Community Awareness Campaign Strengthens Protection of Migrant Workers in Bossaso

From 11 to 17 November 2025, the Bareedo Platform, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) under the UKFCDO funded Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) Programme, conducted a week long awareness raising campaign in Bossaso, Puntland. The initiative aimed to strengthen protection of migrant workers by improving awareness of rights and obligations, enhancing institutional coordination, and promoting compliance with national labour laws and international labour standards.

Bossaso hosts a significant number of migrant workers, primarily from Ethiopia, Yemen, Syria, and Asian countries, many of whom are in irregular situations without valid documentation or formal employment contracts. Migrant workers are engaged across sectors including telecommunications, construction, ports and logistics, health services, hospitality, domestic work, and the informal economy. Despite their contributions, they continue to face protection challenges such as passport confiscation, wage denial, unsafe working conditions, overcrowded housing, limited access to justice, and exposure to gender based violence.

The campaign adopted a multi-channel approach combining community engagement, digital outreach, and distribution of information materials. Community-based workshops reached 300 stakeholders, including migrant workers, host communities, civil society organisations, government representatives, private employment agencies, media, and religious leaders. These sessions were delivered using participatory methods with multilingual interpretation and covered key topics such as migrant rights, recruitment practices, documentation procedures, complaint mechanisms, and referral pathways. Participants were also sensitised on relevant legal frameworks, including ILO Conventions No. 97 and No. 143, the Somalia Foreign Employment Act 2015, and Puntland Labour Code No. 65, with emphasis on provisions related to written contracts and prohibition of passport confiscation.

The campaign also leveraged digital platforms and media engagement to expand its reach. In collaboration with journalists and digital influencers with over one million followers, 15 awareness messages were disseminated online, reaching at least 450 targeted individuals. In parallel, 2,650 multilingual IEC materials were distributed in Somali, Amharic, Arabic, and English, including standard flyers, small flyers, and trifold brochures. More than 1,500 individuals, including migrant workers in Bossaso, accessed these materials, many through the Bosaso Migrant Response Centre.

Through these combined efforts, the campaign generated concrete outcomes across stakeholder groups. Migrant workers improved their awareness of rights and available reporting channels. Employers acknowledged gaps in compliance and expressed willingness to formalise employment arrangements. Civil society organisations committed to strengthening legal aid and referral coordination, while media representatives pledged to promote fair and balanced reporting. Religious leaders also committed to addressing discrimination and promoting dignity within communities.

The campaign further highlighted institutional gaps, particularly in labour inspection, enforcement capacity, and complaints management, as well as the absence of temporary work permit mechanisms contributing to irregular status. It concluded with recommendations to sustain awareness efforts, strengthen enforcement against abusive practices, enhance inspection systems, and improve coordination among relevant institutions to support safer and fairer labour migration governance in Bossaso.