National training workshop on pre-departure orientation (PDO) of Indian health and care workers migrating to Germany

The International Labour Organization (ILO), through its Migrant Care Project and with support from GIZ's MEG programme, organized a two-day National Training Workshop on Pre-departure Orientation (PDO) for Indian health and care workers migrating to Germany, in Hyderabad on 22-23 July 2026. The workshop brought together representatives from trade unions, workers organisations, government-run recruitment agencies, protector of emigrants and labour migration experts to review content of an updated Pre-departure Orientation and Training (PDOT) manual jointly developed by the ILO and Public Services International (PSI) Asia-Pacific.

The content and structure of the PDOT manual presented focused on promoting safe, fair, and informed migration for Indian nurses, caregivers, and care assistants seeking employment opportunities in Germany. Special emphasis was placed on the importance of German language training, legal and civic awareness, cultural orientation, and access to knowledge about existing support mechanisms before departure.

Participants also learnt about current migration trends, ILO’s international labour standards and fair recruitment practices to inform the discussion on areas to strengthen workers' rights to representation, workplace protection, grievance redressal and measures to improve access to reliable pre-departure information.

The workshop highlighted the critical role of trade unions and importance of government-to-government initiatives such as Germany's Triple Win Programme in upholding international labour standards and establishing ensuring ethical recruitment and decent work.

Participants agreed that accurate destination-specific information is essential to reducing vulnerabilities and improving migration outcomes. Indian central trade unions also committed to including their contact information in the updated PDOT manual to improve referral and assistance mechanisms for migrant care workers. Key recommendations included strengthening institutional capacities, trade union engagement in bilateral coordination to support migrant care workers, enhancing collaboration among stakeholders and expanding worker support networks across origin and destinations.