Tanzanians who are going abroad for employment purposes are also reminded of the need to register at the relevant embassy within 14 days after arrival. The State Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, responsible for labour, employment and industrial relations, Deus Clement Sangu voiced these instructions yesterday in Dodoma at the Regional Ministerial Forum on Migration (RMFM), which was devoted to coordinating labour migration policy in East Africa and the Horn of Africa. As part of the same forum, Tanzania officially took over the RMFM chairmanship from Uganda.
Sangu reported that he had personally visited countries where a large number of Tanzanians are working in order to explain to them the importance of using official government procedures when seeking employment abroad. According to him, this makes it possible to provide timely assistance in the event of problems. «Firstly, this is a long‑standing problem, so the government, in particular the government of the United Republic of Tanzania, has established procedures to ensure that every Tanzanian who goes abroad to work goes through the official state mechanism», he said. He noted that previously, private recruitment agencies directly handled the sending of Tanzanians abroad, but they often left them without support after they arrived in foreign countries.
According to him, the bodies responsible for labour issues work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Tanzania’s embassies abroad, which are tasked with ensuring the registration of Tanzanians working in other countries and maintaining contact with their diplomatic missions. «The response through our embassies is encouraging, especially in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). We see that many of our compatriots working abroad are registering, which allows us to identify them and establish direct contact with the government», he said. He added that this initiative is aimed at preventing cases of abuse, including employers holding onto workers’ passports, ill‑treatment, and, in some cases, forced sexual exploitation and other human rights violations.
Mr. Sangu stated that protecting Tanzanian workers abroad has become one of the government’s priorities, noting the notable progress made in the first eight months of implementing the initiative. «Our task is to protect Tanzanian workers so that they can work in safe conditions, and upon completion of their contracts and if they wish to return home, they can do so without any problems. This is exactly how the government seeks to expand the opportunities available to our citizens», he said. He added that over the next two years, Tanzania will ensure that young people who go abroad to work are properly informed so that they understand their rights and obligations. «Working abroad is not slavery. It is about creating employment opportunities for our youth and giving them, as global citizens, the chance to acquire skills and knowledge abroad», Mr. Sangu noted.
Mr. Sangu also emphasized that Tanzania has a number of responsibilities within the regional system and welcomed cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). He said that ahead of the forum he held talks with IOM Director General Amy Pope, including during her visit to his office, and that the UN agency is ready to cooperate with Tanzania and the entire region on labour migration issues.
For his part, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development of Uganda, Lieutenant General Henry Tumukunde, stated that his country had chaired the forum for two years and had implemented a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening regional cooperation in the field of labour migration. He said that Uganda had submitted documents outlining future areas of work, particularly in terms of ensuring collective protection and support for workers from the region who are travelling abroad. «We need to work together so that when our citizens leave the region to work abroad, we can support them as a single region. If they encounter difficulties, they should be able to receive assistance or services in any of the 11 participating countries», said Mr. Tumukunde.
The event was attended by representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), as well as officials from the governments of Tanzania and Uganda.
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