By Assan Bah
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MoTIE), in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), on Tuesday,17th June, 2025, commenced a three-day training of public and private recruitment agencies on ethical recruitment frameworks.
The training seeks to build the knowledge and understanding of the ethical recruitment framework of agencies with a specific focus on the protection and promotion of the rights of Gambian migrant workers.
This training comes as part of the implementation of the bilateral labour agreements with the Kingdoms of Saudi Arabia and Spain, respectively, following the development and validation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the code of conduct of private employment and recruitment agencies by the Ministry with support from the IOM.
The training brought together stakeholders from government institutions, NGOs, Civil Society Actors, amongst others, to discuss ways of building stronger protections for Gambian migrant workers, train public & private recruitment agencies and promote safe, legal migration pathways.
The training is being organised through the project, the Joint Labour Migration Programme, funded by Switzerland and Sweden.
Speaking at the opening, Marie Stella Ndiaye from IOM, said with the significant increase in labour migration agreements with workers seeking employment opportunities abroad in the Gambia and many other countries, noting that while migration can bring economic benefits for both migrants and their families, it also exposes workers to risk such as exploitation, human trafficking and fair labour practises. “We all hear stories and testimonies of migrants about their experience and also their families, which sometimes reflect the lack of knowledge, proper preparation, and also the lack of proper guidance given to them.
Highlighting the key public and private recruitment agencies playing in facilitating labour migration in the Gambia, she said their work must align with ethical standards that ensure the protection of migrant workers’ rights.
She said that with the support of IOM, they developed a comprehensive legal framework in 2023 that regulates and emphasises fair treatment, non-discrimination and the protection of migrant workers, including their families.
“We truly believe that strengthening your skills will not only support you in your daily tasks, but will also set the ground for a better protection of migrant workers’ rights, but also their families,” she added.
On his part, Mr Mamadi Dampha, Deputy Permanent Secretary at MoTIE, said that with the technical gaps learnt from the implementation of the bilateral labour agreement, the training will provide an opportunity to identify measures to mitigate these challenges.
“Our experience with the bilateral labour agreement implementation has revealed technical gaps in terms of implementation modalities, as some of these workers are first-time participants, even though this training may not address these challenges, but it would provide an opportunity to highlight critical challenges and measures to mitigate these challenges.”
He further said that the training will equip stakeholders with best practices, policy insights and practical tools to ensure compliance and risk mitigation and drive responsible labour supply mechanisms that align with both national and international standards.
“As the global labour market evolves, the Gambia stands at a pivotal crossroads that requires a dedicated commitment to fairness, transparency and respect for the rights and dignity of migrants and the effective implementation of structures and strong coordination,” he stated, adding that recruitment agencies play a fundamental role in ensuring labour mobility is conducted with integrity, providing for both employers’ needs and workers’ aspirations.
