Migrant Forum in Asia

What Migrant Forum in Asia does

Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) is a non-governmental, non-profit regional network headquartered at 25 Matiyaga Street, Central District, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. Its member base comprises NGOs, trade unions, parliamentarians, lawyers, and individual advocates operating across approximately 20 countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East, with a mission to protect and promote the rights and welfare of migrant workers. The organization delivers its mission through a portfolio of network programs and campaigns rather than commercial products; key offerings include the Lawyers Beyond Borders legal network, the Asian Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Labour Migration, the Diplomacy Training Program (run jointly with the Diplomacy Training Program and through which MFA has facilitated 28 capacity building courses involving over 650 individuals from more than 20 countries since 2004), the Justice for Wage Theft Campaign (with its multi-volume 'Crying Out for Justice' report series, Volume 4 published in March 2024), the Step It Up Campaign marking 25 years of the UN Migrant Workers Convention, the Recruitment Advisor platform, the HAMSA complaints mechanism, the Domestic Workers Justice Initiative, and a continuing Policy Brief series (No. 5 of the 30th series published November 11, 2025). Identified institutional partners include the International Organization for Migration, the International Labour Organization, UN Women, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking (supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), and Open Society Foundations.

The organization's revenue model is grant and donation-based rather than commercial — MFA does not sell products or services, and all programs, resources, and campaigns are provided free of charge to migrant workers, advocates, and civil society partners. Go-to-market is community-led: MFA engages governments, civil society organizations, trade unions, and migrant worker communities through campaigns, consultations, policy briefs, reports, and capacity-building programs. Primary 'customer' segments served are civil society organizations and NGOs, trade unions, migrant workers and their families, parliamentarians and policymakers, and legal professionals.

MFA does not operate proprietary technology platforms as a product business; its digital assets (the mfasia.org website, the Uwazi-based multilingual violations reporting portal in at least 12 languages, and the Recruitment Advisor platform) support, rather than constitute, its advocacy work. The organization's competitive position is built on multi-stakeholder coordination, regional access across approximately 20 countries, and recognized standing at UN and inter-governmental forums; the headcount band of 51–100 employees is consistent with a mid-sized civil society network operating on multi-year institutional grants.

Name

Migrant Forum in Asia

Legal name

Migrant Forum in Asia

Website

https://mfasia.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) is a Quezon City-based non-profit regional network of NGOs, trade unions, parliamentarians, and lawyers advocating for migrant worker rights across roughly 20 Asian and Middle Eastern countries through capacity building, campaigns, and policy engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Migrant Worker Rights Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH), Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI)

Keywords

• Migrant rights advocacy
• Capacity building programs
• Policy advocacy
• Civil society network
• Migrant worker protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Quezon

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Services: Migrant Forum in Asia is a non-profit regional network organization. As a civil society advocacy network, it does not generate commercial revenue. The organization likely relies on grants, donations, and institutional funding from development partners to support its operations and programs, though specific funding details are not disclosed in available sources.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) is a regional non-government organization and advocacy network that connects NGOs, trade unions, parliamentarians, and individual advocates across Asia to protect and promote the rights and welfare of migrant workers. It delivers capacity building training, policy research and publications, campaign coordination, legal support coordination, and engagement with regional and international policy bodies. Programs include the Diplomacy Training Program, Lawyers Beyond Borders, the Asian Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Labour Migration, and the Justice for Wage Theft Campaign.

Product overview

Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) is a regional advocacy network, not a technology product company. It operates a portfolio of advocacy programs, campaigns, and initiatives focused on protecting migrant workers' rights across Asia. The core offering is the network platform connecting NGOs, trade unions, and advocates. Key programs include Lawyers Beyond Borders (legal network), the Asian Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Labour Migration, the Step It Up Campaign (CMW25), Justice for Wage Theft Campaign, Recruitment Advisor platform, HAMSA Complaints Mechanism, Diplomacy Training Program, Voices from the South Initiative, Domestic Workers Justice Initiative, and Policy Brief Series publications. These programs focus on advocacy, capacity building, legal support, and policy research rather than technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Step It Up Campaign: Global campaign marking 25 Years of the UN Migrant Workers Convention - Dignity. Rights. Development.
• Justice for Wage Theft Campaign
• #OurHands Campaign
• Recruitment Reform
• Voices from the South
• Migrant Women Forum

Products and services

• Lawyers Beyond Borders An international network of legal experts advocating for the rights of migrant workers, providing access to justice, legal redress, and strategic litigation and policy advocacy.
• Asian Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Labour Migration A caucus of parliamentarians advancing the protection and promotion of migrant workers' rights in key inter-governmental regional processes.
• Diplomacy Training Program A training program developed in partnership with the Diplomacy Training Program to build knowledge and skills of migrant worker advocates.
• Recruitment Advisor A global platform for migrant workers to review recruitment agencies, helping workers make informed decisions about employment agencies.
• HAMSA Complaints Mechanism A complaints mechanism for migrant workers to report violations.
• Justice for Wage Theft Campaign A campaign addressing wage theft against migrant workers, producing research reports including the 'Crying Out for Justice' series.
• Step It Up Campaign A global campaign marking 25 years of the UN Migrant Workers Convention, focused on dignity, rights, and development.
• Policy Brief Series Ongoing publication series addressing migrant worker issues including wage theft, seasonal worker programs, and regular migration pathways.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 650 individuals trained through 28 capacity building courses since 2004
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking (ASEAN-ACT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ASEAN-ACT supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to produce reports on wage theft and forced labour among migrant workers in Southeast Asia, including the impacts of COVID-19.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on webinars on access to technology and fair recruitment, and access to remedy for migrant workers. IOM partnered with MFA to promote the rights of migrant workers in international supply chains during COVID-19.
• Diplomacy Training Program (DTP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2004, MFA has partnered with DTP to build the knowledge and skills of migrant rights advocates. The partnership has facilitated 28 capacity building courses involving over 650 individuals from over 20 countries.
• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFA helped develop the Standard Terms of Employment (STOE) for women migrant domestic workers, following an extensive consultative process facilitated by UN Women.
• Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFES has supported MFA's parliamentarians program since 2007, facilitating annual meetings of Asian Parliamentarians on Labour Migration.
• International Labour Organization (ILO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFA works with ILO on various initiatives including the Global Media Competition on Labour Migration and Fair Recruitment, and advocacy for ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers.
• Human Rights and Development FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organizing partner for the first Lawyers Beyond Borders conference held in Bangkok, Thailand in November 2011.
• Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFA works closely with CMA, Philippines as a key network partner in capacity building and advocacy work.
• Domestic Workers Justice Initiative (DWJI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDWJI works with institutional investors to keep supply chains trafficking free, collaborating with MFA on domestic workers justice initiatives.
• International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFA collaborated with IDWF on a regional consultation in Manila in 2017 to establish a two-year ratification campaign for ILO Convention 189.
• Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRMMRU is a key member organization of MFA, coordinating research and advocacy on migration issues from Bangladesh.
• Cross Regional Center for Refugees and Migrants (CCRM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCRM served as host for MFA and DTP capacity building workshop in Lebanon.
• Insan Association (Lebanon)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsan Association served as host for MFA and DTP capacity building workshop in Lebanon.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Human Rights Watch (Asia Division): Global human rights organization with significant Asia-focused programming on migrant worker rights, including high-profile reports on Gulf labor conditions and ASEAN migration governance. Overlaps with MFA's advocacy scope but operates with substantially larger resources and broader thematic remit.
• Amnesty International: Global human rights organization with longstanding campaigns on migrant worker rights in the Gulf and Asia. Comparable to MFA in mission and advocacy methods but with much broader geographic and thematic scope, and significantly larger institutional capacity.

Direct peers

• International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF): Global federation of domestic worker organizations. Directly comparable to MFA as a collaborator on ILO Convention 189 ratification, with overlapping membership base in Asia and overlapping focus on domestic worker rights and policy reform.
• Tenaganita: Malaysian NGO focused on migrant workers, domestic workers, refugees, and trafficked persons. Comparable to MFA in advocating for migrant worker rights and operating in the Malaysia-GCC labor corridor that is central to MFA's member network.
• Asian Migrant Centre (AMC): Hong Kong-based NGO advocating for the rights of Asian migrant workers, providing research, policy advocacy, and direct services. Comparable to MFA as a regionally-focused migrant worker rights organization operating across origin and destination countries in Asia.
• Migrants Rights International: Geneva-based international network advocating for the rights of migrants and their families globally, with a focus on the UN Migrant Workers Convention. Comparable to MFA in its multi-stakeholder network approach to migration governance advocacy, though operating at a global rather than regional level.
• Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN): Regional network of over 180 civil society organizations in 30+ Asia-Pacific countries working on refugee rights. Comparable to MFA as a regional advocacy network for forced migrants with similar coalition-building, capacity building, and policy engagement models.
• CARAM Asia: Coordination of Action Research on AIDS and Migration in Asia is a regional NGO network focused on migrant worker health, rights, and HIV-vulnerability in Asia. Directly comparable to MFA in mission, regional scope, and network-of-NGOs operating model, with overlapping membership in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Others

• International Labour Organization (ILO): UN agency whose Fair Recruitment Initiative and Convention 189 campaigns are central to MFA's advocacy. Functions as a standards-setter that MFA seeks to influence, and a partner rather than competitor, but operates in the same migration governance space.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM): UN migration agency operating across the Asia region and an active partner of MFA. Not a peer in a competitive sense, but operates in the same migration governance space and co-produces research, webinars, and policy outputs with MFA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/migrantforuminasia
• Xx.com/mfasia_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/migrant-forum-in-asia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Migrant Forum in Asia