By Own Correspondent

MOZAMBIQUE and Zambia dominated the list of labour migrants flocking to Zimbabwe during the second quarter of 2023, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) has reported.

The latest data shows that during the period, 66% of migrants came from Mozambique, followed by Zambia 17%, Malawi 8% and South Africa 6%.

“In total, Zimbabwe received 25 963 labour migrants during the period,” the report said.

Experts believe that migration for employment has been identified as possessing potential development opportunities to both countries of origin and destination.

 The key benefits of labour migration for countries of origin, if properly managed, include the impact of remittances on poverty reduction, creation of foreign currency reserves and support for balance of payments, knowledge and skills transfer when migrants return home on a temporary or permanent basis, among others.

The impact that labour migration has on development largely depends on the policy framework in which the migration process unfolds.

It therefore follows that for a country to effectively deal with the migration related challenges and maximize on benefits that accrue from migration, it needs a clear and coherent migration management policy.

The National Labour Migration Policy implemented by Zimbabwe recently is designed to improve the governance of labour migration, as well as protection and empowerment of migrant workers.

“It also seeks to ensure that migration contributes to Zimbabwe’s socioeconomic development. The policy framework signifies the commitment by the Government of Zimbabwe to promote safe, orderly and regular flow of people for socioeconomic development of the nation. This is in line with the national vision of attaining middle-income status by the year 2030. Let me express my profound gratitude to all stakeholders,” the document added.