Mexico: UN agencies promote labor inclusion of migrants in the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic

Representatives of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE) and four United Nations agencies agreed in November that greater labor inclusion of the migrants and the promotion of regular hiring programs can facilitate greater economic dynamism in the country during the economic recovery from the situation caused by COVID-19.

"Migration is a phenomenon that, if managed effectively, in an orderly, safe and regular manner, strengthens businesses and can be an opportunity for economic revival, especially in these difficult times ahead," said Dana Graber Ladek, Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Mexico during a workshop co-organized by COMCE and the UN.

The first activity was the virtual workshop "Labor migration and prevention of human trafficking and forced labor in the context of COVID-19," held on November 18 and 19, with the participation of members of IOM, the International Labor Organization (ILO), the UN Agency for Refugees (UNHCR), and the Office in Mexico of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR).

In the training given to COMCE members, representatives of the four UN agencies explained that Mexican business can play a more active role in the prevention and eradication of human trafficking, as well as in pushing and developing internal human rights policies that include the migrant, asylum-seeker, and refugee population.

Participants recognized that many Mexican businesses have been impacted by COVID-19, and are suffering from a decrease in income, a drop in demand for their goods or services, or a shortage of inputs and products needed to operate.

At this juncture, IOM considered it necessary to promote "greater social dialogue as a trigger for the national economy, promoting development and employment and helping to eliminate prejudices and stigmas against migrants," said Graber Ladek.

In addition, the IOM plans to launch a training course on corporate social responsibility with COMCE in January, promoting the labor inclusion of migrants with a gender perspective. The course, which will consist of four thematic modules and will be developed virtually from the E-Campus platform, will run from January 11 to February 22.