Mr Anouparb Vongnorkeo and Ms Tanja Pacifico display the National Action Plan for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration at its formal adoption in Vientiane on Tuesday.

Laos ramps up efforts to protect migrant workers

The government has adopted a five-year national action plan to strengthen migrant worker protection, promote safe and lawful migration, and improve access to decent work and social welfare.
The National Action Plan for the Implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (2026–2030) was formally adopted at a ceremony at the Lao Plaza Hotel in Vientiane on November 10.
The plan, developed with support from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), aims to ensure that people can migrate through safe, orderly and lawful channels while also protecting and promoting the rights of migrant workers.
According to a press release issued by the Economic and Social Division of the United Nations, the plan covers nine areas of work, divided into cross-cutting and specific areas, under the vision that “migration should be a choice, and every worker should be able to access decent work and social welfare”.
The initiative comes as Laos continues to experience migration both into and out of the country, with people moving across borders in search of employment and better living opportunities.
Laos serves as a country of origin, transit and destination for international migration. In recent years, large numbers of people have moved into the country, while others have travelled overseas to work and live.
The government has recognised the need to manage these movements effectively, ensuring that migration takes place through lawful channels and that migrant workers’ rights are protected.
The new action plan provides a framework for addressing these priorities over the next five years, while linking migration management to the country’s broader social and economic development goals.
The plan’s adoption ceremony was co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Anouparb Vongnorkeo and Head of the International Organization for Migration in Laos and Thailand, Ms Tanja Pacifico.
Mr Anouparb highlighted the important contribution migration has made to Laos’ socio-economic development, saying that effective management of migrant workers could contribute positively to human resource development and support the country’s long-term sustainable growth.
He also linked the action plan to Laos’ wider development priorities, particularly the 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2026–2030.
The government is pursuing these priorities as it nears graduation from Least Developed Country status this month and enters a transition period aimed at ensuring smooth, high-quality and sustainable development.
The new action plan is expected to support these efforts by providing a national framework for managing cross-border movements and promoting the welfare of migrant workers.
It reflects the government’s commitment to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, while aligning migration-related work with national priorities.
More than 70 people attended the ceremony, including representatives of government ministries, public sector agencies, United Nations agencies, and other international organisations and stakeholders.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update November 12, 2026)