News and statements on labour migration
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Cooperatives and the crisis: “Our customers are also our owners”
02 July 2010
Cooperatives have been more resilient to the deepening global economic and jobs crisis than other sectors. Report from Sweden.
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Fixing the future of Mali's child workers
07 June 2010
In Mali, approximately two out of three children aged 5 to 17 work. This represents over 3 million children. Few of them go to school and 40 per cent of children aged 5 to 14 perform hazardous tasks. The situation of migrant girls is of particular concern. ILO Online reports.
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In search of jobs: new ILO study on labour migration in North and West Africa
29 April 2010
The global financial and economic crisis has brought with it significant employment and social challenges, particularly for migrant workers from developing countries. As a new ILO study on North and West Africa shows, the latter tend to be disproportionately affected by job losses in destination countries, with the flow of remittances to their countries of origin suffering a major decline. This has raised questions about the extent to which migration can contribute to development in countries of origin. ILO Online spoke with Steven Tobin, co-author of the study, about how best to leverage migration as a development factor.
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Forced labour in Europe: cases, concepts and action, by Undine Groeger, Copenhagen, April 2010
14 April 2010
Presentation to the conference on “Human Trafficking”, Copenhagen, Denmark, 14 April 2010
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ILO study focuses new attention on adopting a “rights-based approach” to meet the needs of the world’s 105 million migrant workers
31 March 2010
Amid growing challenges due to the global economic crisis, a new ILO study highlights the need to adopt a “rights-based approach” to provide a “fair deal” for the world’s 105 million migrant workers.
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Improving the Management of Migration Systems: Challenges for China and Europe, by Roger Plant, Bucharest, October 2009
13 October 2009
Presentation to Workshop on “Addressing the Demand Side of Chinese Migrant Workers in European Countries”, Bucharest, Romania, 11-12 October 2009
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Bahrain: Decree 79 aims at ending sponsor system
31 August 2009
In 2009, Bahrain adopted the strongest sponsorship reform in the region by permitting migrant workers to change employment without their employer’s consent and in the absence of allegations of nonpayment of wages or abuse. Majeed al Alawi, the minister of labor in Bahrain, likened the kafala (sponsorship) system to slavery when justifying the reform.
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Facing the global jobs crisis: Migrant workers, a population at risk
13 August 2009
The global economic crisis is posing new challenges for the world's 100 million migrant workers. They may face reduced employment and migration opportunities, worsening living and working conditions and increasing xenophobia. Although no massive return of migrant workers has been observed so far, the crisis is having repercussions on their earnings and the remittances they send home. Ibrahim Awad, Director of the International Migration Programme at the International Labour Office, published a new study entitled "The global economic crisis and migrant workers: Impact and response". Interview with ILO Online.
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Migrant working girls, victims of the global crisis
10 June 2009
More than 100 million girls are involved in child labour worldwide, according to a new ILO report for World Day against Child Labour 2009. The report warns that the global financial crisis could push an increasing number of children, particularly girls, into child labour. ILO Online reports from Moscow where migrant workers and their children are the first to be hit by the crisis.
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The global economic crisis and the impact on migrant workers
02 April 2009
The impact of the downturn in global economic activity on migrant workers is likely to be different depending on their distribution among economic sectors most likely to be affected by the crisis.