The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have called on member states to adopt binding bilateral labour agreements that guarantee the rights and welfare of migrant workers, especially those in the Gulf region.
Speaking during the 3rd IGAD Ministerial Conference on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration in Nairobi, IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu stressed the need for urgent, coordinated action to curb rising cases of worker abuse, irregular migration, and deaths along the Red Sea route.
“This conference must be different,” he said. “The lives being lost in the Red Sea, the abuse faced by workers abroad, and youth unemployment pushing people toward irregular migration demand urgent, coordinated action.”
Gebeyehu urged governments to move beyond research and focus on implementing functional bilateral labour agreements that protect workers’ rights, dismantle trafficking networks, and ensure fair recruitment. He also emphasized the need for portable social protection systems to allow migrants to access healthcare and benefits across borders.
“We need portable social protection so a worker from Somalia can access healthcare in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “We also need political will to harmonize labour laws and recognize qualifications across borders.”
The IGAD chief further noted that the Single Visa Initiative would be a transformative step in facilitating legitimate movement and reducing irregular migration.
IOM Deputy Regional Director Nihan Erdogan revealed that the IGAD region now hosts over 7.5 million international migrants, more than double the number recorded a decade ago. She warned that high youth unemployment and climate change pressures are driving irregular migration, with over 230,000 people crossing the Red Sea route by August 2025 and more than 600 deaths or disappearances reported.
IOM and IGAD are jointly implementing the Regional Migrant Response Plan (MRP) to strengthen migrant protection, humanitarian support, and reintegration efforts across the region.
“Harnessing labour mobility for prosperity requires strong governance and regional solidarity,” Erdogan affirmed.
