ILO-ITC-COMPAS Training Course

Chinese policy makers and practitioners engaged in learning and exchange with international and national experts at ILO-ITC-COMPAS training course

The training covered different dimensions of labour migration (in particular in the China-EU two-way migration context) and provided a learning and exchange platform for participants from relevant government departments, private sector and leading academic institutions to interact with international and national experts and practitioners on labour migration management and relevant issues in China.

News | Beijing, China | 29 June 2016
BEIJING (ILO News) - A training course on China-EU Labour Migration: Challenges and Opportunities was organized from 20-22 June 2016 by the ILO Office for China and Mongolia in cooperation with the ESRC Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) of the University of Oxford, and the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO).

This training course was organized within the framework of the Support to EU-China Dialogue on Migration and Mobility Project, funded by the EU. It aimed to enhance the understanding of Chinese policy-makers and practitioners on effective labour migration management so as to maximize the development impact of migration. The course was opened by Mr Marcin Grabiec, Home Affairs Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union to China, Professor Michael Keith, Director, COMPAS Oxford, Mr Tim De Meyer, Director, ILO Country Office for China and Mongolia, and Mr Pär Liljert, Head of Office, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Liaison Office in China.

“Regular migration can benefit home and host countries alike – but this does not happen automatically. Irregular migration more often than not leads to abusive exploitation – but legal bans by themselves will stop neither the migration nor the exploitation”, Mr De Meyer said at the opening, “The knowledge sharing event is a good learning opportunity for all of us to gain a better understanding of the diverse aspects of labour migration and enhance the cooperation between China and EU on migration management.”

The training course provided a learning and exchange platform for 26 participants including representatives from the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), China International Contractors Association (CHINCA), State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA), Ministry of Public Security (MPS), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), employment agencies working on labour migration, and some leading academic institutions to interact with international and national experts and practitioners on regulating labour migration, promoting regular migration, reducing and preventing irregular migration, and other relevant issues of labour migration management.

The training modules covered different dimensions of labour migration (in particular in the China-EU two-way migration context) including:
  • Regional Labour Migration and Labour Market trends in EU and China
  • The regulation of labour emigration
  • Regulating labour immigration
  • Assessing labour market needs
  • Urban transformation / internal migration
  • Rights and protection of women and men migrant workers, and
  • Labour migration statistics
The training adopted an interactive approach and offered the space for a range of activities including the analysis of national case studies, the discussion of “good practices” and role play.

The training enhanced the participants’ understanding of the complex challenges of migration management in terms of governance, migrant workers’ protection, migration and development linkages, and international cooperation, in particular in the context of China-EU labour migration. It equipped government officials, practitioners and other professionals working on migration issues in China with analytical skills and knowledge of relevant international experience which will contribute to sound national policies and practices on immigration and emigration. It provided the participants an opportunity to critically analyse and discuss contemporary labour migration issues and review the effectiveness of current approaches in light of international experiences and standards.

Dr Xiang Biao, Professor of Social Anthropology, COMPAS Oxford, noted that the training proved to be very useful with diverse participants including the private sector, who are very interested in knowing how international organizations are promoting a rights-based approach of labour migration. The training not only focused on China-EU migration per se, but how migration should be regulated based on EU experiences while also considering Chinese characteristics. It is highly relevant for the Chinese policy-makers and practitioners and built their capacity to better regulate labour migration.