ILO and Ethiopia join hands to protect migrant workers and combat irregular migration
ILO and the Government of Ethiopia agree to work together to reduce irregular migration by making regular labour migration more accessible for potential migrants.
4 August 2017
International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) officially launches a four years project to improve labour migration governance to protect migrant workers and combat irregular migration in Ethiopia funded by United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) in an event organized at Elilly International Hotel on August 4, 2014.
The four year project aims to address and reduce irregular migration by improving labour migration governance and making regular labour migration more accessible to potential migrants in Ethiopia. To this end, the project on the one hand, aims to build the capacity of the Government of Ethiopia social partners to address protection risks faced by migrant workers and improve coordination with major destination countries. On the other hand, it aims to empower migrants to make informed decision and further claim and defend their rights.
The event was attended by H.E Ato Berhanu Abera, Director General Overseas Employment Directorate MoLSA; H.E. W/ro. Mehububa Adem, Deputy Attorney General of FDRE Attorney General Office; Ms. Louisa Medhurst, Humanitarian Advisor, DFID; Mr George Okutho, Director of ILO Country Office for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan and Special Representative to the African Union (AU) and UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA); Ato Kassahun Follo, President of Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU); and regional government officials as well as representatives of diplomatic missions, donors, UN agencies and NGOs.
In his statement at the launching program, H.E Ato Berhanu Abera, noted the challenges of labour migration governance in the country and the contribution of the project in addressing major bottlenecks revolving around labour migration governance in the country. He further noted about the multi-dimensional aspects of migration and MoLSA’s effort to nurture its partnerships with ILO and other development actors in enhancing effectiveness of labour migration governance in the country. And, in conclusion, he called up on government counterparts and social partners to work with MoLSA and ILO in realizing the objective of the project.
In addition, Ms. Louisa on her part noted that migrants are actors in development, in both destination and origin countries and further underlined importance of strengthening legal migration pathways to enhance the positive contribution of migration to development. She further mentioned that the UK is leading the way in the international response to mass migration, and has committed to spend almost £150 million over five years to support refugees and host communities in Ethiopia and to address unsafe irregular migration from Ethiopia.
Likewise, Mr. Okutho underscored that migration is a human phenomenon, whether forced or voluntary, which cannot be stopped and further noted the positive contribution of safe and orderly migration to both the sending and receiving countries. On the contrary, he also noted the challenges of irregular migration which exposes migrants to discrimination, exploitation, abusive working and living conditions, and in some cases loss of the lives which amplifies the need for establishing and strengthening effective labour migration governance frameworks. In conclusion, he expressed ILO’s commitment and continued support in strengthening the labour migration governance in the country through its Decent Work Country Program making migration a choice, rather than a necessity.
For more detailed information, please contact Aida Awel Chief Technical Adviser, ILO Country Office for Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan; Menelik II Avenue, ECA Congo Building, 5th Floor ;P.O Box 2788; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Email: [email protected] ; Tel.: +251 11 5444165; Skype: aidaawel
The four year project aims to address and reduce irregular migration by improving labour migration governance and making regular labour migration more accessible to potential migrants in Ethiopia. To this end, the project on the one hand, aims to build the capacity of the Government of Ethiopia social partners to address protection risks faced by migrant workers and improve coordination with major destination countries. On the other hand, it aims to empower migrants to make informed decision and further claim and defend their rights.
The event was attended by H.E Ato Berhanu Abera, Director General Overseas Employment Directorate MoLSA; H.E. W/ro. Mehububa Adem, Deputy Attorney General of FDRE Attorney General Office; Ms. Louisa Medhurst, Humanitarian Advisor, DFID; Mr George Okutho, Director of ILO Country Office for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan and Special Representative to the African Union (AU) and UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA); Ato Kassahun Follo, President of Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU); and regional government officials as well as representatives of diplomatic missions, donors, UN agencies and NGOs.
In his statement at the launching program, H.E Ato Berhanu Abera, noted the challenges of labour migration governance in the country and the contribution of the project in addressing major bottlenecks revolving around labour migration governance in the country. He further noted about the multi-dimensional aspects of migration and MoLSA’s effort to nurture its partnerships with ILO and other development actors in enhancing effectiveness of labour migration governance in the country. And, in conclusion, he called up on government counterparts and social partners to work with MoLSA and ILO in realizing the objective of the project.
In addition, Ms. Louisa on her part noted that migrants are actors in development, in both destination and origin countries and further underlined importance of strengthening legal migration pathways to enhance the positive contribution of migration to development. She further mentioned that the UK is leading the way in the international response to mass migration, and has committed to spend almost £150 million over five years to support refugees and host communities in Ethiopia and to address unsafe irregular migration from Ethiopia.
Likewise, Mr. Okutho underscored that migration is a human phenomenon, whether forced or voluntary, which cannot be stopped and further noted the positive contribution of safe and orderly migration to both the sending and receiving countries. On the contrary, he also noted the challenges of irregular migration which exposes migrants to discrimination, exploitation, abusive working and living conditions, and in some cases loss of the lives which amplifies the need for establishing and strengthening effective labour migration governance frameworks. In conclusion, he expressed ILO’s commitment and continued support in strengthening the labour migration governance in the country through its Decent Work Country Program making migration a choice, rather than a necessity.
For more detailed information, please contact Aida Awel Chief Technical Adviser, ILO Country Office for Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan; Menelik II Avenue, ECA Congo Building, 5th Floor ;P.O Box 2788; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Email: [email protected] ; Tel.: +251 11 5444165; Skype: aidaawel