Labour migration, when properly governed, is essential to the needs of enterprises and the long-term success of economies employers say in a workshop in East Africa
The ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ACT/EMP) in partnership with the East African Employers Organisation (EAEO) organised a workshop for employers from the East African Community and the Horn of Africa on better regional migration management.
In partnership with the East African Employers Organisation (EAEO) the ILO organized a workshop for employers from the East African Community and the Horn of Africa on better regional migration management from May 17th to 18th 2022 in Arusha, Tanzania.
Representatives from employer and business membership organisations from Burundi, Egypt, South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda discussed their priorities in terms of advocacy for a better regional migration management. They highlighted that labour migration, when properly governed, is essential to the needs of enterprises and the long-term success of economies. They also highlighted the need for clear, transparent, and efficient national immigration laws and policies that permit the movement of workers when and where they are needed. They also reiterated the importance of migration and skills mobility in fostering innovation, productivity, and entrepreneurship. They acknowledged that regional frameworks do exist, that most governments are aware of the need to attract skilled migrants and have migration laws that provide for the entry of skilled foreign workers. However employers concluded that problems of implementation persist. Too often, cumbersome, unclear, or continuously changing procedures and regulations, often adopted in response to protectionist demands from domestic constituencies, make it difficult for enterprises to hire or to transfer skilled workers in a predictable and cost-effective way.
Effective and constructive dialogue and best practices were shared during the two days of workshop.
The support to the regional employers is provided through the “Better Regional Migration Management” project, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. The ACTEMP specialists from the Decent Work Teams in Cairo and Pretoria cooperate in this task.
The East African Employers Organisation (EAEO), brings together the national employers organisations of the member countries of the East African Community (EAC) and was formally registered in September 2011
Representatives from employer and business membership organisations from Burundi, Egypt, South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda discussed their priorities in terms of advocacy for a better regional migration management. They highlighted that labour migration, when properly governed, is essential to the needs of enterprises and the long-term success of economies. They also highlighted the need for clear, transparent, and efficient national immigration laws and policies that permit the movement of workers when and where they are needed. They also reiterated the importance of migration and skills mobility in fostering innovation, productivity, and entrepreneurship. They acknowledged that regional frameworks do exist, that most governments are aware of the need to attract skilled migrants and have migration laws that provide for the entry of skilled foreign workers. However employers concluded that problems of implementation persist. Too often, cumbersome, unclear, or continuously changing procedures and regulations, often adopted in response to protectionist demands from domestic constituencies, make it difficult for enterprises to hire or to transfer skilled workers in a predictable and cost-effective way.
Effective and constructive dialogue and best practices were shared during the two days of workshop.
The support to the regional employers is provided through the “Better Regional Migration Management” project, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. The ACTEMP specialists from the Decent Work Teams in Cairo and Pretoria cooperate in this task.
The East African Employers Organisation (EAEO), brings together the national employers organisations of the member countries of the East African Community (EAC) and was formally registered in September 2011