Sweden 2013-2014

The purpose of the project on Mainstreaming migration into national development strategies is to enable the governments involved and their United Nations Country Team partners to develop a context-specific, evidence-based, participatory, and holistic approach to migration and development at the national level, based on guidance provided by the GMG Handbook on Mainstreaming Migration into Development Planning that was endorsed by governments at the 2010 GFMD in Mexico.

In projects’ context and with international partners support, some major changes took place:

In Vietnam, Migrant Worker Resource Centres (MRCs) were established in the employment service centres run by the Provincial Department of Labour in 2011. This model of an integrated service offers ample opportunity for scale and sustainability. It is estimated that 20% of job seekers that visit the employment service centers are interested in working outside of the country.

ASEAN Members States (AMS) aim to realize the free flow of skilled labour within ASEAN by 2015 as embodied in the Economic Blueprint, one of the three blueprints adopted for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). 

Thus far, a Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) Framework has been formalized among AMS for the mutual recognition of education and experiences obtained in seven priority sectors

The Korean Government’s Employment Permit System has integrated provision of free training and reintegration services with a view to minimising overstay by temporary migrant workers admitted under the EPS.

The Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare, and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment have made it mandatory for female migrant domestic workers to be trained as housekeeping assistants with National Vocational Qualification Level 3 certification. These workers will be categorised as housekeeping assistants, a level above their former occupational classification as ‘house maids'. Their minimum wage also will be raised – for example the minimum wage for those migrating to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be raised to Saudi Riyal 900 (Lkr.

As well as providing vocational training for Thai workforce, the Department of Skills Development of the Thai Ministry of Labour (DSD) also provides foreign language and cultural training courses for Thai overseas job seekers who register with employment services centers and the Department of Employment.

In addition, the DSD also provides special language training such as for the EPS programme in cooperation with Korean Government and IM Japan programme in cooperation with the Japanese government. 

This language training programme improves the possibilities of migrants to enter the labour market and to work in profession that fit their educational background.  In many parts of Sweden, language courses, or so called SFX educations – “Swedish for professionals” are organised at municipality level aiming at migrants with different professional backgrounds. The teaching of the Swedish language focuses on the development of the professional language.

This practice comprises initiatives with the aim of integrating individuals with foreign degrees into the Swedish higher education system and labour market. For instance, the Government has allocated resources for complementary education, aimed at immigrants with higher education qualifications and degrees  in law, medicine, nursing, dentistry and teacher education from a third country who need complementary education so as to engage in professional activities in Sweden.

This website offers both comparison of remittance costs on 26 corridors from France, and editorial space for diaspora to communicate on their activities and exchange ideas on the blog.

It has contributed to fostering competition between remittance operators through increased transparency and information. It is also widely used by diaspora members as a platform to share information. 

The French Development Agency intends to promote a specific approach of migration, both internal and international. Its goal is to avoid developing specific migration projects and instead to mainstream migration issues into other development sectors: private sector development; education and employment; health; environment and climate change; urban development; rural development and food security.