Kenya plans tough laws to curb abuse of migrant workers rights

 Lack of a proper regulatory framework is to blame for the increasing abuse of the rights of migrant Kenyan workers, including cases of human trafficking. 

Kenya’s Deputy Commissioner of Labour Joseph Yilda said there was alarm over abuse of migrant Kenyan workers, especially in the Middle East, where many had been dehumanized and others killed adding that lack of proper regulations had given leeway to some irresponsible labour recruitment agencies to subject migrants to suffering.

IOM Regional Director Nour (L) and Yilda during report launch

“We have constituted a high level steering committee on Labour Migrations consisting of key officials from the relevant government agencies and are working in partnership with international agencies to put in place the proper policies and laws to address this issue,” said Yilda. 

He said a technical team was working out details of the policy and regulatory framework adding that Kenya was also involved in bilateral negotiations with different countries to facilitate migrants and help them to settle in those countries.

“Previous arrangements have been ad hoc and prone to manipulation by some recruitment agencies resulting in the problems Kenyans have been going through, particularly in the Middle East,” he said.

The official was speaking in Nairobi during the launch of the World Report on Migration 2013. The launch was presided over by the International Organization for Immigration (IOM) Regional Director for East and Horn of Africa Ashraf El Nour.  

There have been frequent reports in both local and international media about Kenyans undergoing horrifying experiences including racial discrimination, arrests, detention, torture and death at the hands of employers in the Middle East, which have cause uproar among human rights groups and families in the country. 

Yilda said many Kenyans were migrating abroad in search of jobs due to high employment rates in the country with most of them heading to the Middle East, US and Australia. 

He said the new regulations will also structure the remittances of funds from abroad which he noted had grown, almost surpassing direct foreign investment, with the funds being invested, majorly in the construction industry. 

Nour  said IOM was also concerned with the fate of illegal migrations from Kenyans and other countries in the Horn of Africa to the Middle East adding that the organization was helping the country to draft policies and laws to govern migration of its citizens and others on transit from other countries. 

“We are deeply concerned with tribulations of the migrants and in some cases those from the Horn of Africa heading to Yemen either drown or are killed by smugglers in the Red Sea before they reach their destination,” he said.

Chrispine Wanyahoro receives a copy of the Report

Nour said IOM headquarters in Geneva had approved funding to help with migration profiling in Kenya given that the country was a central point for migrants both to the Middle East and Southern Africa. 

Chrispine Wanyahoro, the Labour Export Officer at the Youth Enterprise Development Fund told a press briefing during the report launch that the fund had supported 10,000 youth migrants to relocate adding that approximately USD 40500 had been committed to the training of the youths to help with skills development and relocation costs.

She said remittances from the youths abroad currently stood at approximately USD 1.8 million back home from their host countries. 

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