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NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

Kenya, Canada partner to promote safe migration guidelines

Nairobi

By Mike Kihaki | Mar 02, 2025

**Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack** **Mwadime says legal migration guidelines to curb irregular migration and human trafficking.** [File, Standard].

Kenya and Canada have launched a joint campaign to promote legal migration guidelines in order to ensure the safe and regular migration of Kenyan workers abroad.

This move is expected to help the Kenyan job seekers to have safer and more productive experiences abroad while contributing positively to both economies.

The initiative, unveiled by Labour and Skills Development Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime, aims to curb irregular migration and human trafficking.

Mwadime emphasized the strong diplomatic ties between Kenya and Canada that have existed since 1964 and the importance of structured migration policies.

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“Safe, regular, orderly, and productive labour migration is now a policy priority for the Government of Kenya towards protecting the rights of Kenyan migrant workers,” he said.

Despite Kenya’s commitment to safe migration, many job seekers continue to fall prey to unscrupulous recruitment agencies and online scams, particularly in the Middle East.
In recent years, cases of Kenyans being subjected to abuse, exploitation, and even deaths due to fraudulent recruitment practices.

However, the recently developed Labour Migration Management Bill seeks to impose stricter measures against fraudulent recruiters, including legal prosecution.

In 2024, the Ministry of Labour banned 26 recruitment agencies involved in unethical practices.

“The government is committed to curbing unethical recruitment and irregular migration,” PS Mwadime affirmed.

“We have set up two Labour Migration Desks at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and Moi International Airport in Mombasa to ensure all pre-departure procedures are followed.”
Additionally, the National Employment Authority (NEA) now registers and thoroughly vets Private Employment Agencies (PEAs).

As of February 2025, a total of 613 PEAs have been officially registered after undergoing scrutiny by a multi-agency committee. Kenyans can verify legitimate agencies through the NEAIMS.go.ke website or visit NEA county offices.

Kenya has also partnered with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to train agencies under the International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS) to ensure ethical recruitment standards.

Notably, Kenya is the only country in Africa where one of its recruitment agencies attained IRIS certification in January 2025.

Canada remains one of the top destinations for Kenyan job seekers and the sixth-largest source of remittances to Kenya.

The High Commission of Canada has been actively involved in providing information on labour market needs, particularly in the healthcare, construction, and food processing sectors.

“The Government of Kenya looks forward to establishing cooperation frameworks on labour mobility with the provincial governments in Canada and interested employers,” Mwadime said.

To prevent further cases of fraudulent recruitment, the Ministry of Labour is conducting public awareness campaigns on regular migration pathways and available job opportunities abroad.

Similarly, Kenyans seeking employment are urged to authenticate job offers through the National Employment Authority and demand proof of approval from recruitment agencies.