Labour migration

Migrant workers contribute to growth and development in their countries of destination, while countries of origin greatly benefit from their remittances and the skills acquired during their migration experience. Yet, the migration process implies complex challenges in terms of governance, migrant workers' protection, migration and development linkages, and international cooperation. The ILO works to forge policies to maximize the benefits of labour migration for all those involved.

Latest news

  1. Ship to Shore Rights

    Decent work for fishing and seafood migrant workers in Asia Pacific

    20 January 2021

    European Union and United Nations continue efforts to support safe labour migration and decent work in the fishing and seafood processing sectors in South East Asia

  2. Panel discussion

    Beyond Recovery: A Post-COVID-19 Socio-Economic Response for Migrants and their Communities

    Join ILO, UNDP, UNU-MERIT for a discussion on integrating migrants into COVID-19 responses and recovery plans.

  3. News

    ILO COOP 100 – ILO PROSPECTS Webinar: The role of cooperatives and social and solidarity organizations in forced displacement contexts

    14 January 2021

    The webinar was organized by ILO COOP and ILO PROSPECTS to highlight the role and contributions of cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy organizations (SSEOs) in forced displacement contexts, and the work of both field practitioners and the ILO on this subject.

  4. © Abdel Hameed Al Nasier 2021

    Voices

    A refugee mother determined to provide despite COVID-19

    12 January 2021

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, workers' hours were reduced at the farm in Jordan where Syrian refugee Fatima Hussein Al Ahmad lives and works. Resourceful and determined, she found alternative ways to earn money to buy milk for her baby daughter. Read her story on our new Voices multimedia platform.

  5. Fair recruitment

    GFMD Side Event: Advancing fair and ethical recruitment for all in a COVID-19 context

    Join the ILO, the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) for an interactive panel discussion on fair and ethical recruitment in the context of COVID-19.

List all

  1. COVID-19 and Migrant Workers

    The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the critical role migrants play as essential workers, including in healthcare, food supply and other key sectors. It has also exposed their vulnerability to the devastating health, economic and social impacts of the pandemic

Focus on

  1. Fair Recruitment Initiative

    Global ILO led initiative to help prevent human trafficking, protect the rights of migrant workers, reduce the cost of labour migration and enhance development gains.

Key publications

  1. The migrant pay gap: Understanding wage differences between migrants and nationals

    14 December 2020

  2. Employment and decent work in refugee and other forced displacement contexts

    3 December 2020

  3. Global Study on Recruitment Fees and Related Costs

    27 November 2020

  4. List all publications

  • Migrants make significant and essential contributions to the economic, social and cultural development of their host countries and their communities back home. But too often these contributions go unrecognized."

    Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General