08 February 2010

Mauritius : Online Database to Facilitate Circular Migration

The Mauritius Circular Migration Database (MCMD), an online job matching tool designed to match labour supply with the demand of foreign employers is operational since January 5, 2010. Developed jointly by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Government of Mauritius, MCMD aims at registering Mauritians interested in temporary employment abroad and enabling employers to make online selection of candidates who best suit their desired profile.

MCMD can be accessed by logging on the site www.myjob.mu and it provides a permanent database that offers a pool of potential employees with a variety of qualifications, skills, experience and interests. The tool serves to expedite the selection process, reduce overall costs and time thereby making recruitment in Mauritius more competitive and cost effective.

The National Empowerment Foundation, the implementing agency for Mauritius, will work in collaboration with the IOM to develop coherent circular migration projects in Mauritius which will be beneficial for both origin and destination countries in terms of a two-fold objective: providing temporary well trained labour on the international market and enabling the Mauritian workforce to benefit from professional experience in a new work environment.

With people going to work abroad, not only does the receiving country benefit from the labour and the skills of the worker, but the worker also wins in terms of experience and more interesting salary than in the home country. Moreover, the sending country benefits in terms of the skills acquired by the workers and the remittances of the latter which may be used either for the betterment of the standard of living of the family or for the setting up of enterprises in the home country.

So far, the IOM and the Government have operated several labour migration projects with Canada, namely in the food processing and cleaning companies and over 250 Mauritians have been recruited. Moreover, in 2008, some 418 Mauritians were placed abroad through private local recruitment agencies, duly licensed by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment, to place Mauritians in employment abroad and in 2009, some 636 Mauritians proceeded abroad.

Other initiatives taken by the Government as regards circular migration is the signing of an agreement with France in September 2008. Once the agreement is ratified by the French National Assembly, this is expected in mid 2010, some 500 skilled Mauritian workers could be granted 15 months visa renewable for another equivalent period and an additional 200 young professionals in search of professional experience will also be granted 12 months visas renewable for an additional six months. Besides, the Government is exploring other possibilities with Australia.

Mauritius became a member of the International Organisation for Migration in 2006 and since then IOM has been assisting Mauritius in finding employment opportunities abroad for both Mauritian and Rodriguans interested to work abroad. IOM has also set up a Migration Resource Centre in Mauritius to complement the MCMD, and provides advice, information and documents to the public relating to immigration such as studying and working abroad.

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