Protecting migrant workers in Arab states: African diplomatic missions build capacity
Forty-two government officials from 10 African countries, including Ghana, participated in a four-day training programme to enhance protection for their citizens working in Arab states.
The event, held in Doha, Qatar, brought together representatives from Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda to address systemic challenges faced by African migrant workers, particularly women in domestic roles, who remain vulnerable to exploitation.
Migrant workers
The Arab States region has become an important destination for migrant workers. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), this region has the highest global share of migrant workers as a proportion of the total workforce, reaching 41.4 per cent in 2019 compared to the global average of just 5 per cent.
Among these migrants are many African nationals, including Ghanaians seeking better economic opportunities.
However, persistent reports on abuse, exploitation and inadequate working conditions, especially among domestic workers, highlight the urgent need for strengthened protection mechanisms.
Diplomatic Mission role
Diplomatic missions play a critical role in this regard, serving as first responders in addressing labour disputes, offering consular support and facilitating access to justice.
So far, few African countries have been working to enhance their diplomatic missions by appointing Labour Attachés specialised in labour and employment issues, including addressing the challenges faced by migrant workers.
While Ghana has made strides in offering advisory and support services to labour migrants, particularly those in vulnerable situations, it has yet to deploy Labour Attachés to its diplomatic missions.
To strengthen diplomatic missions in dealing with migration issues, Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH jointly organised a four-day training for representatives from African countries, including Ghana.
Training session
The training was organised on the theme, “Advancing fundamental rights, governance and migrant workers’ protection – The role of African Consular officers and Labour Attachés in the Arab States.”
Welcoming the participants, the Director of the Global Programme “Shaping development-oriented migration” (MEG), commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) David Nii Addy, acknowledged the vital contributions of migrant workers and Africa’s diaspora to international development in the Arab world and beyond, while also stressing their vulnerability, particularly for women in domestic and care work, where risks of exploitations are high.
The training provided comprehensive capacity building on key areas critical to effective labour migration management and governance.
The topics included fair recruitment practices, collaboration with local governments, pre-departure training, monitoring compliance with international labour laws and standards.
Particular attention was given to the specific vulnerabilities of African migrant workers, especially women and to addressing complex grievance mechanisms, access to justice and effective remedy.
In the absence of Labour Attachés, Ghanaian Consular and Diaspora Desk Officers were engaged to ensure continued institutional support for migrant workers abroad.
A handbook based on the training is currently being developed to support and strengthen the staff of African diplomatic missions.
This will ensure the continuity of knowledge sharing beyond the onsite participants.
