Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi
On September 6, 2023, at the Matergo hotel in the political capital of Gitega, the Permanent Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation Mr. Ferdinand BASHIKAKO opened an awareness workshop on the place of the administrative Authorities on legal, regular and secure migration.
In his speech, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation Mr. Ferdinand BASHIKAKO said that the Government of Burundi, by taking the official route of signing the agreements on labor migration, it was above all for the legal and social protection of the young Burundians who went illegally to that country in search of employment, without any legal and social protection and to put an end to the illicit trafficking of the Burundian migrant workers and the abuses, some of which were the victims in the destination countries.
Indeed, after the signing of Bilateral Agreements on labor migration with certain destination countries (Agreements signed on october 3, 2021, between the Government of Burundi and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), the Government of Burundi authorized the private employment agencies for the recruitment of the migrant workers to those countries having signed the Agreements with Burundi, but also those who will recruit the workers carrying out their activities on the territory of Burundi.
The Permanent Secretary said that most of the population has not yet experienced that opportunity and continues being exploited by the ill-intentioned people, who used to earn more by taking the advantage of irregular migration as well as the legal texts facilitating regular, safe and secure migration have not yet been experienced by the population, including the administrative officials, which is why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation organized that workshop, firstly for the administrative officials, including the Provincial Commissioners in charge of migration as well as the Provincial Directors of Family and Social Development in order to have a common understanding of that Government program.
He added that that workshop will allow those Authorities to raise the awareness among their populations about the benefits of legal and orderly migration.
He ended his remarks by pointing out that, for a good management, the contribution of the territorial Administration will be able in particular, contributing by granting the necessary documents allowing the identification of the worker such as the document attesting the relationship between the candidate worker and the referent. It is obligatory that the Burundian migrant workers go abroad with the blessing of their families and the local Authorities to promote healthy and safe legal migration, respecting the human rights with the aim of combating the human trafficking.