Southeast Asian leaders on Tuesday signed a landmark document advancing the interests and welfare of thousands of migrant workers in the region. The ASEAN consensus will continuously evolve in years as it calls for the development of an action plan to concretize the implementation of the mandate. Access to justice is often out of reach for migrant workers in Southeast Asia, the International Labour Organization reported in a study that shows that non-governmental organisations are assisting more often than government officials or trade unions. Each year, 2.5 million Asian migrants leave their homes to find work in a foreign land. Their plight is often ignored.