May 2, 2025 (press release) –
KUWAIT CITY (ILO News) – The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has launched the second phase of the FAIRWAY Programme (2024-2028), an interregional initiative aimed at improving labour migration governance and working conditions for migrant workers from Africa to the Arab States.
Coffi Agossou, the ILO's Deputy Regional Director, Regional Office for Africa, emphasised that enhancing inter-regional dialogue and promoting collective action through an evidence-based approach is essential to ensure better protection for migrant workers along the Africa-Arab States corridor. He also called for an active engagement and commitment of all stakeholders on both sides of the corridor, including governments, employers, trade unions, civil society organizations, and the workers themselves.
Patricia Barandun, Head of Section Migration and Forced Displacement, from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), underlined that labour migration between Africa and the Arab States is a channel of opportunity, but also one that presents significant governance and protection challenges.
''The emphasis on rights-based governance, decent work and gender equality, with a special focus on workers in most vulnerable situations, is a priority''.
Jasim Alhamrani, Director Strategic Planning and Communication GCC Executive bureau, highlighted that the GCC has made significant strides to improve governance of migrant workers, including by improving access to justice for migrant workers and strengthening wage protection systems. He also noted that the second phase of FAIRWAY should incorporate initiatives aimed at improving and regulating recruitment in origin countries.
In his concluding remarks, Peter Rademaker, ILO's Deputy Regional Director, Regional Office for Arab States acknowledged the progress that has been made in the GCC, while noting that there is still work to done to achieve a rise to the top and build on best practices. FAIRWAY has the potential to move things forward through a corridor approach, reflected in a joint partnership between the regions.
Labour migration from Africa to the Arab States is a growing phenomenon driven by demographic, economic, and environmental factors. In 2022, migrant workers in the Arab States constituted 37.2% of the labour force, with increasing participation from African countries. However, these workers often face significant decent work deficits, including restrictive labour market policies, exploitative recruitment practices, and limited access to rights and justice.
Co-funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation, the FAIRWAY Phase II seeks to address these challenges by focusing on key employment sectors where migrant workers are most vulnerable, such as domestic and care work and construction work.
The objective of the FAIRWAY Programme Phase II is to:
• Strengthen intra- and interregional dialogue and cooperation to promote effective labour migration policies.
• Improve decent work outcomes for women migrant workers in accordance with a gender-transformative agenda (including in the specific context of care work)
• Enhance protection and empowerment of migrant workers through services, rights advocacy, and representation.
The programme will engage at the regional and interregional level in Africa and the Arab States, with a specific focus on East and West Africa (Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates), Jordan, and Lebanon.
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