Tunis – With the support of International Organization for Migration (IOM), Libya’s Ministry of Labour this week convened a roundtable meeting with its key regional and international partners to discuss effective mechanisms of labour migration cooperation and enhance the benefits of migration for migrant workers currently residing in Libya, their countries of origin, and the State of Libya.

The initiative to engage on labour migration governance is financed by the European Union’s Regional Development Protection Programme (RDPP) and supported by the Delegation of the European Union to Libya. The initiative promotes collaboration between the Libyan Ministry of Labour and participating countries to develop a legal framework that will facilitate international cooperation on labour mobility.

The roundtable meeting in Tunis was attended by diplomatic representatives of the EU delegation to Libya, alongside a group of envoys from Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Indonesia, Mali, Nepal, Niger, the Philippines, Pakistan, Sudan, and Tunisia.

The Delegation of the European Union to Libya underscored the importance of legal pathways for labour migration and of safe and orderly migration in North Africa.

"This roundtable was an important step towards labour migration governance in Libya, and protection of migrant workers," said IOM Libya Chief of Mission Federico Soda. “Effective international cooperation on labour migration is an essential component of a broader strategy to improve the safety and security of migrant workers who contribute to Libya’s economy. As we know the vast majority of the 650,000 migrant workers in Libya are part of the Libyan labour market,” continued Soda.

In another event, ahead of the roundtable meeting, representatives of the Ministries of Labour from Libya and Niger held a two-day dialogue on Enhancing Partnership for Migration Management. During the bilateral negotiations, participants examined how to develop mechanisms to reap the benefits of labour migration for their respective countries and for the migrants.

IOM is working with the Government of Libya by providing technical and policy support on a wide range of migration management issues. As part of its labour migration programming in Libya, IOM contributes to capacity building in labour migration management by offering policy and technical advice, supporting the development of strategies, legislation and administrative structures that promote efficient, effective, and transparent labour migration flows, and facilitating the recruitment of workers.

For more information, please contact IOM Libya’s Nima Tamaddon: ntamaddon@iom.int