IN AFRICA
MIGRATION
FOR DEVELOPMENT
II. The strategic framework for managing migration
IN AFRICA
Recommended strategies
i.
Ratify and domesticate all the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions on
Labour Migration as appropriate to each Member State and harmonise national laws
and regulations with international labour standards.
ii.
Create transparent (open) and accountable labour recruitment and admission systems,
based on clear legislative categories and immigration policies that are harmonised with
labour laws.
iii.
Provide access to accurate information on labour migration at pre-departure and postarrival stages, including terms and conditions of work, remedies and access to legal
advice in the event of violations.
iv.
Align national laws, policies and regulations; bilateral and multilateral agreements; and
voluntary codes of conduct with the ILO General Principles and Operational Guidelines
for Fair Recruitment.
v.
Ensure that national laws, including constitutional, administrative and civil law and
labour codes, provide women migrant workers, in particular domestic workers, with the
same rights and protection that are extended to all workers.
vi.
Monitor and enforce compliance with recruitment regulations, including standardised
contracts of employment which are free, fair, fully consented to, transparent and
enforceable.
vii.
Promote consolidation and professionalisation in the recruitment industry, reigning
in the maze of subagents that are often involved, with the aim of turning (public and
private) recruiters into comprehensive “one-stop shops” for employers and migrants,
offering comprehensive services, including training and skills certification, job
placement and travel arrangements.
viii.
Strengthen or make provision for adequate supervision of working conditions for all
migrants by the competent labour market authorities or duly authorised bodies.
ix.
Establish effective complaint mechanisms and ensure that migrants, especially migrant
women, have recourse to enforce, timely and affordable remedies. Ensure that migrant
workers are able to make complaints against their employers or others, including on
grounds of sexual harassment in the workplace, and have access to remedies including
for unpaid wages and compensation for violations of labour rights, without fear of
reprisals and expulsion.
x.
Build national capacity to manage labour migration by developing national labour
migration policies and legislation consistent with overall population policy, and
government structures to manage labour migration. The latter should include the
creation of focal points within relevant ministries to handle labour migration issues,
and establish institutional mechanisms for enhanced cooperation between government
authorities, worker organisations and employer associations.
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