Africa Moves to Fortify Safeguards for Migrant Workers Ahead of Doha Talks.

Africa Moves to Fortify Safeguards for Migrant Workers Ahead of Doha Talks.

ILO Country Director Khumbula Ndaba addresses the media in Nairobi on efforts to strengthen protection, decent working conditions and labour rights for African migrant workers ahead of the 2026 Doha Dialogue on Labour Migration in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

By Jeff Oyugi

Nairobi - September 22, 2026

African governments, employers and workers’ representatives have begun efforts to forge a common position on labour migration and strengthen safeguards for African workers seeking employment in the Gulf and other Arab countries.

The push comes as the African Union Commission (AUC), with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), convenes a two day Tripartite Meeting in Nairobi from September 22 to 23 to prepare for the Second AU GCC+ Labour Migration Dialogue, commonly known as the Doha Dialogue II, scheduled for October 5 and 6 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The Nairobi meeting has brought together representatives of governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations from 28 African Union member states, alongside Regional Economic Communities, the AUC, ILO, ITUC Africa and Business Africa.

ILO Country Director Khumbula Ndaba said the Nairobi meeting was intended to enable African stakeholders to agree on priority issues before they are presented at the Dar es Salaam dialogue, which will bring together African countries and representatives from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as well as Jordan and Lebanon.

Ndaba said African countries needed to speak with a coordinated voice on the conditions facing their nationals working abroad, particularly in the Gulf region.

“The reason for our coming here today is to prepare for a Doha meeting which is coming on the 5th and 6th of October in Dar es Salaam,” Ndaba said, adding that the meeting would provide an opportunity for African stakeholders to jointly examine challenges affecting migrant workers.

He said some African migrant workers continue to encounter intolerable working conditions, discrimination and other forms of unfair treatment in destination countries.

The concerns highlighted include unfair recruitment practices, contract substitution, wage related violations, unsafe working environments and limited access to social protection and effective mechanisms for resolving workplace grievances.

The official AU and ILO statement notes that women migrant workers, particularly those employed in domestic work, can face heightened vulnerabilities.

Ndaba said female migrant workers should be recognised as workers providing professional services and should enjoy the same protection and dignity accorded to other workers.

“Female migrant workers must also be seen as workers who are providing professional services to those countries,” he said.

The Nairobi discussions are also expected to examine the effectiveness of bilateral labour migration agreements between African countries and destination states.

According to Ndaba, although such agreements have been developed over time, some have not provided adequate protection for workers, particularly on wages, social protection and pensions.

He called for stronger agreements containing minimum safeguards and clear procedures for responding to challenges faced by migrant workers.

“Those bilateral labour agreements are often too weak and they do not contain the necessary protection measures for migrant workers,” Ndaba said.

The official meeting document states that bilateral labour migration agreements will be a cross cutting issue during the Doha Dialogue II, alongside skills and labour market pathways, decent work and protection, social protection, health coverage and portability of benefits.

The Nairobi meeting is expected to culminate in a Common African Tripartite Statement outlining key African priorities and recommendations for the Dar es Salaam dialogue. The statement will also seek to strengthen cooperation among governments, employers and workers in addressing labour migration challenges.

Ndaba also addressed concerns surrounding the movement of African workers within the continent, including instances where migrant workers have faced calls to return to their countries amid economic and employment pressures in destination states.

He said countries experiencing unemployment or other economic difficulties should address the underlying challenges rather than making migrant workers the target of public frustration.

“Migrant workers can never be part of that change,” Ndaba said, while urging governments to examine the economic conditions contributing to employment challenges.

The official statement similarly recognises that labour migration contributes to livelihoods, skills development, remittances and regional integration. It notes that movement from Africa to GCC countries, Jordan and Lebanon has increased over the past decade, influenced by unemployment, economic insecurity, conflict, fiscal pressures, climate change and limited access to decent work.

The discussions come against the backdrop of efforts to promote safer, orderly and regular labour mobility between Africa and Arab countries.

Established in 2024 as a voluntary, non binding and state led consultative process, the Doha Dialogue provides a platform for African and Arab countries to strengthen cooperation on labour mobility and promote decent work and protection for migrant workers.

For the 2026 dialogue, stakeholders are expected to focus on moving from commitments to practical action in promoting fair and sustainable labour mobility between Africa and the GCC+ region.

Ndaba said African governments also had a responsibility to address conditions at home that compel young people to seek employment outside the continent.

He urged governments sending workers abroad to expand opportunities for decent employment domestically so that migration becomes a choice rather than a necessity driven by lack of opportunities.

“We are also encouraging our own governments that are sending migrant workers to those countries to create conditions at home that would enable young people to stay and work within our African countries,” he said.

The Nairobi meeting is supported through various labour migration programmes financed by international partners, including the European Union, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Switzerland and Sweden.

The outcome of the Nairobi deliberations is expected to feed directly into the October dialogue in Dar es Salaam, where African and Arab stakeholders will consider measures for better migration governance, stronger bilateral labour agreements and improved protection of migrant workers.

For African countries, the discussions present an opportunity to push for common minimum standards on workers’ rights while also strengthening cooperation with destination countries on recruitment, employment, social protection and mechanisms for addressing disputes.

Ndaba said the desired outcome from the Dar es Salaam meeting was a clearer framework for managing labour migration between Africa and the GCC countries, supported by stronger agreements and respect for international labour standards.

The Nairobi process therefore places the rights, safety and welfare of migrant workers at the centre of Africa’s preparations for the next phase of dialogue with GCC countries, Jordan and Lebanon.