IOM and the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), held a 2-day introduction for private recruitment agencies in Hanoi, Viet Nam, focusing on topics related to ethical recruitment of international migrant workers.

The event took place in the framework of the Fair International Recruitment Against Slavery and Trafficking (FIRST) project, implemented by IOM, RBA and ILO and funded by the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery (GFEMS) and the IOM Development Fund (IDF). FIRST aims to reduce exploitation at work, particularly forced labour and debt bondage experienced by Vietnamese women and men migrant workers. 

The project will develop and test strategies and tools to inform policy making and encourage responsible business conduct among recruiters and businesses. In the inception phase, FIRST will create opportunities for ethical recruitment agencies to link to likeminded employers in the global supply chain. By bridging stakeholders, FIRST is looking to increase overall understanding of the needs of the recruitment process.

About 1.5 million people enter the Vietnamese labour market each year. The Government of Viet Nam recognizes the important nexus between migration, employment and poverty reduction, while seeing that labour migration is an important development opportunity. In 2018, the Department of Overseas Labor (DOLAB) reported over 142,860 migrant workers (37 per cent women) went overseas, mainly to Japan (68,737); Taiwan, Province of People’s Republic of China (60,369); Republic of Korea (6,538); Saudi Arabia (1,920); and Malaysia (1,120). The majority went overseas using private recruitment agencies. 

Recruitment in Viet Nam often requires job seekers to pay fees and related costs for employment abroad. However, this can create situations of debt bondage, enhancing the vulnerability of migrant workers before, during and after the process. Limitations in legislation and law enforcement can create risks of unethical recruitment . They can create an environment that enables labour exploitation, potentially leading to human trafficking and forced labour.
The meeting was attended by 18 recruitment agencies from Viet Nam. On the first day, participants learned about the latest international migration trends and legislative developments that require businesses to demonstrate how they address modern slavery risks in their labour supply chains. This was complemented by discussions around the commitment of many international brands to the “employer pays” principle, which prohibits charging recruitment fees or related costs to job seekers. The session also discussed why this trend is increasingly driving demand from these actors for ethical recruitment practices and services throughout the labour supply chains utilized in their operations and by business partners. In addition, participants discussed what ethical recruitment means and how the ethical recruitment business model can benefit market access in several countries. 

The second day focused on standards that participants can adopt for a more responsible business model. The discussion focused particularly on the Viet Nam Association of Manpower Supply (VAMAS) Code of Conduct, which are principles of ethical recruitment and certification available to agencies interested in pursuing a responsible business approach to recruitment. These included the Responsible Business Alliance Responsible Recruitment Programme and IOM’s International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS).

The event was concluded with an open discussion on the practical implications of adopting international standards of recruitment, and possible approaches for recruitment agencies in Viet Nam to access markets where migrant workers do not have to pay for their jobs.  

For more information on the FIRST project, please visit the project's webpage.

More about the event background can be found here