Addis Ababa, June 23, 2025 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS) has reaffirmed the importance of the draft proclamation on overseas employment, describing it as a transformative legal framework designed to ensure the rights, safety, and sustainable benefits of Ethiopians working abroad.
The draft was examined by the Council of Ministers during its regular session held on May 28, 2025, and subsequently forwarded to the House of People’s Representatives (HoPR). On June 12, 2025, the HoPR’s Standing Committee on Human Resources, Employment, and Technology began examining the draft. Once enacted, it is expected to close critical legal gaps, curb exploitation, and modernize Ethiopia’s foreign employment system.
The Ministry told Fana Media Corporation that the proclamation is a direct response to long-standing challenges faced by Ethiopian migrant workers, particularly in the Middle East, where many have experienced severe abuses.
Previous legal frameworks — notably Proclamation No. 923/2008 and the repealed Proclamation No. 1246/2013 — fell short in protecting citizens’ dignity and enforcing accountability among recruitment agencies, the Ministry noted.
Among the key reforms proposed in the draft is the introduction of a tiered licensing system, which classifies agencies into five levels based on workforce deployment, sector specialization, skills, and initial capital. This approach replaces the outdated one-size-fits-all model. Additionally, the required security deposit for agencies will be reduced from $100,000 to $50,000, while maintaining regulatory oversight through stricter financial controls. Agencies will be required to deposit security funds in cash at designated banks to ensure they take full responsibility for workers’ safety and repatriation.
The draft also mandates the full digitization of foreign employment services, including recruitment, training placement, qualification assessment, and ticketing. These services will be delivered exclusively through the Ethiopian Labor Market Information System, ensuring transparency and eliminating informal, human-dependent processes.
The Ministry emphasized that the draft proclamation was developed through extensive consultations with key stakeholders, including two rounds of discussions with foreign employment liaison agencies. It also draws on international best practices from countries such as Kenya, Uganda, and the Philippines.
The proclamation not only aims to enhance protections for Ethiopian workers but also to dismantle illegal profiteering networks that have long operated at the expense of citizens and to align the sector with Ethiopia’s national interests in the global labor market.
In a related statement, the Ministry dismissed recent misinformation circulating in various media outlets regarding the draft proclamation, describing it as inaccurate and misleading. It called on stakeholders and the public to engage constructively in the ongoing legislative process, which will include public consultations before the draft is finalized into law, the Ministry said.