Labour Mobility and Social Inclusion

In 2013, IOM estimated that globally, more than 150.3 million workers were employed outside their country of birth, and the numbers are growing. But in Uganda, as in many developing countries, migrant labour remains vulnerable to extortion and exploitation both within the recruitment process and in the destination workplaces.

In this regard, IOM works to foster the synergies between labour migration and development, and to promote legal avenues of labour migration as an alternative to irregular migration.

In recent years, IOM worked with the Government of Uganda to develop a Labour Market Information and Analysis System (LMIAS) that contributes to sound policies on employment. The cooperation has also sought to strengthen the capacity of the Government to effectively manage labour migration and to incorporate migration more fully into development planning. At the same time, IOM works with the Government, private labour externalization firms and other stakeholders to promote ethical recruitment, as a way to prevent trafficking and exploitation of Ugandan migrant workers.