International Labour Migration – Facilitating Free Movement of Workers

Globally

Global Employers’ SummitBahrain – October 6, 2015

IOM Overview• Established in 1951, the International

Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration.

• IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all.

• 158 Member States

• 481 offices in 150 countries

• More than 9,000 staff worldwide• Fields of Operation:

– Humanitarian Assistance in Crisis; – Immigration & Border Management; – Counter-Trafficking; – International Migration Law; – Labour Migration

Global Trends in Labour Migration

• Mass low-cost air transportation and mass communications channels such as social media have transformed who moves, how we move, and how we live our lives

• An age of increased mobility not just in the field of labour but also in contexts of forced migration – as in the Syria Crisis

Global Trends in Labour Migration (II)

• One in seven of the world’s population is a migrant – 232 million international, 740 million internal– most are moving for economic purposes: to seek a better job

• EU27 will need to absorb 50 million migrants by 2050 in order to maintain size of labour force

• Increasingly diverse range of Countries of Origin and Destination – yesterday’s Countries of Origin are today’s Countries of Destination

• Demographic shifts in developed and developing countries dictate that this trend will continue

Challenges in International Labour Recruitment

Can be associated with exploitative practicesHigh recruitment fees to jobseekers that lead to debt bondageFalse promises or misrepresentation of the job offerDocument and property retention Contract substitutionPotential for human trafficking

With negative impacts for employers…Skills mismatches and poor retention Occupational health and safety issuesLinks to criminal smuggling and human trafficking networksGovernment fines, prosecutionNon-compliance with client codes of conductPossibility for reputational damage, as well as civil and criminal liability

… And governments.Erosion of integrity of labour migration programmes“Race to the bottom” for domestic labour markets in destination countries

International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS)

Voluntary Multi-Stakeholder Certification System

Employers and Brands better able to make informed decisions

Mitigate risk of introducing links to labour exploitation and human

trafficking in operations

Public-Private approach to support increased professionalism and

good practice

Bolster government efforts to eliminate unethical recruitment

International Qualifications Recognition

• Diversity of qualifications and education systems, and lack of harmonization leads to under-employment and brain waste

• How can migrant jobseekers effectively signal their value and skills to potential employers?

• What systems can be put in place to better allow migrants to use their transferable skills and integrate into the labour market?

Thank You

Carmela Godeau – Regional Director MENAwww.iom.int