The European Union (EU), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM Egypt) inaugurated the Pre-departure Orientation (PDO) at the Ministry of Labor on Sunday.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Minister of Labor H.E. Mr. Hassan Shehata, Head of the European Union to Egypt H.E. Ambassador Christian Berger, and Mr. Carlos Oliver Cruz, IOM Egypt’s Chief of Mission alongside the programmes’ stakeholders and national partners.
The Pre-departure Unit is part of the “Towards a Holistic Approach to Labor Migration Governance and Labour Mobility in North Africa” (THAMM) Program in Egypt, funded by the European Union.
In his opening speech, Minister Hassan Shehata explained that "the Ministry of Labor in accordance with Labor Law No. 12 of 2003 is the national authority entrusted with managing the employment file at home and abroad and the movement of manpower, through the efforts of the Central Administration for Employment team and the directorates and labor offices of the Ministry in the governorates, as well as its role in following up the affairs of Egyptian workers at home and abroad."
Ambassador Christian Berger, said: “Today’s inauguration of the Pre-departure Orientation Unit at the Ministry of Labour is an important component of the THAMM program. It contributes to the EU’s efforts in capacity building through skill recognition, talent partnerships, and enhanced cooperation between the EU and Egypt in the field of migration. This year is the European Year of Skills linking skills to the labor market and providing the workforce with in-demand skills that are in demand and needed for long-term sustainable growth and competitiveness.”
In turn, Carlos Oliver Cruz, IOM Egypt’s Chief of Mission stated that "IOM global experience revealed that availing comprehensive information packages and orientation programs to migrant workers before their departure enhances their chances of integration at countries of destination, and enable them to contribute to the development of their communities of origin as well as the communities they live in."
He continued: "Pre-departure orientation can be provided through many channels and reinforcing it with some technical training prior to commencing work helps bridge any potential skill gap between the persons’ competencies and employers’ needs."
In January 2022, IOM developed a guide for countries of North Africa to design and deliver PDO programs. The organizations encourage governments and stakeholders to avail comprehensive information and orientation programs for labor migration in countries of origin to support migrant workers at the country of destination.
IOM’s approach to PDO is to avail information across 11 areas of work starting from the migrant workers’ decision to travel to recruitment processes, skills requirements, rights and obligations of workers, health management, financial literacy, travel arrangements to return and reintegration. The Ministry is also keen to avail information to migrant workers on how to get access to support channels and grievance mechanisms in case of exploitation, in collaboration with other relevant ministries.
IOM is currently working on the development of a contextualized national PDO guide, tailored to the specific needs of outbound Egyptian migrant workers, and plans to continue working closely with the unit’s staff to capacitate them on designing and delivering PDO-related programs according to unified standards and quality across the nation.
The unit supports implementing several goals of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration: providing accurate and timely information at all stages of migration, addressing and reducing vulnerabilities in migration, facilitating fair and ethical recruitment, and protecting conditions that ensure decent work.
It also enhances consular protection, assistance, and cooperation throughout the migration cycle, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) concerning decent Jobs and economic growth, and Partnerships for the Goals.
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