Govt to finalise labour policy Mr Ngoni Masoka
Mr Ngoni Masoka

Mr Ngoni Masoka

Samantha Chigogo Herald Correspondent
Government will finalise consultations on the National Labour Migration Policy Framework in a move set to stop human trafficking and promote decent work for migrant workers.

Members of the inter-ministerial committee on migration have provided final comments on the draft and Cabinet will be in a position to consider the draft labour migration policy by the end of next year.

Addressing delegates at a workshop on global migration trends in Harare yesterday, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare permanent secretary Mr Ngoni Masoka said access to decent work was a necessity for domestic workers.

“My ministry is set to finalise consultations on the National Labour Migration Policy Framework before it is tabled in Cabinet,” he said.

“The policy framework mainly seeks to enhance labour migration governance to ensure that Zimbabwean migrant workers have access to decent work, through greater monitoring of private employment agencies.”

He said the policy would augment the recently adopted national diaspora policy which seeks to harness the developmental potential of migration through greater remittances and investment.

Mr Masoka said Zimbabwe had been in constant collaboration with international organisations to promote safer migration practices.

“Government agreed to be part of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) project entitled the ‘Global Action Programme on Migrant workers and their families’, which combines global and regional action with country based interventions in order to promote decent work for migrant domestic workers,” he said.

“The project focus its activities in five ‘migration corridors’ which reflect different characteristics and regions, Zimbabwe-Lesotho-South Africa, Nepal-Lebanon, Ukraine –Poland , Indonesia-Malaysia ,Paraguay-Argentina.”

Mr Masoka said the country would continue strengthening modalities to completely deal with human trafficking.

“Government of Zimbabwe recognising that trafficking in persons is a heinous crime that is a grave violation of human rights, has put in place measures to ensure that every Zimbabwean citizen who has fallen victim to human trafficking is safely returned home through coordinated effort of the Anti-Trafficking Inter-Ministerial Committee,” he said.

“To date five groups of women with a total of 89 have been successfully repatriated to Zimbabwe and we are expecting more today.”

International Organisation for Migration (IOM) chief-of-mission to Zimbabwe Ms Lily Sanya said they would remain committed in addressing migration governance issues to harness its developmental potential in the country.

“IOM supports safe and regular international and regional labour mobility including circular migration by helping states devise appropriate policies facilitating the necessary cooperation between states and promoting international and regional legal standards in relation to labour migration,” she said.

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