Tanzania Advances Safe Labour Migration Communication through Stakeholder Workshop

From 15 to 17 July 2025, a three-day stakeholder consultation and drafting workshop was held in Morogoro, Tanzania, to support the development of a National Communication Strategy and Communication Plan on the Promotion of Safe Labour Migration. The workshop was organized by the Prime Minister’s Office, Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disabilities (PMO-LYED) in collaboration with the ILO through the BRMM Programme. Participants included representatives from government institutions, recruitment agencies, social security schemes, media, civil society, academia, and the ILO.

The workshop was convened to address long-standing gaps in how labour migration information is communicated in Tanzania. Current practices were fragmented and reactive, leading to inconsistent messaging, weak public engagement, and reliance on informal sources—particularly affecting youth, prospective migrants, workers, and persons with disabilities.

Key Workshop Highlights:

• Framework Development: Discussions focused on creating a coordinated communication system that improves the accuracy, accessibility, and consistency of labour migration messages. Presentations by PMO-LYED, the ILO, and external communication experts highlighted weaknesses in existing communication systems, including limited audience segmentation, unclear implementation structures, and minimal feedback mechanisms.
• Draft Review and Feedback: Through group work, participants reviewed the draft PMO-LYED Communication Strategy, providing feedback to strengthen objectives, define measurable targets, and clarify roles. Emphasis was placed on reaching vulnerable and rural populations using appropriate channels such as radio, community outreach, and local languages, and integrating themes like pre-departure training, rights awareness, recruitment processes, and reintegration.
• Barriers and Behavioural Focus: Participants examined barriers to safe migration, including misinformation, unregulated recruitment actors, lack of trust in formal channels, and limited awareness of services. They identified behaviours for communication efforts to promote, such as verifying recruitment agencies, attending pre-departure training, reporting abuses, and using official migration pathways. These inputs will guide the structure and content of the Communication Plan.
• Communication Tools and Channels: Discussions highlighted the importance of two-way communication systems to enable public feedback. Suggested approaches included SMS platforms, call lines, community dialogues, social media monitoring, and audience-specific messaging targeting potential migrants, returned workers, families, recruitment agencies, local leaders, and women’s groups.
• Implementation Planning: On the final day, participants drafted a preliminary budget and outlined steps for validation, translation, and implementation of the strategy and plan. An agreement was reached on the immediate next steps to refine the documents before submission for official adoption.

The workshop emphasized the need for a coordinated, practical communication system that strengthens trust in formal migration processes and improves access to reliable information. Once finalized, the National Communication Strategy and Communication Plan will serve as the principal reference for government and partners, guiding outreach on safe labour migration, supporting informed decision-making, and enhancing inter-institutional collaboration.