GOVERNMENT has advised citizens wishing to travel to other countries to look for jobs to make due diligence prior to travelling so as to minimise chances of being trafficked and exploited.
Chief director in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour
and Social Welfare Mr Clifford Matorera said the diaspora policy which
Government is crafting will address issues of migration as it will among other
things, document all Zimbabweans living in foreign countries including those
living illegally.
This comes amid concerns about rampant exploitation of
citizens in the continent and this is spearheaded by unscrupulous recruitment
agencies.
Mr Matorera was speaking on the sidelines of a workshop on
capacity development initiative on ethical recruitment in Southern Africa which
opened in Victoria Falls yesterday.
The workshop was organised by the International
Organisation for Migration (IOM), Africa Regional Migration programme, Southern
African Migration Management, United Nations, European Union and United States,
in conjunction with the Government.
He said the Diaspora Policy has so far proved to be
effective as Zimbabwe received more than US$1 billion between 2020 and 2021
through diaspora remittances.
Despite warnings and evidence of people being exploited for
dirty jobs after being lured for greener pastures, people continue to fall prey
to fake jobs advertised online mostly by human traffickers.
“What we are trying to do is advise people that before they
travel to any country or when offered a job, they should verify with the
embassy or local offices to check on the authenticity of the offers so that we
don’t end up with situations where people are treated unfairly.
“Yes, there are certain areas that are beyond control where
we have a high exodus of expert labour especially in health, engineering,
technicians and artisans going to other countries for greener pastures,” said
Mr Matorera.
Many workers especially in the civil service are reportedly
taking up elementary courses required for them to get jobs in the diaspora and
are leaving employment to go to western countries to seek better paying jobs.
Mr Matorera said Zimbabwe had done considerably well in
monitoring activities of private employment brokers.
He said the diaspora policy which was first drafted in 2016
and revised in 2021 will see the country benefitting from formally exporting
labour.
He said an inter-ministerial taskforce has been set to look
into ways and strategies of exporting labour.
“The Diaspora Policy was mooted in 2016 and the Second
Republic renewed interest resulting in revision of many of its aspects, so the
2021 document addresses a number of shortcomings and only in 2020 and 2021 as a
country, we managed to receive about US$1 billion from remittances in terms of
Diaspora Policy.
“We are only talking of officials figures and there are
other monies that come through unofficial means.
“As a nation, we are making concerted efforts to make sure
we export labour so that the country and institutions of training benefit.
“On a regular basis, we always monitor private recruitment
agencies because we want the country and training institutions to benefit.”
Mr Matorera said Government is working on making sure that
all Zimbabweans in any part of the world and being subjected to unfair labour
practices, are in safe hands and relocated back home.
He said Zimbabwean professionals are in high demand around
the globe and human traffickers take advantage of that. Chronicle
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