Johannesburg - With over 26.3 million international migrants living across Africa, the continent has taken a key step towards addressing the complexities of labour migration through data-driven solutions. African Union (AU) Member States have validated the Continental Guidelines and Toolkit for the Collection and Utilization of Quality Administrative Data for Labour Migration Statistics. These resources were validated following a three-day workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa, held from 2 to 4 December, under the leadership of the African Union Commission in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as part of the Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP).

"This framework that we are putting in place will go a long way towards addressing the data gaps that we have identified in the labour migration statistics report series, especially in addressing the collection of administrative data for migrant stock, flows, remittances, and additional migrant characteristics,” noted Advocate Maemo Machethe, Director of the AU Continental Operational Center.

The Guideline and toolkit seek to overcome challenges in collecting and utilizing labour migration data by providing standardized methodologies to gather disaggregated data from administrative sources. It equips stakeholders with practical tools to improve data quality, integrate administrative records with other datasets, and ensure the timely availability of reliable statistics for informed policymaking.

Aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the initiative focuses on improving the availability of accurate, high quality and timely labour migration data thus reducing data fragmentation by establishing reliable systems to track migration trends and evaluate their impact.

"Oftentimes, strengthening national coordination mechanisms can be an important step towards reducing the fragmentation of migration data collection from different sources and foster data sharing,” highlighted Mr. Justin MacDermott, Acting Chief of Mission IOM South Africa and Sub-Regional Director for Southern Africa.

Participants explored how administrative data could be harnessed to monitor labour migration flows, enhance social protection for migrant workers, and address irregular migration. Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) shared best practices, showcasing advancements in integrating digital tools and legislative frameworks to streamline data collection.

Discussions pointed to the rise of non-traditional data sources, with the AU planning collaborative studios to connect public and private data holders. “We need to strengthen the production of comprehensive, high-quality, and reliable international migration statistics that requires the existence and accessibility of timely and relevant data,” said Ms. Desire Manamela, Chief Director of Labour Statistics at Statistics South Africa, as she emphasized a comprehensive migration data ecosystem, fostering cross-sectoral partnerships and capacity-building among Member States.

The toolkit and guidelines set a stage for more effective governance of labour migration in Africa, enabling evidence-based policy development tailored to the continent’s unique migration dynamics. The African Union Commission has reiterated the importance of sustained collaboration among stakeholders to build on this progress and ensure the success of future initiatives.

For more information, please contact: Innocent Vuga  vugai@africa-union.org / ivuga@iom.int or Eric Mazango emazango@iom.int