Despite regional and global protection frameworks, Africa’s migrant workers continue to face widespread exploitation, abuse, and insecurity, the International Trade Union Confederation’s African Regional Organisation (ITUC-Africa) has warned.

In a statement issued on December 18, Akhator Odigie, General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, said that Africa remains a region of origin, transit, and destination for migrants. Most migration occurs within the continent and is largely driven by economic hardship and insecurity.

According to the statement,

“Africa’s workers migrate in search of decent work, safety, and opportunity. They are pushed by unemployment, inequality, conflict, climate stress, and weak labour markets. Migrants and migrant workers are first and foremost human beings and workers, and they deserve protection, dignity, and respect.”

Representing over 18 million workers across Africa, ITUC-Africa highlighted that many migrants face harsh realities that contradict these principles. Migrants and their families often endure exploitation, abusive recruitment practices, wage theft, forced labour, trafficking, and discrimination. Women and young workers are particularly vulnerable to harassment, violence, and dangerous irregular migration pathways.

The organisation stressed that the problem is not the lack of protective frameworks, pointing to international and continental instruments such as ILO conventions, Fair Recruitment Principles, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and African Union and Regional Economic Communities’ migration and labour policies. The main challenge, it said, lies in weak enforcement and implementation.

“Implementation gaps remain wide. Weak regulation of recruitment agencies, lack of political will, limited labour inspections, deep structural inequalities, and poor access to justice continue to fuel exploitation and irregular migration,” ITUC-Africa noted.

The union also criticised security-focused migration policies, describing them as ineffective and harmful. Such approaches, it said, push migrants into dangerous routes while enriching traffickers and smugglers.

ITUC-Africa urged African governments to prioritize workers’ rights and social protection in migration governance. It called for stronger measures to ensure fair recruitment, decent work, and effective labour migration oversight.

Additionally, the organisation appealed to African Union member states to ratify and implement the AU Free Movement Protocol adopted in 2018, emphasizing its importance in advancing Agenda 2063, unlocking the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and restoring dignity to migrant workers and their families.

“Free movement and AfCFTA ambitions must be anchored in workers’ rights and social dialogue. This requires sincere, collaborative, and inclusive engagement with all key stakeholders, particularly organised labour,” the statement said.

ITUC-Africa reaffirmed its commitment to building alliances with non-state actors and working constructively with governments to ensure the safety, rights, and dignity of all migrants across Africa.