Seek permission to work abroad, Kenyan job hunters told

By RAWLINGS OTIENO

KENYA :Any person wishing to seek employment abroad must seek authority from the Ministry of Labour, Deputy Commissioner of Labour Joseph Yida has said.

Yida said majority of youths seeking jobs outside the country have been resorting to using unscrupulous agents, making it difficult for the government to track them in foreign countries.

He noted that in recent years, there has been an exodus of job seekers to other countries.

“There has been no integrated system because many migrate as individuals,” said Yida.

The official made the remarks during the launch of the World Migration Report at a Nairobi hotel Wednesday.

Advanced stage

He disclosed that the government was at an advanced stage of forming a committee of principal secretaries from all the ministries that will be drafting policies in relation to foreign employment in line with the Employment Act of 2007.

Under Section 83 of the Act, a foreign contract of service must be in the prescribed form, and must be signed by both parties and attested to by a labour officer.

Yida also said it was unfortunate that Kenyans seeking employment in Tanzania continue to go through a laborious process before they can get a work permit.

“While we have removed all barriers for citizens from the East African Community member countries, our counterparts in Tanzania have not been able to remove the barriers. There should be free movement of goods and people across the member states,” said Yida.

International Organisation of Migration’s Nairobi Regional Director Ashraf El Nour said that the launched World Migration Report 2013 underlines the critical need to learn about how migrants’ well-being varies according to location and personal experience.

“There is a particular need for more evidence regarding the well-being of migrants in the south and the factors shaping their living conditions.

“More data on emerging trends, such as north–south migration, is also needed for a better understanding of the implications for development as the world debates the post-2015 development agenda,” said El Nour.

He said the report focuses on migrants as persons and on how their lives have been affected, in positive or negative ways, as a result of migrating.