Strengthening Labour Migration Management in Malawi

The overall objective of this project is to support the Ministry of Labour (MOL) of Malawi towards implementing labour migration programmes in the context of existing regional frameworks. These include the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Labour Migration Action Plan, SADC Regional Labour Migration Policy Framework, and Article 19 of the SADC Employment and Labour Protocol on the Protection of Migrant Workers.

The project includes the following components:

A) Capacity Building: An IOM expert will conduct a training workshop on labour migration management for a wide range of stakeholders from relevant ministries, departments, and agencies as well as other partners, including trade unions and employers’ associations. Selected civil society organisations and academic institutions, inter alia, will also benefit from this initiative. Such training will cover a broad array of topics pertaining to the labour migration situation in Malawi, including recruitment facilitation, protection mechanisms, temporary labour migration programmes, policy development, bilateral labour agreements, information dissemination, social welfare, social cohesion, and integration.

B) Bilateral Labour Agreements: IOM will work closely with relevant stakeholders to develop guidelines for negotiating labour agreements in such a way that ensures migrants’ rights are protected and that they can access social protection benefits. IOM will also draft a sample bilateral labour agreement that will serve as a model for the Government of Malawi and other countries in the region. Once the guidelines and model bilateral labour agreement are drafted, IOM will facilitate a three-day workshop.

C) Regional Labour Migration Roadmap: Through a planning meeting, stakeholder workshop, and validation meeting pertaining to the formulation of a regional roadmap for South-South labour mobility, the Government of Malawi will be better positioned to engage with regional stakeholders on pertinent labour migration issues. As a result the Government of Malawi will be better equipped to manage labour migration.