant workers’ right.
Question 9
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development puts emphasis on collaboration, engagement, coordination, partnerships, and inclusion. Please describe what and how stakeholders were engaged in designing, implementing and evaluating the initiative. Please also highlight their roles and contributions (200 words maximum)
- Establishment of Collaborative System between Sending Countries, Governmental Organizations, and Private Institutions
Successful implementation of the initiative is contributed to the joint cooperation system formed among MOEL, HRD Korea, Korea Employment Information Service, and Centers, as well as the MOU with the governmental organizations of the sending countries.
- Evaluation and Discussions on Developmental Directions Through the Foreign Workforce Policy Forum
Through the policy forum every month, public-private-academic experts such as NGO, academies, and professors gather to evaluate on the system, and hold discussions to agree upon sustainable developmental directions to operate quality 【HAPPY RETURN】 program.
- Develop the System Through Academic Research Services
Various researches are conducted such as survey on foreign workers’ sojourn every year. Research on development of voluntary return home program for foreign workers in 2008, and research on the process of resettlement by foreign workers who returned to their home countries in 2012.
- Conduct Panel Discussions in Which Head of the Organizations in the Sending Countries Participate
Every year, conduct panel discussions on the EPS System attended by 16 sending countries and present outstanding cases in the process of return home settlement under the EPS System, thus sharing information between the countries.
Question 10
Please describe the key lessons learned, and any view you have on how to further improve the initiative (100 words maximum)
The key to the success of this Initiative is to understand the differences through the mutual communications between migrant workers, sending countries, and Korean government.
The service has been improved in quality from giving basic services in the early stages of entry to job-matching after returning to home countries. In particular, it has developed every year by providing quality public administration services, such as expanding to psychological support including free vaccinations in 2018.
In the future the initiative will play a huge role in enhancing and promoting peace in the international labor market.