The UMT, UGTM and CDT launch an unprecedented campaign for the rights of migrant workers

The story begins in 2022, when the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and three representative workers' unions: the Moroccan Labor Union (UMT), the General Union of Workers of Morocco (UGTMThe ILO and the Democratic Confederation of Labour have taken a decisive step. Together, they have adopted a joint Charter and a joint advocacy strategy for the protection of migrant and refugee workers. Rahim Amraoui, National Project Coordinator and Labour Migration Focal Point at the ILO, emphasizes that this strategy "dedicates a specific strategic objective to strengthening the media's capacity to cover labour migration in order to combat stereotypes as a means of promoting the rights of migrant and refugee workers in Morocco.".

This sixth strategic objective of the Charter is not merely wishful thinking. It includes concrete actions: thematic media awareness days, training on media coverage of migration, awareness campaigns, and dissemination of the Charter to journalists. It was in this spirit, in fact, that a training session, aligned with this roadmap, took place in Casablanca, bringing together some thirty media professionals on March 24, 25, and 26.

The schedule is now finalized. The preparation phase, which began in February-March 2026, will give way to training – completed at the end of March – before the official launch of the campaign in mid-May. Regional deployment will follow during May and June, with an evaluation planned between June and July. Three geographical areas have been selected, chosen based on the concentration of migrant workers: Agadir for agriculture and tourism, Tangier for industrial and port areas, and the Rabat-Kenitra-Gharb axis, a predominantly agricultural region.

The campaign targets three distinct audiences. First, migrant and refugee workers themselves, who will be informed of their legally guaranteed rights, protection against abuse, access to legal remedies, and the support that trade unions and associations can provide. Second, employers, particularly in agriculture, services, and construction, who will be reminded that respecting rights is a legal obligation and that inclusive practices lead to performance and stability. Finally, the general public, through the media and influencers, to highlight the contribution of migrants to development and promote social cohesion.

The data presented by Aurélia Segatti, Migration and Labour Mobility Specialist for North Africa and the Horn of Africa at the ILO, paints a contrasting picture (data presented during the training session for media representatives). While Morocco is hosting a growing number of sub-Saharan migrant workers, their statistical weight remains limited. Family reunification accounts for 20% of the reasons for their presence, studies 14%, and humanitarian reasons barely 2.5% of foreigners in Morocco. The majority are concentrated in Casablanca-Settat, which accounts for 43.3% of foreign residents, and in Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, with 19.2%.

But behind these figures, the reality on the ground remains worrying. The conclusions of the United Nations Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers, published on May 23, 2023, deplore the failure to pass draft law no. 72-17 concerning the entry and residence of foreigners, as well as draft law no. 97-21 concerning asylum. The Committee points to the lack of public awareness campaigns, the reported increase in racist rhetoric, particularly anti-sub-Saharan African rhetoric, and the impossibility for migrant workers to access union responsibilities, in contradiction with ILO standards.

Morocco has no shortage of international commitments in this area. The Kingdom ratified the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers in 1993, ILO Convention No. 97 concerning Migrant Workers in 2019, and hosted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in 2018. At the national level, the National Immigration and Asylum Strategy adopted in 2013, followed by two regularization campaigns in 2013 and 2018 that benefited more than 50,000 migrants, demonstrates a clear political will.

However, the direct demand adopted in 2024 by the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, published at the 113th session of the International Labour Conference in 2025, highlights limited data on sanctions and reparations, restricted access for migrants to union leadership positions, and uncertainty regarding residency rights in cases of incapacity for work. Article 516 of the Labour Code, which makes the conclusion of an employment contract between an employer and a migrant worker subject to the approval of a government authority, is the subject of calls for revision. The May 2026 campaign aims precisely to bridge this gap between the law and practice by mobilizing social actors where migrant workers need them most: on the ground.

Charles Autheman, an international consultant commissioned by the ILO, designed and led the technical component of the training in Casablanca. His approach is based on four complementary elements, each representing a recurring pitfall in media coverage of migration: figures, words, images, and perspectives. Regarding terminology, the trainer meticulously examined semantic shifts that distort the reader's understanding. Using terms like "economic migrant" instead of "migrant worker," "low-skilled worker" instead of "low-wage worker," or conflating "human trafficking" and "smuggling of migrants"—two legally distinct realities—profoundly alters the framing of the narrative and, consequently, the public's perception. Participants were also trained in ILO tools: a specialized glossary of labor migration and a media toolkit designed to structure fieldwork. Mr. Autheman then led several "editorial conference" sessions during which journalists defined their angles, identified their key sources and decided on the production methods for the reports they will produce in support of the May 2026 union campaign.

Charles Autheman, a French independent consultant specializing in media coverage of migration and forced labor, has been training journalists, trade unionists, and communication professionals for over ten years in some twenty countries, primarily in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. Co-author of the ILO's first glossary on migration for the media and the toolkit on forced labor and fair recruitment, he also coordinated a European project promoting balanced information on migration in eight countries in Africa and Europe.