KAMPALA — Key labour and migration stakeholders have begun efforts to strengthen the Migrant Workers’ Recruitment Advisory Platform (MRA), a digital initiative aimed at promoting ethical recruitment and safeguarding the rights of Ugandans seeking employment abroad.
The review meeting, held at the headquarters of the Uganda National Organization of Trade Unions in Kampala, brought together representatives from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Federation of Uganda Employers, NOTU, Kyeyo Initiative Uganda, Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies, the Migrant Labour Trainers Association, and the Foundation of Ugandan Migrant Workers for Peace and Development, among others.
The meeting focused on reviewing the functionality of the advisory platform, identifying existing gaps, and developing strategies to improve collaboration among institutions involved in labour migration management.
Participants emphasized the need for stronger coordination between government regulators, recruitment agencies, trade unions, migrant worker organizations, and training institutions to ensure that Ugandans seeking jobs abroad receive accurate information and adequate protection.
Stakeholders noted that improved information sharing would help curb labour exploitation, reduce cases of human trafficking, and strengthen compliance with both national and international labour standards.
Officials from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development reaffirmed the government's commitment to implementing and enforcing the Externalization of Labour Regulations, 2021, which provide a framework for the recruitment and deployment of Ugandan migrant workers.
Representatives of recruitment agencies and migrant worker support organizations called for greater transparency within the recruitment process and more efficient mechanisms for resolving complaints from workers who experience abuse or exploitation while abroad.
“This platform must be more than a database. It should be a tool for accountability, guidance, and protection,” one participant said during the discussions.
“Ethical recruitment is not optional — it’s a responsibility we all share.”
The meeting resolved to establish a technical working group tasked with implementing the proposed improvements and reporting back within 30 days.
Stakeholders also committed to conducting joint public awareness campaigns to educate prospective migrant workers about safe migration pathways, legal recruitment channels, and their rights while working overseas.
Uganda continues to be one of the region's leading labour-exporting countries, with an estimated 150,000 workers deployed abroad annually, mainly to countries in the Middle East.
While labour migration has become an important source of employment and remittances, concerns remain over contract substitution, delayed or non-payment of wages, poor working conditions, and other forms of labour exploitation.
Labour experts argue that stronger collaboration among all actors in the migration value chain is critical to addressing these challenges and ensuring safe, orderly and regular migration.
Speaking during the meeting, Mbonera Edgar, the ICT Head at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, commended stakeholders for developing an innovation that complements government efforts to promote safe and orderly labour migration.
He noted that digital platforms such as the MRA can play a significant role in enhancing access to information, strengthening oversight, and protecting migrant workers throughout the recruitment process.
The planned upgrades are expected to improve the platform's effectiveness as a resource for migrant workers, recruiters, regulators and support organizations, while reinforcing Uganda's commitment to ethical recruitment and the protection of workers' rights.