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Eight-year PROMISE Transforms Two Million Lives in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand

05 January 2026

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Bangkok, Thailand – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) concludes its flagship regional programme – Poverty Reduction Through Safe Migration, Skills Development and Enhanced Job Placement (PROMISE) – after eight years of implementation across South-East Asia, benefiting more than 2 million migrant workers and promoting policy coherence at both national and regional levels.

Launched in 2017 and implemented in two phases in Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Thailand, IOM’s PROMISE programme has strengthened safe migration systems, expanded skills development and recognition, and improved job placement pathways – helping migrants and their families achieve better livelihoods and economic resilience, while supporting governments and the private sector to facilitate skills transfer and meet labour market needs.

Supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the PROMISE programme provided practical solutions to a perennial question: How can labour migration be safe, fair and mutually beneficial for both migrant workers and the economies that depend on their contributions?

“The Asia-Pacific region is home to more than 40 per cent of all migrants globally, many of whom fill critical labour gaps,” highlighted Iori Kato, Regional Director at IOM's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. “Our role as IOM is to facilitate these dialogues and help migrant workers, employers and host governments find practical solutions that balance the needs of the labour market and the aspirations of the migrant workers, prioritizing their safety, protection and rights.”

Through the PROMISE programme, IOM has demonstrated that safe labour migration is achievable when skills development, ethical recruitment and policy coherence go hand in hand.

Over its two phases, more than 43,000 migrant workers accessed training and certification opportunities directly through the PROMISE programme, while over 340,000 migrants received support services in their countries of origin. Overall, more than 2 million migrant workers benefited from improved access to skills development, job referrals, safe migration outreach, reintegration support and assistance through Migrant Resource Centres.

In the countries of implementation, IOM-supported technical skills training helped reduce unemployment rates from 17 per cent to just 4 per cent among surveyed beneficiaries, and contributed to upward job mobility among migrant workers. Thai language courses strengthened workplace communication and social inclusion, while entrepreneurship and financial literacy training empowered migrants to start businesses and increase income upon return to their home countries, leading to greater economic resilience.

Employers have adopted more inclusive practices, with over 100 companies in Thailand investing in sustainable in-service training programmes for their migrant workforce. Enhanced referral mechanisms in countries of origin improved job matching and upskilling opportunities for returning migrants, supporting them create sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their communities. 

IOM also helped strengthen skills recognition, expanding from national implementation to regional cooperation. Through the PROMISE programme, IOM supported governments and ASEAN partners in developing pathways for cross-border skills recognition, including through the adoption of the Vientiane Declaration on Skills Mobility, Recognition and Development for Migrant Workers, laying the groundwork for fairer and more predictable labour mobility across the region.

“The opportunity now lies in building upon the successes and best practices of this programme and continuing to invest in the potential of migrant workers, ensuring migration remains a driver of sustainable development,” added Mr. Kato.

IOM’s Poverty Reduction through Safe Migration, Skills Development and Enhanced Job Placement (PROMISE) programme is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.