The International Labour Organization (ILO) has urged journalists across East and Central Africa to play a greater role in safeguarding the rights and dignity of migrant workers through accurate, balanced and human-centred reporting.
Speaking at the opening of a regional training workshop for leaders of journalists’ unions in Mombasa, Kenya, ILO Senior Technical Adviser Aida Awel said migrants continue to make significant contributions to economies in both their countries of origin and destination, yet media coverage often focuses disproportionately on challenges and negative perceptions.
“Migrants contribute immensely to economic development through their labour and the remittances they send home, but their stories are still not being told adequately,” Awel said.
The workshop, organised by the ILO in partnership with the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the Federation of Eastern Africa Journalists (FEAJ) and the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ), brought together media union leaders from across the region.
Tanzania was represented by officials from the Journalists and Media Workers Union of Tanzania (JOWUTA), including its national chairman, Mussa Juma Siwayombe, and board of trustees member, Caren-Tausi Mbowe.
According to Awel, the world is home to more than 250 million migrants, while Africa accounts for over 21 million migrants. In addition, more than 19.5 million Africans currently live and work outside the continent.
She noted that Africa receives more than $100 billion annually in remittances from migrants, a flow of funds that supports household incomes, education, healthcare and investment across the continent.
“Too often, public discourse highlights the shortcomings associated with migration while overlooking the substantial economic and social contributions made by migrants,” she said.
Awel pointed to the growing number of Africans working and excelling abroad, including professionals and athletes, arguing that migration undertaken through legal channels should be recognised as an important driver of economic opportunity.
The President of the Federation of African Journalists, Omar Faruk Osman, called on journalists to reject misinformation and stereotypes when reporting on migration, saying responsible journalism can help shape informed public debate.
“Migration is part of the solution to unemployment, particularly among young people. What is needed is the creation of enabling environments that allow people to access decent and legal employment opportunities,” he said.
Osman added that while many African governments have committed themselves to addressing youth unemployment, greater efforts are required to facilitate labour mobility and create pathways for young people seeking opportunities beyond their national borders.
The President of the Federation of Eastern Africa Journalists, Eric Oduor, said the training would strengthen the capacity of journalists’ leaders to support media practitioners in their countries with better knowledge and reporting skills on migration issues.
For his part, JOWUTA chairman Mussa Juma urged African governments to adopt policies and legal frameworks that protect workers and enable young people, including journalists, to secure fair employment contracts both at home and abroad.
The regional workshop attracted representatives from journalists’ unions and media organisations in Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, reflecting growing recognition of the media’s role in promoting informed and balanced reporting on migration and labour mobility across Africa.
