Dhaka Principles for migration with dignity

The Dhaka Principles have been developed by the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) following extensive consultation, and are supported by business, governments, trade unions and civil society. They were first unveiled to the public at a roundtable on migration in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in June 2011. They are based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and international human rights principles. The Dhaka Principles outline the worker's roadmap from recruitment through employment to termination, providing key principles that employers and recruiters of migrant workers must adhere to in order to ensure migration with dignity.

Regulating international labour recruitment in the domestic work sector: A review of key issues, challenges and opportunities

Based on a report written by Leanne Melnyk. It addresses the process of international recruitment of workers and highlights both the specific needs and vulnerabilities faced by migrant domestic workers, as well as the main issues and challenges, and innovative practices for better regulation of international recruitment in the domestic work sector.

 

World of Work magazine: Migration should be a choice

The 2017 edition of the World of Work magazine highlights themes discussed by the ILO’s 106th International Labour Conference (ILC), including labour migration and fair recruitment.

Ending child labour, forced labour and human trafficking in global supply chains

Promoting fair recruitment is a critical priority in the context of both international and internal migration. As discussed in PART 1, a key finding of recent ILO research is that recruitment abuses – and in particular the payment of illegal recruitment fees and related costs – are one of the main ways in which forced labour and human trafficking enters supply chains.

The adoption of laws and regulations to help ensure that workers and jobseekers are not charged recruitment or related costs, or subjected to other recruitment-related abuses – addressed in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and international legal standards – is therefore critical to broader efforts against forced labour and human trafficking.

The Montreal recommendations on recruitment: A road map towards better regulation

This resource presents policymakers and regulators with practical guidance and ideas to improve regulation and oversight of international recruitment and protection of migrant workers. It covers a broad range of themes, including the following:

a) recruitment fees;

b) licensing and registration of labour recruiters;

c) inspections and enforcement;

d) access to grievance mechanisms and dispute resolution;

e) bilateral and multilateral mechanisms; and

f) migrant welfare and assistance.

The guidance results from a global conference held in Montreal, Canada, that brought together leading experts and practitioners from more than 30 countries around the world. It reflects an important milestone in global efforts to promote ethical recruitment.

Plan de acción de la Procuraduría de los Derechos Humanos (PDH) para el abordaje integral de la migración laboral y contratación equitativa

Este plan de acción identifica elementos para contribuir a la institucionalización y coordinación de intervenciones sobre migración laboral y contratación equitativa desde un enfoque coordinado entre las distintas unidades de la PDH y desde el liderazgo de la Defensoría de Personas Migrantes.

Promising practices for fair recruitment

This list presents a series of promising fair recruitment practices and results from a stocktaking exercise undertaken five years after the launch of the Fair Recruitment Initiative (FRI).

 

Establishment of the National Union of Malagasy Domestic Workers (SENAMAMA) 

Code of Conduct for Ethiopian Overseas Private Employment Agencies 

Recruitment of health workers through bilateral labour agreements (BLAs): Kenya and the United Kingdom 

Madagascar alignment of labour code to newly ratified conventions 

Regulation of Private Recruitment Agencies in Uganda 

Law amendment concerning management of migrant workers in Thailand 

Revision of the Law on Contract-Based Overseas Workers 

Italian National Action Plan to tackle labour exploitation, unlawful recruitment and forced labour in agriculture 

Nepal – Bilateral labour agreements include provisions related to fair recruitment  

Bangladesh – Government capacity enhanced to promote fair recruitment in bilateral negotiations and arrangements 

Tunisia – Formation of a new body of inspectors for the recruitment industry  

India – Blacklisting employers and recruiters abroad to protect Indian migrant workers  

Piloting fair recruitment from Bangladesh to Qatar in the construction sector  

Fair recruitment pilot between Nepal and Jordan in the garment sector  

Mexico - Fair recruitment practice by recruitment agency adapted to COVID-19  

Code of Conduct on the fair recruitment of Filipino migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong (China)  

Code of Conduct in international supply chains by Responsible Business Alliance 

Commitment to fair recruitment and due diligence in the sugar and palm oil industry of Guatemala   (English) Guatemala – Compromiso con la contratación equitativa y la debida diligencia en el sector guatemalteco del azúcar y el aceite de palma (Español)

Zero recruitment fee policy for (migrant) workers in Jordan 

Guatemala – Outreach through trade unions including attention to COVID-19 (English) Guatemala – Difusión a través de los sindicatos, incluida la atención a la COVID-19 (Español)

Raising Pakistani migrant worker’s awareness of their right to fair recruitment

 

ILO Fair Recruitment Initiative Strategy 2021-2025. Taking stock, moving forward

The Fair Recruitment Initiative (FRI) was launched in 2014 as part of the ILO Fair Migration Agenda. Since its launch, the FRI has been critical to ILO’s work in the area of national and international recruitment of workers and has added renewed impetus and visibility to this important topic. The 2021-2025 Strategy will continue to be grounded in relevant international labour standards (ILS), global guidance, and social dialogue between governance institutions and actors of the labour market.

Trade union action to promote fair recruitment for migrant workers

This brief highlights trade union action to promote and protect fair recruitment for migrant workers through actions including policy advocacy, service provision and outreach.

Establishing Fair Recruitment Processes: An ILO online training toolkit

In cooperation with ITC-ILO, the REFRAME project has produced a comprehensive modular training manual on fair recruitment to support its constituents to design, support and implement fair recruitment practices.

This training course is available as an interactive version (online) and as individual downloadable modules (PDF). It contains five modules covering different aspects of fair recruitment. This training manual is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.