Officials from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) have pledged to improve the recruitment of African migrant workers in the digital era. The two Regional Economic Communities (RECs) agreed on this collaboration during a regional tripartite conference on labour migration, held in Kampala, Uganda, from April 16 to 18, with support from the Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP).
Hon. Davinia Esther Anyakun, Uganda’s State Minister for Gender Labour and Social Development, emphasized the need to bridge the digital divide, provide essential skills training, and ensure protection mechanisms against exploitation. These efforts aim to empower migrant workers to thrive in the increasingly digital workforce.
The conference, which gathered 68 experts, assessed the current state of labour migration within the RECs. Discussions focused on recent developments and challenges in safeguarding migrant workers, skills recognition, free movement, data and research, and international cooperation.
Mr. Sanusi Tejan Savage, Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Uganda, highlighted the implementation of skills mobility partnerships (SMPs) by Member States. These partnerships aim to address mismatches between labour supply and demand through targeted policies and programs. Savage encouraged experts to leverage existing efforts to facilitate skills movement.
Officials also discussed improving employability in the digital age. They agreed to work on ratifying key labour migration instruments and guidelines, establishing technical working groups on labour migration, and facilitating free movement by easing visa applications and requirements.
According to the second edition of the Africa Migration Report, only three African countries—Benin, The Gambia, and Seychelles—allow visa-free travel for citizens from all other African nations. Additionally, 14 countries offer visas on arrival to citizens of 35 or more African countries, while 32 countries still require visas before traveling from nationals of at least half of Africa’s countries.
Experts at the conference also agreed to strengthen tripartite task forces at regional and national levels and to conduct situational analyses to develop improvement plans. They emphasized the importance of reviewing social protection frameworks and promoting bilateral and multilateral labour agreements within their regions.