Background

Labour migration has, in the 21st century, moved to the top of policy agendas of many countries – countries of origin, transit and destination. Most of the world’s estimated 150 million migrants are people searching for improved economic opportunities abroad.

Three key factors drive migration and will continue to fuel this kind of movement for many years:

The “pull” of changing demographics and labour market needs in many industrialized countries. The “push” of population, unemployment and crisis pressures in less developed countries. Established inter-country networks based on family, culture and history.

An alarmingly large proportion of labour migration occurs illegally, aided and abetted by a clandestine and often criminal industry. Increasingly, governments of both sending and receiving countries are developing regulatory mechanisms to manage labour migration. These include selective recruitment policies by countries needing labour, and strong marketing and overseas employment strategies by countries supplying labour.

For some countries of destination, labour migration, particularly of the highly skilled, is more than a temporary manpower adjustment strategy and can have long-term implications for immigration. For countries of origin it can support development, for example through remittances. The private sector can play a key role in making labour migration demand driven in destination countries and in recruiting workers in countries of origin.

Mandate

To promote regular labour migration, within the framework of combating irregular migration, fostering the economic and social development of countries of origin, transit and destination, while respecting the rights and integrity of migrants.