Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection Florence Bore has said labour migration has immense socio-economic benefits to both countries of origin and destination.
Bore said there is need to be proactive in the protection of migrant workers.
She was speaking during the 2nd IGAD Ministerial Conference on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration in Addis Abba, Ethiopia early this week.
"Kenya is working towards the establishment of the Kenya Migrant Workers’ Welfare Fund that will provide migrant workers with the necessary social protection," she said.
Bore, noting that youth unemployment is a regional problem, said Kenya is currently carrying out an assessment of employment opportunities in existing and potential labor markets for the professional cadres outside Kenya.
"This is borne out of the recognition that opportunities for workers abroad can reduce pressure on our respective domestic labor markets,"she said.
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Currently, there are 4 million Kenyans in the diaspora, with 92,000 in the IGAD region and 152,700 in EAC.
The CS noted that there are 4 million Kenyans in the diaspora, with 92,000 in the IGAD region and 152,700 in EAC.
Bore said though labor migration has its benefits, there are some challenges that continue to erode the gains that would have been realized in this sector.
She noted infringement of migrant workers’ rights; trafficking in persons; smuggling of persons and child labor; forced returns and inadequate returns and reintegration frameworks; high cost of remittances; gender segregation; restrictions on freedom of expression and movement in some countries.
Bore added that it is good the country enacted the Labor Migration policy 2023 following approval from the Cabinet this week.
"The Policy aims to promote good governance in labor migration, protect migrant workers, promote their welfare and that of their families, and optimize labor migration benefits in development," she said.
That it further seeks to provide an appropriate framework to govern labor migration through the development of a Labour Migration Bill which my country is embarking on.
