With support from IOM Uganda, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MoGLSD) held a workshop for stakeholders to review a recently concluded national labour migration project funded by the IOM International Development Fund

Among other achievements, the project supported systematic reviews of Uganda’s Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements and the National Employment Policy.

The Workshop in Entebbe was opened by the MoGLSD Permanent Secretary, Mr Aggrey David Kibenge, addressed by IOM Uganda Chief of Mission Sanusi Tejan Savage, and closed by the Minister, Honourable Betty Amongi.

IOM Chief of Mission Sanusi Tejan Savage said the Ministry had realised three important outputs under this project: “The final Labour Migration Regulatory Impact Assessment Report;  the Final Report of the Assessment of the three Existing BLMAs (with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and United Arab Emirates), and the Final National Guidelines on developing BLMAs;  as well as the Final Draft National Employment Policy 2023, alongside a five-year costed National Action Plan.” 

He explained that the project had set out to support the development of a national Labour Migration Policy, but this was dropped after the mandatory Regulatory Impact Assessment. “The assessment report recommended that instead of developing the Labour Migration Policy, the Government should review  and reinforce the existing legal and policy frameworks.  And that is what IOM supported.”

Minister Amongi said the project had had tremendous impact especially with the review of the bilateral labour migration agreements. She cited Saudi Arabia with which the Ministry has already had two meetings. She praised Chief of Mission Sanusi Tejan Savage for being always supportive whenever called upon by the Ministry.