Supporting Labour Mobility in the East African Community: Operationalizing the Common Market Protocol Provisions on the Free Movement of Persons and Labour

The objective of this project is to contribute to the operationalization of the East African Community Common Market Protocol (EAC CMP), particularly provisions concerning the free movement of people and labour. The Protocol entered into force in 2010 and aims to enhance growth and prosperity within the region. The capacity-building initiatives of this project will focus on pertinent labour migration issues related to the enhancement and harmonisation of policy, legislative, and institutional frameworks as well as the regional One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) Act, 2013. It will involve and benefit training immigration, customs, labour and other relevant officials from four EAC Partner States, namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania.

Currently, certain technical gaps persist in the implementation of the EAC CMP, specifically regarding migration data collection and sharing mechanisms, harmonization of entry and exit procedures at the borders, and the issuance of work permits to citizens of EAC Partner States. Moreover, the project will provide essential analysis and recommendations in order to achieve compliance of national and regional policy, legislative, and institutional frameworks with the EAC CMP. Finally, focusing on support to improve the workflow at One-Stop Border Posts in the region, the project will assist the participating EAC Partner States in effectively implementing improved labour migration management practices. Such practices will include safeguards to protect migrant workers from exploitation and other harmful practices, ultimately fostering labour mobility, trade, and economic growth within the region.