Across South-East Asia, migrant workers are increasingly relying on digital platforms to send remittances, manage finances and stay connected with their families, but this also exposes them to cyber scams and fraud, in addition to limited financial literacy. To address these challenges, ILO PROTECT project partnered with Saver Global and local organizations in Indonesia and Thailand to deliver practical, tailored financial training for migrant workers and their communities.
In Indonesia, nearly 140 participants joined a three-day programme held in Cirebon, West Java (16-18 September), a region with a high rate of migration. The event opened with a roundtable discussion that brought together government agencies, service providers and worker representatives to share strategies for preventing online scams. This was followed by a training workshop for around 40 participants from national and subnational government offices, trade unions, women's crisis centres, and private Technical Vocational Education and Training institutions. The participants later applied their new knowledge by leading sessions with 130 migrant workers from diverse villages affected by migration. The event was officially opened by Police General Raja Sinambela, Director of Cybersecurity at the Ministry of Migrant Workers Protection (KP2MI) who, in his remarks, emphasized the importance of recognizing migrant workers as key actors in national development, entitled to robust protection. He highlighted the socio-economic risks posed by digital threats and the need for proactive cybersecurity measures. Dwi Sulistiorini, Deputy Head of the Cirebon Manpower Office, also expressed deep appreciation for the initiative, noting its role in building digital resilience among migrant workers.
The training, developed through the ILO's PROTECT project funded by the European Union (EU) and SaverGlobal partnership, introduced two new digital courses available in Bahasa Indonesia through the free SaverLearning app: Financial Cybersecurity, which covers safe money transfers, mobile payments, and password protection and Safe Surfing, which provides guidance on avoiding scams, phishing and online fraud.
The trainings build on earlier research from the EU-funded study, Mobile women and mobile phones, which showed that while migrant women routinely use phones and social apps for communication and support, gaps in digital skills and protections leave them exposed to scams and online harms. The digital courses aim to turn everyday connectivity into a way to provide micro-training that increases the workers' knowledge and safety, through interactive, trusted information.
Sophia Kagan, PROTECT Project Manager
Workers in Thailand could take advantage of financial literacy courses made available thanks to the collaboration between the ILO, World Vision Thailand Foundation and HomeNet. From the beginning of September, through the SaverLearning platform, Myanmar migrant workers, Thai domestic workers and their community leaders explored modules on Smart Budgeting, giving them tools to better manage their income. The training-of-trainers model ensured that leaders could cascade these lessons to wider migrant communities.
The initiatives form part of the PROTECT project - Ensuring Decent Work and Reducing Vulnerabilities for Women and Children in the Context of Labour Migration in South-East Asia. Funded by the EU implemented by ILO in partnership with UN Women, UNODC and UNICEF, the project works to strengthen legal frameworks, enhance prevention and protection mechanisms and increase access to information and services for migrant workers and their families across the region.
The courses are freely available on the SaverLearning app.
