Sadly, many migrants, migrant workers, and members of their families still face exploitation, abusive recruitment, wage theft, forced labour, trafficking, and discrimination. Women migrant workers and young people are especially vulnerable to violence, harassment, and irregular migration pathways.

Global and continental frameworks already exist to address these challenges, including ILO Conventions, the Fair Recruitment Principles, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and the African Union and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) migration and labour instruments.

However, implementation gaps remain wide. Weak regulations of recruitment agencies, lack of political will, limited labour inspection, deep structural challenges, and poor access to justice continue to fuel exploitation and irregular migration. Security-only approaches and border externalisation have failed, pushing migrants into dangerous routes while enriching traffickers.

ITUC-Africa calls on African governments to strengthen protection for migrant workers by investing in decent work, social protection, fair recruitment, and effective labour migration governance. We are strongly urging AU Member States to ratify the AU Free Movement Protocol, adopted in 2018, to achieve continental integration (Agenda 2063), unlock the AfCFTA’s potential, and give dignity to migrants, migrant workers, and members of their families.

We also urge the African Union and RECs to take more decisive action to harmonise labour migration frameworks, improve rights-based bilateral labour agreements, and ensure that free movement and AfCFTA ambitions are anchored in workers’ rights and social dialogue. They must do this in a sincere, collaborative, and inclusive manner with all critical stakeholders, notably organised labour.

Trade unions commit to building alliances with non-state actors to engage effectively with the state and other stakeholders, ensuring the safety and dignity of all migrants.

Signed in Lome, Togo.

Akhator Joel Odigie
General Secretary, ITUC-Africa
18 December 2025