Recruitment Regulation

Montréal Global Conference  

On June 6th and 7th, 2019, IOM co-hosted the first-ever Global Conference on the Regulation of International Recruitment in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; the US Department of State; and the Province of Quebec. 

Over 100 participants from 30+ countries attended, using the two days to examine challenges, opportunities, and good practices to improve regulation and enforcement related to cross-border labour recruitment. Senior policymakers, leading experts, and practitioners representing Ministries of Labour, Foreign Affairs, and Immigration lead a global dialogue to create clear, practical guidance to better monitor the private recruitment industry and protect migrant workers through the process of recruitment, deployment, and employment. 

The meeting documents are available here: 

Agenda 
Meeting Summary 
Discussion Paper:  English, French 

In a follow up to the Conference, on 8 June 2020 IOM published new, pioneering guidance for Member States on the regulation of international recruitment and protection of migrant workers: The Montreal Recommendations on Recruitment. The Montreal Recommendations on Recruitment: A Road Map towards Better Regulation provides clear guidance to policymakers on how to protect migrant workers during recruitment, migration, and employment. It is designed to help develop comprehensive, multi-faceted approaches to promote ethical recruitment, enhance transparency and accountability, and improve the migration and employment outcomes for all stakeholders. 
  
"IOM is proud to publish this guidance, at a time when migrant workers around the world face increased vulnerability and risk,” said IOM Deputy Director General Laura Thompson. 

“Many industries in the global economy are heavily dependent on migrant workers. Without them, health care services, agri-food production, manufacturing, and retail services would grind to a halt, threatening an already fragile global economy. Yet very often, gaps in migration governance and, in particular, the regulation of recruitment, leave migrant workers vulnerable to exploitation. This guidance is intended to help policy makers fulfill their critical role in addressing these gaps.” 

The Global Conference on the Regulation of International Recruitment and resulting Montreal Recommendations on Recruitment laid the foundation for the establishment of the Global Policy Network.  You can learn more about this Member State-led collaboration here.  More detailed guidance on recruitment regulation and licensing are also explored in the IRIS Handbook for Governments on Ethical Recruitment and Migrant Worker Protection.