PROGRAM UNIT PDO 207: Migrant Support System

Session 1: Support Services for Migrant Workers

Session 2: Diplomatic Missions

Session 3: Role of Stakeholders in Labour Migration

PROGRAM UNIT PDO 206: Migrant Support System

 

Suggested Total Duration: 7 Hrs.
Suggested Duration	Session
1 Hr	Session 1: Support Services for Migrant Workers
1 Hr	Session 2: Diplomatic Missions
5 Hrs	Session 3: Role of Stakeholders in Labor Migration

 

Module Aims

By the end of this module, participants should be able to:

• Explain the various stakeholders in the migration journey and their respective roles.
• Identify support services one can access at different levels.
• Understand the procedures of how to contact the various stakeholders.

 

 

 

Session 1: Support Services for Migrant Workers  

Session Objectives

 By the end of this session, participants should be able to:

1. Know and have the contacts of the Ugandan Association in the COD.
2. Know the various NGOs and migrant support organizations available in the COD.
3. Have the important contact details of the various associations and organizations.
4. Understand the roles of the various associations and organizations in their migration journey.

 

Suggested Duration	1 Hr
	30 min     Ugandan Associations in GCC 30 min     NGOs and Migrant Support Organizations
Methodology                  Brainstorming, discussions, and presentations.
Facilitator Materials        Flip charts, markers, and video clips.
Participants Materials       Copies of the slides or takeaway notes.

 

Session Activities

1. Before teaching this module, the facilitator needs to verify the contact details of the COD in discussion.
2. Brainstorm with participants on “in the previous group discussion, we discussed some risks of labour migration and difficult situations migrants may face; what should you do if you were in one of these situations?”
3. Explain to participants that they can seek help where they feel most comfortable, e.g., recruitment agency, NGO, or local authority (COD). Take the participants through the contact details of seeking help and give time for participants to memorize the contact information for at least one institution.

 

 

KEY SESSION READING MATERIALS

Support Services for Migrant Workers

Associations of Ugandans

Ugandan migrants have set up associations in various countries of destination. These associations are unifying groups that are meant to bring together nationals and help them socialize as well as be a source of comfort and help in case of incidentals.

It is advisable that a migrant registers or becomes a member of these associations as they come in handy in situations of want.

 

Contacts of Uganda Associations in GCC Countries

United Arab Emirates – Association of Ugandans in UAE – +971 55 492 5903

Uganda Association in Qatar – +974-33279705 / +974-66619702 / +974-77303693 / +974-55509068

Uganda Association in Oman – +968 9866 4984

Bahrain Uganda Community – +973 3621 2529

 

 

 

 

NGOs and Migrant Support Organizations

MiG Call: This is a mobile app for all Android phones that gives you all the helpline numbers for migrants in GCC countries, including contact details of NGOs and other helpful organizations in Uganda and your destination country.

 

Migrant Workers’ Protection Society (Bahrain): MWPS is an organization in Bahrain that

helps educate migrants and protect them from abuse.

– Phone: +973 17827895

– Email: mwpsbah2@gmail.com

 

National Human Rights Committee (Qatar): NHRC is a body set up by the Qatari government to protect human rights.

– Phone: +974 44048844, Hotline: +974 6662 6663

– Email: nhrc@qatar.net.qa

– Complaints can also be filed online on the NHRC website: www.nhrc-qa.org

 

Saudi Domestic Labor Program (Saudi Arabia): Workers can submit complaints to the Saudi

government’s Domestic Labor Program (also called Musaned).

– Phone: 19911

– English version of the website: http://www.musaned.gov.sa/en

 

Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (UAE): DFWAC helps women and children who

have been abused or are victims of human trafficking.

– Phone: +971 4-6060300

– Helpline: 800111

– Email: help@dfwac.ae

 

National Human Rights Commission (Oman): NHRC is a government agency in Oman that

protects human rights.

– Phone: +968 24218900

 

 

 

When you are in a situation of labour exploitation or forced labour, ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I allowed to take break or a day of rest once a week? – If the answer is no, seek help from one of the organizations listed above.
• Are the tasks I do the same as the ones that were agreed upon, verbally or in a contract? – If the answer is no, seek help from one of the organizations listed above.
• Do I fear my employer would fire me if I refused to work overtime? – If the answer is yes, seek help from one of the organization listed above.
• Do I fear that my conditions of work or the tasks I do may harm me or my health? – If the answer is yes, seek help from one of the organization listed above.
• Is there any labour law I know of that my employer does not comply with? – If the answer is yes, seek help from one of the organization listed above.
• Does my employer deduct a lot of money from my salary or withhold my wages without any explanation? – If the answer is yes, seek help from one of the organization listed above.

Migrants should be aware that they might not always have it easy to reach the organization; their innovativeness and efforts are required. They should also know that it might take some time for their issues to get resolved; so, patience and persistence are required.

 

 

 

 

Session 2: Diplomatic Missions

Session Objectives

By the end of this session, participants should be able to:

1. Understand the role of the Diplomatic Mission in the migration journey.
2. Understand when and how the Diplomatic Mission can be helpful to a migrant.
3. Know which Diplomatic Mission office is responsible for the COD.
4. Have contact details of the diplomatic office responsible for the COD.

 

Suggested Duration	1 Hr
	20 min     Various Uganda Diplomatic Missions 20 min     Role of Diplomatic Mission / Consular Services 20 min     How Consular Staff can Protect Migrant Workers 30 min     Question and Answers
Methodology:                   Presentations, guest lectures, discussions, and Q&A.
Facilitator Material:          Flip charts, markers, and video clips.
Participants Material:         Copies of the slides or takeaway notes.

 

Session Activities

1. Explain the role of the Diplomatic Mission / Consular Services to migrant workers in the COD.
2. Discuss the role of Consular Staff in protecting rights of migrant workers.
3. Guest lecture by Ministry of Foreign Affairs officer(s) on actions Consular Staff can take to protect the rights of migrant workers.
4. Discuss how Consular Staff distribute information to migrant workers in the COD.

 

 

 

KEY SESSION READING MATERIAL

Role of the Diplomatic Mission / Consular Services

An Embassy Diplomatic Mission or Foreign Mission is a group of people from one country/state or an organization (such as UN or European Union) present in another country/state to represent the sending country or organization officially in the receiving country. Diplomatic mission signifies the resident mission; namely, the “Embassy” which is the main office of the country’s diplomatic representative, and this is in the capital of the receiving country.

A Consulate is smaller diplomatic mission which is normally located in major cities of the receiving country.

Some of the major functions of the Diplomatic Mission include:

1. To represent a country in different treaties and agreements.
2. To facilitate and coordinate economic activities relating to trade, investment, and tourism.
3. To provide security to its own citizens.
4. To be active towards the citizens’ genuine concerns and help in solving their problems.
5. To meet with the nationals on matters affecting their social well-being.
6. To play a very important role in trade fairs, occasions, social and cultural functions between the two nations.
7. To present authorized voices of a country in case of conflict and misunderstanding.
8. The Embassy covers all matters concerning diplomatic relations between the two countries.

 

The role of Consular staff in protecting rights of migrant workers

Consular staff, in accordance with the international convention that governs their function, have a vital role in protecting the rights of migrant workers. These functions are fundamentally grounded on two United Nations Conventions:

1. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961: It establishes that one of the functions of diplomatic mission is to protect the interest of the sending state and its nationals in the receiving state.
2. The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963: This one indicates that it is the responsibility of Consular Staff to protect the interest of the national of the state they represent in the receiving state to help and assist them and represent them before courts and other authorities.

 

Actions Consular Staff can take to protect the rights of migrant workers

1. Learn and stay updated on:

• Labor laws and special regulations in regard to the work of migrants, as well as migration legislation of the country where they exercise their function.
• Social programs available for migrants, such as housing vouchers, unemployment or emergency aid and scholarships for children, among others.
• The requirements for obtaining recognition of certifications and titles.

2. Establish ties with key entities in order to understand their programs and appropriately refer cases; this will require:

• Establishing coordination with Ministries of Labor for information exchange, counselling and the referral cases related to labor rights.
• Establishing ties with private entities that offer aid and free legal advising services to migrants, health organization and training and education programs with the purpose of knowing their requirements and making referrals.
• Contacting unions that have migrant members and defend their interests.
• Identifying and making alliances with diaspora communities and migrant organizations.
• Strengthening consulate networks in order to coordinate efforts.

3. Inform nationals in receiving countries on:

• The existing migratory, labor, and social security agreements between the two countries.
• Their labor rights and the mechanisms to request inspections or report labor right violations.
• The policies, programs, and mechanisms available for migrant workers to access labor justice.
• The available sources of aid.
• The non-governmental organizations which provide support, advice and potential access to education, social security and other services to migrants.
• Programs for migration regularization and procedures and requirement for these programs.

4. Promote fair and ethical labor recruitment based on the ILO General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment and Definition of Recruitment Fees and Related Costs andthe IOM International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS) by:

• Promoting the signing of bilateral labor agreements that include worker and employers’ organization consultations for the development.
• Promoting the ethical recruitment of migrant workers.
• Registering and monitoring private employment agencies and the contracts of migrant workers.
• Creating networks among consulates in the same area or region.

 

5. Safeguard the rights and working conditions of migrant workers which involves:

• Verifying working conditions when labor agreement with the receiving country exists; protocols and checklist can be developed for this purpose.
• Visiting workplaces with high concentration of migrant workers, such as farms in coordination with the national labor inspection authorities. These visits can be used to provide migrants with advice and information about their rights.
• Giving legal assistance and representing migrants in judicial processes.
• Coordinating with labor authorities to resolve conflicts and other issues.

6. Advise in processes of repatriation and/or return upon completion of work contract in areas like:

• Legal formalities.
• Paying for airline tickets.
• Establishing contact with the country of return and providing information on sources of help finding employment.

 

7. Cultivate a relationship with migrant communities in order to:

• Build trust and inform them about the work and services offered by the consulate.
• Support the integration of migrants, especially if the population is widely dispersed and there are few consular offices to cover the territory geographically.

 

8. Some additional consular services that can be offered, which also enable the office to keep a record of migrant workers include:

• Creating a consular registry that records the persons who enter the labor market.
• Creating consular ID cards as an additional means of protection, which will enable monitoring in case of emergency or in special circumstances.

9. Contribute to the identification of opportunities for migrants within the labor market which will require:

• Identifying the demand for labor in the host country.
• Disseminating information on the needs of the labor market in the host country.
• Promoting the streamlining of the recruitment processes while protecting the rights of migrant workers.
• Identifying companies and sectors recruiting workers and sharing that information.

 

10. Contribute to the improvement of migration policies in the country of origin which involves:

• Systematizing useful information to give feedback on national migration policy in the area of labor, separated by sex.
• Promoting the development of migration policies under a human rights approach and that is gender-sensitive.
• Promoting exchange of information and coordination between the host and origin countries.
• Promoting social dialogue on the topic of migration, organization or participating in forums on the topics, or other types of analysis and discussion activities.
• Promoting the ratification of bilateral and multilateral agreements on migrant workers.
• Participating in regional and international discussions on migration topics.

 

 

 

Consular Staff do distribute information through:

1. Information campaigns.
2. Mobile consulates.

• National and local television channels, radio stations and newspapers.

1. The web page of the consulate and its allied organizations.
2. National holidays, cultural and health fairs, and places where large numbers of migrants congregate.
3. Social and training activities.

• Activities organized by diaspora communities.

 

 

Session 3: Role of Stakeholders in Labour Migration         

 Session Objectives

By the end of this session, participants should be able to:

1. Understand the role of the various government ministries and agencies.
2. Understand the role of the various organizations in the migration journey.
3. Understand the role of the recruitment agencies as well as their recruitment processes.
4. Know which organization to contact when, how and under what circumstances for a migrant worker to access assistance.

 

Suggested Duration	5 Hrs
	1 hr       Role of Government Ministries 1 hr       Role of Government Agencies 1 hr       Role of UAERA 30 min    Role of Recruitment Agencies in Uganda 30 min   Role of Recruitment Agencies in COD 30 min    Role of Training Centers 30 min    Question and Answers
Methodology:              Presentations, Guest lectures, Experience sharing
Facilitator Materials:    Flip charts, markers, and video clips
Participants Materials:   Copies of the slides or take away notes

 

Session Activities

1. Explain the role of each of the following government ministries:

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Ministry of Local Government.

2. Explain the role of each of the following government agencies:

• Joint Intelligence Committee
• CID and Interpol

3. Guest lecture from a member of UAERA office on their role to a migrant worker.
4. Guest lecture from the recruitment agency on their role to a migrant worker both in COO and COD.
5. Experience sharing of a former migrant worker in the same field on his or her experience with the recruitment agencies in the COD.
6. Explain the role of the training centre in the recruitment process of the migrant worker.

 

 

 

 

KEY SESSION READING MATERIALS

Role of Other Stakeholders

1. Government Ministries
2. Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development (MGLSD)

The MGLSD, in particular the Directorate of Labor, Employment and Occupational Safety and Health, is the lead agency in the matters concerning migrant workers. Its role includes:

• Raising awareness on the statutory instruments for externalization of labor and other labor laws and issues concerning trafficking related to employment.
• Licensing private recruitment companies/agencies for operations of recruitment of migrant workers.
• Providing orientation of officials and staff of licensed companies/agencies and representatives of the foreign employers on the requirement, standards, laws and regulations in the recruitment and employment of Ugandan migrant workers.
• Verifying the job offers, the employer and location of the place of work with the foreign mission in the destination country.
• Rating the performance of the private recruitment companies/agencies.
• Keeping a list of private recruitment companies that are licensed and authorized to send Ugandans overseas for work and those that have be delisted, suspended, revoked, cancelled, banned or have been refused renewal of license.
• Issuing clearance certificates to migrant workers’ agencies and principals.
• Inspecting private recruitment companies/agencies’ activities.
• Monitoring and oversight on the operations and activities of private recruitment companies within the country of origin and in the destination country.
• Imposing sanctions on licensed local recruitment companies/agencies for failure to cooperate in providing welfare assistance to migrant workers and against foreign principals/employers upon recommendation by the Embassies and other authorities.
• Developing a database for Ugandan migrant labor abroad and recruitment companies.
• Documenting and disseminating good business practices of private recruitment companies/agencies for migrant workers abroad.

1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)

• Liaises with Uganda mission abroad to monitor the employers, the principal agencies in the destination country and Uganda migrant workers.
• Verifies availability of jobs in the destination countries in collaboration with the ministry responsible for labor and employment.
• Establishes registers for Ugandan migrant workers in the destination countries.
• Provides consular protection to migrant workers.

1. Ministry of Internal Affairs, Immigration Department

• Provides passports to migrant workers.
• Collaborates with the ministry responsible for labor and employment in monitoring irregular movements of migrants and in identification of human trafficking cases and victims.

1. Ministry of Local Government

• Assists the recruitment companies/agencies in the mobilization of interested migrant workers.
• Provides recommendation letters to migrant workers for the prossing of passports.
• Monitors the situation of the migrant workers when they come home on leave and irregular movements of migrants within the local governments.
• Collaborates with the respective ministries responsible for monitoring irregular movements of migrants and in identification of trafficking case/victims.

2. Government Agencies
3. Joint intelligence Committee

• Vets private recruitment companies/agencies before licensing and the selected migrant workers before departure.
• Monitors activities of private recruitment companies.
• Monitors activities of migrant workers during and after employment abroad.
• Maintains a data bank for all private recruitment companies and personnel vetted.

1. CID and Interpol

• Investigate any suspected criminal and derogatory acts by agencies among other trafficking in person activities.
• Prosecute identified cases of trafficking in person.

3. Role of Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies (UAERA)

Before travel:

• UAERA carries out sensitization programs geared at informing the intending migrant workers as well as the public about the safe labour migration channels.
• Ensures that its members practice Ethical Recruitment through inspections and the verification process that the UAERA secretariat undertakes to ensure that it is in accordance with the governing laws.

While abroad:

• Assists the distressed migrant worker with information on how to get assistance from key stakeholders (Ugandan Embassies).
• Also meets and offers assistance to migrant workers’ families here in Uganda in an event where their person who went to work abroad is either not communicating or has informed them that he/she is in trouble.

Upon return:

• Offers free medical care, psychosocial support to the returning migrant workers who may be in need of this care through the UAERA Reception Centre. This is offered irrespective of whether the migrant worker went through a licensed recruitment company or not, and also irrespective of the country he/she is returning from.
• Escorts returning migrant workers to their home for those who may not have means.

 

4. Role of Recruitment Companies/Agencies in Country of Origin

• Providing government with information on the global market demand for skills for migrant work and job orders.
• Accessing decent job opportunities to migrant workers abroad.
• Advertising actual job vacancies.
• Mobilizing and recruiting migrant workers.
• Providing comprehensive and accurate information on the migrant workers in the country of destination before recruitment and departure.
• Assisting selected migrants in the processing of passports and visas.
• Managing and supervising the workers through the subsistence of the contract in the destination country.
• Regularly reporting their activities to the ministry.

5. Role of Recruitment Companies/Agencies in Country of Destination

• Providing COO PRAs with accurate information of the jobs available.
• Conducting interviews with the COO PRAs to recruit suitable staff for the positions provided.
• Providing visas and tickets for candidates selected.
• Receiving the migrant workers in the COD.
• Providing migrant workers with vital information and contact details that will help them during the employment tenure.
• Providing support and help to migrant workers deployed by themselves.
• Giving feedback to COO PRAs on the status of the migrant workers deployed.
• In case of any issues, the EPRA is responsible to inform the COO PRA and devise means to work out and help the migrant worker.

6. Role of Migrant Training Centers

• Emphasizing and elaborating their job descriptions.
• Equipping them with practical skills in using work-related gadgets (e.g, electronics).
• Briefing the migrants on the etiquette/manners of the COD.
• Helping migrants manage their expectations and handling challenges.