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Social protection for migrant workers, refugees and their families

Social security is a basic human right. Yet, 4.1 billion people worldwide have no access to social protection including healthcare. This includes millions of migrant workers, refugees, and their families who face major legal and practical obstacles in accessing social protection benefits. 

Many policy options exist to secure and maintain social security rights across countries, and the ILO has developed a strategy and policy guidance tools that can inform governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations as well as other stakeholders in their efforts to extend social protection to migrant workers and refugees. 

Based on the principles of equality of treatment and nondiscrimination, countries are encouraged to consider the following six complementary and mutually reinforcing policy measures: 

  • Progressively building national social protection systems that are inclusive of migrant workers and refugees; 
  • Supporting the ratification of relevant ILO standards and new / revised social security laws and their concrete implementation; 
  • Concluding social security agreements (bi/multi) between countries to ensure the portability of benefits across countries; 
  • Concluding BLMAs with social security provisions based on the equality of treatment principle;
  • Setting complementary measures addressing the administrative & practical obstacles faced by migrant workers and refugees; 
  • Adopting other unilateral measures, or mechanisms that allow for flexibility in the design of the scheme and assistance with regards to qualifying conditions and minimum requirements can also be considered.
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How can we extend social protection to specific groups of migrant workers

Highlights

ILO Strategy on extending social protection to migrant worker, refugees and their families
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ILO Strategy on extending social protection to migrant worker, refugees and their families

E-Learning on Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers, Refugees and their Families 
ITC ILO E-LEARNING ON EXTENDING SOCIAL PROTECTION TO MIGRANT WORKERS, REFUGEES AND THEIR FAMILIES

E-Learning on Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers, Refugees and their Families 

Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers, Refugees and their Families: Guide for Policymakers and Practitioners
Cover Extending social protection to migrant workers, refugees and their families

Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers, Refugees and their Families: Guide for Policymakers and Practitioners

Projects

Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers: Exploratory Research and Policy Dialogue in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries
Man in dates plantation GCC Project

Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers: Exploratory Research and Policy Dialogue in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries

Extending access to social protection and portability of benefits to migrant workers and their families in selected RECs in Africa
Rights migrate too_ECOWAS

Extending access to social protection and portability of benefits to migrant workers and their families in selected RECs in Africa

Trainings

E-Learning on Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers, Refugees and their Families
Drawing of birds, ITC ILO graphic design

E-Learning on Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers, Refugees and their Families

ITC ILO Master class
ILO_Master_Class_on_social_protection_and_migration_

ITC ILO Master class

Making Universal Social Protection a reality - SDG Academy
SDG academy courses

Making Universal Social Protection a reality - SDG Academy

More resources

ECOWAS: A Capacity Building toolkit
Rights migrate too_ECOWAS

Toolkit

ECOWAS: A Capacity Building toolkit

Presentation of the ILO study on social protection coverage for migrant workers for Experts’ meeting on extending social protection to migrant workers in ASEAN
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Meeting document

Presentation of the ILO study on social protection coverage for migrant workers for Experts’ meeting on extending social protection to migrant workers in ASEAN

Social protection for migrant workers, refugees and their families
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Video

Social protection for migrant workers, refugees and their families

Learn more

Social Protection Platform

Social Protection Platform

Social Protection Department

Social Protection Department

International social security association

International social security association