File: James Hoth Mai, Minister of Labour in his office in Juba, South Sudan on June 22, 2021. Credit| Lou Nelson/Eye Radio.

The Minister of Labour says South Sudan currently hosts nearly one-million foreign workers but majority of them are not properly documented in the government system.

James Hoth Mai made the remarks during the 4th Ministerial Session of the Labour Ministers from 11 countries in the East and Horn of Africa in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The meeting was convened by the UN agency IOM, IGAD, the East African Community Secretariat, the African Union Commission, other UN agencies, Technical Working Groups and donors.

The stakeholders discussed enhancing the protection of human rights of millions of migrant workers, and managing migration for development and economic growth, through human mobility, gender-sensitive migration governance, and regional integration.

During the ‘Regional Ministerial Forum on Migration’ on Harmonizing Labour Migration Policies in East and Horn of Africa, Minister Mai said South Sudan hosts more than 865,000 migrant workers.

He said some of the foreign workers are highly skilled that the country greatly benefit from them.

“Migration offers endless opportunities. South Sudan hosts more than 865,000 migrant workers. Some are highly skilled that we can take benefit from,” he said.

According to him, despite the lack of proper record of the workers, international migrants bring in business investments into South Sudan.

“Majority of these workers unfortunately are not yet recorded in our system. But, we do see international migrants bring in business investments into South Sudan.”

He did not however state the reason for lack of proper record system.

South Sudanese diaspora

On the other hand, Mai said more than 1.2 million South Sudanese in the diasporas – remitting nearly 13 percent of their annual income to South Sudan.

The labor minister said the money that the country receives from its exiled population is about 86,510,000 dollars, thus contributing to 6.7 percent of South Sudan’s Gross Domestic Product, or GDP.

The minister said the remittances have only been used for daily needs, but also to support their communities at home and respond to disasters including by investing in green economies.

He went on to say that migration in the region is shaped by technological transformation, economics, insecurity and environmental degradation. Thus, migration has its opportunities and challenges to manage.

3,374 South Sudanese trapped in Libya

Mai further revealed that there are about 3,374 South Sudanese migrants trapped in Libya.

The South Sudanese national who have been seeking the grisly sea journey to Europe are now fed up and seeking to return home.

“They have become irregular in the country where we do not have diplomatic presence. Network of smugglers and traffickers have clearly taken benefits from these poor migrants. Imagine if one has paid USD 5,000 to smugglers as migration cost,” he told the regional session.

According to IOM’s Regional Data Hub, there are over 13.7 million migrant workers in Africa and 3.6 million migrant workers in the region, with East & Horn of Africa hosting 3 of the largest migration corridors in the region.

During the meeting in Ethiopia, the ministers committed to establishing more robust negotiating positions in their engagement with countries of destination, Gulf countries and the EU.

It was under the theme: “Labour Mobility, Migration Governance and Regional Integration in East and Horn of Africa.”

Ministers from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, agreed to unite as a block for the realization of the potential of and address migration issues in the region.