International labour migration and mobility in Africa continue to dominate the policy agenda at the national, regional and continental level. Over the years, migrant workers have contributed signifi-cantly to the socio-economic development of both countries of origin and countries of destination in Africa through the remittances they send home, their knowledge, exchange of experience and transfer of skills. However, proper assessment of the benefits of migration continues to be a chal-lenging task because of the paucity of accurate, up to date and reliable data from Member States and the lack of effective mechanisms for the dissemination of such data in order to inform policies and programmes aimed at migration management and governance. Given the complex dynamics and multifaceted dimensions of labour migration and mobility, strategic interventions and new tools are required to produce statistics that can be used to improve the governance of labour migration. Accordingly, it is important for the African Union (AU) to put in place robust frameworks, principles and guidelines for governments, social partners and other stakeholders involved in advancing labour migration policy and practice.
In this regard, I am delighted to present the third edition of the Report on Labour Migration Statistics in Africa, generated to give impetus on the implementation of the Agenda 2063 of the African Union, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and the Strategy for the Harmonization of Statistics in Africa 2017–2026. The continued publication of new editions of the Report testifies to the firm commitment of the African Union Commission (AUC) to providing Member States, regional economic communities and partners with evidence that can help all duty bearers to adopt impactful evidence-based policies and decisions on labour migration governance. Congruently, this will bolster policy action geared at securing a better future and protecting the rights of migrant workers and their families across the entire continent.
The overarching goal of this Report is to outline the labour migration trajectory in Africa and to facili-tate the design of informed policies and programmes for the effective protection of labour migrants and their families leading to the promotion of sustainable development in both countries of origin and destination. This objective is in line with the revised AU Migration Policy Framework for Africa (2018) and the AU Plan of Action on Employment, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Development (2015), both of which contain provisions intended to assist with national and regional governance of free movement of persons as well as migration. Under the AU–ILO–IOM–UNECA Joint Programme on Labour Migration Governance for Develop-ment and Integration in Africa (better known as the Joint Labour Migration Programme, or JLMP), the AUC and its JLMP partners the International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), sup-ported by Statistics Sweden, have produced this new edition of the Report on Labour Migration Statistics in Africa. Various capacity-building programmes, training activities and workshops were organized to support the preparation of this report. Focal persons from AU Member States were trained in the collection and analysis of labour migration data, which enabled them subsequently to provide the AUC with the necessary data. In particular, the data collected for this edition have been used to develop further the Africa-wide labour migration database hosted by the AUC, which contains time-series data spanning 12 years (2008–19). This relational database is the main source of the labour migration statistics available from the AUC website. The development of this online IV platform is a milestone achievement in that the statistics disseminated through it allow end users to gain a better understanding of labour migration patterns and trends across the continent and take apt action.
Additionally, the availability of labour migration data for analysis is key to the development of evidence-based policies. Compared with previous editions, this edition of the Report provides policy- makers with more detailed information at the national, regional and continental level on various
aspects of labour migration, including the governance of migration, and how to promote synergies between migration and sustainable development. I commend all Member States who submitted their data for the successful preparation of this report. Connected with this, I urge all the Member States of the African Union to strengthen the capacity of their national statistical offices and other relevant entities to provide high quality, accurate and timely data for future editions of the Report. It is my considered hope that everyone concerned with labour migration and mobility matters at all
levels will find this publication useful.
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