Labour Migration

IOM’s Vision

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) strives to protect migrant workers and to optimize the benefits of labour migration for both the country of origin and destination as well as for the migrants themselves.

IOM’s Objectives

In its labour migration programming, IOM builds capacity in labour migration management by:

• Offering policy and technical advice to national governments;
• Supporting the development of policies, legislation and administrative structures that promote efficient, effective and transparent labour migration flows;
• Assisting  governments to promote safe labour migration practices for their nationals;
• Facilitating the recruitment of workers, including pre-departure training and embarkation preparedness;
• Promoting the integration of labour migrants in their new workplace and society.

Principal Beneficiaries

IOM implements various labour migration programmes in 70 countries.  The beneficiaries of these programmes include:

• Migrants, their families and their communities;
• Local and national governments;
• Private sector entities such as employers and industry representatives; and
• Regional organizations.

IOM’s Approach

Through its global network of more than 400 offices, IOM is able to bring together governments, civil society and the private sector to establish labour migration programmes and mechanisms that balance their various interests, and address migrants’ needs.  The IOM approach to international labour migration is to foster the synergies between labour migration and development, and to promote legal avenues of labour migration as an alternative to irregular migration.  Moreover, IOM aims to facilitate the development of policies and programmes that are in the interest of migrants and society, providing effective protection and assistance to labour migrants and their families.