Harnessing the Benefits of International Migration: A Randomised Evaluation of Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars for Migrants from the Philippines

Pre-departure orientation seminars (PDOS) for migrants have the potential to become a key policy tool for harnessing the benefits of migration for migrants, their families and their home and host countries at large. Indeed, many developing countries have shown interest in providing PDOS for prospective migrants. PDOS can empower migrants by providing them with the right information to succeed abroad, in particular in terms of favourable labour market outcomes and protection against exploitation and human trafficking. Furthermore, economic success abroad affects the level of remittances sent home and therefore indirectly affects the development impact of migration. Of all major migrant-sending countries, the Philippines has done the most to integrate international labour migration into its national development strategy and engage in pro-active migration management. This process includes the legal requirement for every Filipino emigrant to attend a brief PDOS. These seminars cover various topics such as travel regulations, immigration procedures, cultural differences, employment and social security concerns, as well as financial literacy. The PDOS also encourages migrants to engage in diaspora activities that contribute to development in the Philippines. There is currently no rigorous evidence on the effectiveness of PDOS and on what kind of training modules really matter. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the PDOS using a randomised control trial. 3,000 migrants and their families are surveyed over a period of two years after the PDOS took place. The results of the evaluation will be directly incorporated into the design of the future PDOS and will be highly informative for deriving best practices for other migrant sending and receiving countries.