Lessons Learned in Programme Design and Implementation

Federico Soda

International Organization for Migration

Presented at the Second RCM Workshop on Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWP): An Intra-regional Focus

Sto. Domingo, Dominican Republic 28-29 April

Introduction

a) Global Labour Migration

b) Identifying and addressing labour needs

• Migration Research Units (MRU)• Labour Market Kiosk (LMK)

c) Protecting and Empowering migrants

• Migrant Resources Centres: Pre-Departure and post return support.• Labour Attaches: Post-Arrival Support.

c) Building Capacities in Labour Migration

d) Conclusion

Global Labour Migration

• Over the past 45 years, the number of persons living outside their country of birth has more than doubled from an estimated 75 million in 1960 to nearly 191 million in 2006 (UN, 2006)

• Roughly 90 million of this figure constitute migrant workers (ILO, 2006)

• Migration is a global issue that requires bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation

Identifying and addressing labour needs

• Market Research Units (MRU)

• Labour Market Kiosk (LMK)

MRU: Concept and Services

• Government office to undertake research to promote country’s overseas employment program

• What does it do: identification, collection, analysis, dissemination and use of labour market information

• What is the purpose: expand existing markets, develop new overseas markets, monitor developments (sectors, conditions), enhance competitiveness

MRU: Set UpInstitutional Set up

• Established within Ministries of Labour (e.g BMET in Bangladesh)

• Enhanced capacity to undertake labour market research

Recommendations

• Linked to human resource planning in countries of origin

• Systematic way to identify labour opportunities for workers in COD

• Linked to broader development strategies

MRU: Good Practices• Established in Bangladesh, India and Sri

Lanka

• Produce monthly reports that examine labour demand in select countries of destination (Bangladesh)

• Develop a roadmap for MRU for countries of Origin (IOM)

• Training for MRU to enhance capacity to carry out market research in the global labour market (India) including market capacity perception survey.

LMK: Concept and Services

• Labour Market Kiosk (LMK) provide timely labor market information on overseas labor market opportunities, labor and immigration policies, and working conditions overseas.

• Provide information to migrant workers, government agencies, policy makers, labour market specialists, overseas employers, recruitment agencies, etc….

• Information includes country profiles, bilateral agreements, wages, labor market opportunities, latest news, demand and supply information, frequently asked questions, etc.

LMK: Set-up Institutional Set-up

• Labour Market Kiosk embedded into the website of the Philippines POEA

• Provides an active database of BLA, MOU and other legal arrangements

• Includes up to date market analysis by sector and geographical location

• Publically accessible

LMK: Set-up

Protecting and empowering migrants

• Pre-departure and post-return support: Migrant Resource Centres (MRC)

• Post-arrival support: Labour Attaches

MRC: Concept and Services

• Offices that provide services to migrants to facilitate legal, and safe migration

• Up-to-date information to help make informed decisions about study or employment abroad

• Can facilitate return and reintegration

• Include information and counseling: Destination Country Profile (DCP), training, referral services.

MRC: Pre-Departure and Return support

Institutional set up

• Can be established and run by governments, NGO, or international organizations

• Located within local employment centers

• Facilitation of networks with other MRC and referral services (Western Balkans)

Recommendations

• MRC embedded within existing local structures• Close contact with official information providers – i.e. consular authorities

MRC: Good Practices Services to empower and protect migrants

• Remittance and investment opportunities (Philippines)

• Employment related assistance such as recognition of qualifications (Portugal)

• Building diaspora capacity and creating links (Democratic

Republic of Congo)

Services to protect migrants

• Mobile information provision (Tajikistan)

• Free individualized support and counseling (Slovakia, Tajikistan, Lebanon)

Function and Roles

• Provide assistance to migrant workers abroad

• Promote manpower and labour market opportunities for nationals abroad

• Assist in the development of labour migration policies

• Promote bilateral and diplomatic relations on labour matters

Labour Attaches: Post-Arrival Support

Institutional Set up • Often Ministry of Labour Staff Seconded

to MFA

• Legal basis for the role and function of the labour attaché (Bangladesh/Morocco)

Labour Attaches: Post-Arrival Support

Recommendations

• Labour attaches established to support implementation of BLA

• Joint working groups between countries of origin and destination (Indonesia/Bangladesh)

• Assisting migrants with labour market inclusion (Bulgaria)

• Verifying employment terms and conditions in accordance with BLA (Philippines)

• Providing targeted assistance for example mental health services (Thailand)

Labour Attaches: Good Practice

Enhancing the Capacity of Governments

THE IOM CAPACITY BUILDING TOOL ON

LABOUR MIGRATION

MANAGEMENT FOR LATIN AMERICA

(Spanish version)

Training Modules for Latin America:

3 Courses, 11 Modules, 46 Sessions

Module E: Protection of Migrant workers: policy options for CoO

Course 2: Developing Labour Migration Policies in countries of origin

Module F: Developing labour market strategies

Module G: Enhancing migrant workers‘ contribution to the development of CoO

Module H: Assessing the need for foreign labour

Course 3: Developing Labour Migration Policies in countries of destination

Module I: Designing labour admission policies

Module J: Protection of migrant workers + integration

Module K: Measures to prevent / reduce irregular migration

Module A: Introduction

Module B: Int. Migration Law framework for the protection of M. Workers

Course 1: International Migration Law and cooperation framework for the development of LM policies

Module D: Temporary, circular and cross-border Labour Migration

Module C: International co-operation for the facilitation of LM

Conclusion

• Programme design and implementation - anchored in national migration policy and development policy

• Measures can be taken by governments to improve migration management & protect workers throughout the migration process

• Enhancing capacity of government officials

• Experience from other countries in other regions could benefit Central America

THANK YOU

Federico SODA

Head of Labour and Facilitated Migration

International Organization for Migration, Geneva

fsoda@iom.int