ILO pushes fair recruitment, wage protection for African migrant workers

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has called for stronger cooperation between African and Arab countries to ensure that labour migration delivers decent jobs, fair recruitment, wage protection and social security for migrant workers.

The call comes as governments from Africa and the Gulf region move to translate commitments on labour mobility into practical measures to protect workers and meet employers’ skills needs across the two regions.

At the second Doha Dialogue on labour mobility, held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, participating countries and international partners focused on strengthening cooperation on skills recognition, fair recruitment, access to justice, social protection and the enforcement of workers’ rights.

The two-day meeting, hosted and chaired by Tanzania, brought together Member States of the African Union and the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—as well as Jordan and Lebanon.

Under the theme: “From Commitment to Action: Advancing Fair and Sustainable Labour Mobility between Africa and GCC+,” the dialogue sought practical partnerships to ensure that workers, employers and economies benefit from labour migration.

Speaking at the meeting, ILO Regional Director for Arab States, Ruba Jaradat, said stronger cooperation was needed to turn existing commitments into tangible improvements in workers’ lives and the functioning of labour markets.

“The Doha Dialogue gives us a powerful opportunity to build on the progress already made and turn shared commitments into results that people can feel in their daily lives,” Jaradat said.

She noted that effective labour mobility could help workers access decent jobs and acquire new skills, while enabling employers to recruit the talent they need and allowing countries of origin and destination to benefit from stronger labour markets.

“Our shared task now is to deepen cooperation across the Africa–Arab States corridor so that mobility creates lasting opportunities for workers, families, businesses and economies in both regions,” she added.

The discussions focused on measures to connect workers with available jobs, ensure that qualifications are recognised across borders, promote fair recruitment and decent working conditions, and protect workers’ social security entitlements when they migrate or return home.

Participants also examined bilateral labour migration agreements and improved labour-market data as tools for making migration more predictable and better managed for workers, employers and governments.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi said the two regions had complementary demographic and economic strengths that could support mutually beneficial labour mobility.

“Africa has a large and growing working-age population, a young generation and significant human-capital potential. At the same time, GCC-plus economies continue to diversify and transform, generating demand for workers and skills across different sectors,” he said.

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“This complementarity presents an opportunity that we must manage strategically and responsibly.”

Qatar’s Minister of Labour, Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to sustaining the interregional process and strengthening cooperation among participating countries and international partners.

He said Qatar was ready to build on the outcomes of the Dar es Salaam meeting while respecting the national policies and legislation of participating countries.

The second Dialogue builds on the inaugural meeting held in Doha, Qatar, in 2024, which produced the Doha Declaration on Labour Mobility between GCC Countries, Jordan and Lebanon and African Member States.

The declaration established a framework for cooperation between countries of origin and destination, identifying skills mobility and recognition, fair recruitment, wage and social protection, access to justice and labour-market information as key priorities.

The latest meeting placed greater emphasis on implementing those commitments through practical cooperation and partnerships.

The ILO participated through a high-level delegation led by Jaradat, providing technical expertise and supporting tripartite preparations involving governments, employers and workers.

Its contributions covered labour migration governance, skills mobility, wage protection, access to justice, social protection and the portability of benefits across the Africa–Arab States migration corridor.

The organisation is also supporting efforts to advance fair and sustainable labour migration through its FAIRWAY programme, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

The programme promotes cooperation on fair recruitment, access to justice, bilateral labour migration agreements, labour migration statistics, skills recognition, wage protection and social dialogue.

The ILO also contributes to the African Union’s Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP), which supports improved labour migration governance, social protection, skills development and institutional capacity across Africa.

The programme is jointly implemented by the African Union Commission, ILO, International Organisation for Migration and the German development agency GIZ, with funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.