On 25 May 2021, the International Organisation of Employers Policy Working Group on Migration formally endorsed the publication on “The Key role of Labour Migration in the post-Covid recovery”.

The paper restates the policy recommendations of its 2018 position paper on migration as they can be “of clear value to governments in shaping their pandemic responses to labour migration and business recovery. Indeed, the pandemic and its economic consequences may afford opportunities to adjust and improve migration systems to achieve long-held—and shared—objectives”.

The three priorities for migration policy mentioned in the 2018 paper are:

1. Flexible, transparent, and predictable labour mobility frameworks that respond to labour market needs.
2. Regulatory frameworks that promote and ensure responsible recruitment of foreign workers.
3. Improved systems for identification, recognition and development of skills to promote skills mobility.

This new publication is an update of the IOE 2018 position paper. It reconsiders those priorities in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and its social and economic effects.

The first priority is needed to address the skills gaps. It further requires availability of regular legal migration pathways. With this respect, border closures as a response to the pandemic can generate labour shortages and supply chain disruptions. At the same time and for specific sectors, there is an increased flexibility in terms of accessing a global talent pool, that is able to work from anywhere remotely. It also requires fully digitalised immigration processes.

Concerning the second priority, the regulatory frameworks that promote responsible recruitment practices of foreign workers, the paper outlines the importance of ensuring a level playing field for recruitment agencies. “Key elements in these regulations are the legal recognition of private delivery of employment services including cross-border recruitment, measures to ensure market transparency and quality service provisions, protections for people working through private employment agencies and a ban on recruitment fees. Of course, these need to be shaped and tailored to the national level in close collaboration with representatives of businesses, workers and the recruitment sector. Finally, once adopted, regulations need to be effectively enforced, creating an incentive for quality players to invest while driving out rogue players”.

With regards to the third priority, improved identification, recognition, and development of skills, it is important for governments to “work with the private sector to understand changing patterns, structures, practices and conditions of employment, to ensure that relevant changes to the migration policies are carried out. Initiatives are underway to develop skills passports to allow workers to validate their credentials. The World Employment Confederation is looking at the potential of blockchain technology to enhance the way in which workforce solutions companies provide services and reduce friction in the processes of connecting people with work”.

In conclusion, the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the negative impact of informality as well as the vital role that labour migration plays in the world economy and the significant gaps that persist in ensuring that the human rights of migrants are respected. As noted in a recent IOE/WEC joint report “Policy Priorities for the Road to a Sustainable Job Recovery”: “Informality has been the elephant in the room for many, many years, but is rarely tackled with a holistic approach and effective measures. The pandemic has highlighted again the vulnerability of workers and employers in the informal economy, re-emphasising the urgent need to create conducive framework conditions for companies to be set up in the formal economy, to hire and grow in the formal economy, and to fully contribute to the needs and developments of societies and economies.”

To favour the human rights of migrants, “there is significant practical value in governments engaging with employers in countries both of origin and of employment to forge partnerships that can respond to needs in specific industries, tailor training and skills development schemes, and better employ emerging technologies. IOE and its members stand ready at global, regional, and national levels to provide expertise and onthe-ground experience in direct collaboration with governments and other actors on all these areas”.