‘Malawi Government to be sole recruiter of Israel labour export’

Labour Minister Agnes NyaLonje at the press briefing

* The MoU aims at promoting the protection of the labour rights, including safety, health and welfare of Malawian workers

* From recruitment, selection and placement with specific employers upon arrival and throughout employment until returning to Malawi

By Robert Katuli, MANA

Private recruitment agencies will no longer be involved in the recruitment of labourers expected to work in Israel, as Malawi Government will be the sole recruiter.

Minister of Labour, Agnes NyaLonje disclosed this in Lilongwe on Friday at a press briefing to inform the public on the current status of the Israel labour export Programme as per the government-to-government memorandum of understanding (MoU) the two countries signed on April 18 this year.

“Specifically, the MoU aims at promoting the protection of the labour rights, including safety, health and welfare of Malawian workers in Israel from recruitment, selection and placement with specific employers upon arrival and throughout employment until returning to Malawi.

“These rights will be further protected because of the presence of a Malawi Embassy that has been established in Israel where a labour attaché has also been posted.”

 

NyaLonje further said private recruitment agencies were initially allowed to recruit Malawian workers for temporary employment in the agriculture sector in Israel between December 2023 and January 2024, which was the emergency recruitment period.

She added that when the emergency recruitment window expired, the involvement of Malawian private recruitment agencies was also closed in compliance with the laws.

“Government has, however, noted that Malawian private recruitment agencies continued to recruit long after the deadline of 31st January 2024 set by Israel. This has led to some youths waiting to travel to Israel.”

The Minister indicated that once this new recruitment process is initiated, government will also consider the youths who were recruited by private agencies after the Israeli emergency recruitment window was closed.

NyaLonje further said there are three supplementary documents the two governments need to finalise before her Ministry initiates the recruitment: “A virtual meeting between Malawian and Israeli technical teams has been arranged for June 5, 2024 to finalise the above supplementary documents.”

Among other things, in readiness to export labour to Israel, Ministry of Labour will from next week start orienting district labour officers, health workers, immigration officers and the police on the whole recruitment cycle and the role each will play.

Present at the press briefing was Secretary for Labour, Chikondano Mussa, who said labour migration expertise will be provided by the African Union during the exercise.

The MoU the two countries signed is built on mutual respect, cooperation and a shared commitment to foster socio-economic development and prosperity.

In the long run, Malawi is seeking to enter into a more rigorous bilateral agreement with Israel. Before temporary agricultural labour export through agencies, Malawi already had an agreement with Israel through Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) under deal of LUANAR-Kinneret Internship Programme at the Mashav International Agricultural Training Center.

It started in 2014 involving LUANAR’s graduates but the two countries agreed to export temporary workers following the Israel-Gaza war through which — according to Voice of America (VOA) in November last year — Israel had lost thousands of laborers since the October 7 Hamas attacks triggered the Gaza war.

VOA reported that some of the labourers that fled were foreign workers who returned to their home countries and some were Palestinians from Gaza, who had their Israeli work permits revoked following the attacks.

Some foreign workers were among the 239 people that Israel reported that they were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 — thus Israel turning to Malawi to fill in that gap on temporary employment agreement.

Following what Minister of Labour, NyaLonje described as “some undesirable stories that have created discomfort among some farmers in Israel” — which included the fleeing of Malawian workers from their designated farms by seeking asylum and work elsewhere — she led a government delegation to Israel sign the official MoU.

According to a report in April on Malawi Government official Facebook page, the MoU commits the two government to ensure that the cooperation in the field of labour is guided by legal, fair, and well-informed protocols.

The government Facebook page as well as Malawi News Agency (MANA), reported that Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo and her delegation had an audience with some of LUANAR graduates under the LUANAR-Kinneret Internship Programme, whom MANA reported that they are dreaming of their own enterprises and other entrepreneurial projects on their return back home.

On her return, NyaLonje explained that both Malawi and Israel are members of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the signing of the MoU has fulfilled the requirements of ILO Conventions which include, fundamental conventions, governance conventions and several technical conventions and those that address labour migration.

She expressed optimism that Israel, being a member of the ILO, just as Malawi, share common values to promote fundamental principles and rights at work.

She emphasised that the signing of the MOU marks a new chapter of cooperation, not only in the field of labour, but also in many other areas of economic importance — to address the challenges of youth unemployment in Malawi which currently stands at 26%.

“We recognize further that the work opportunities provided to our youths will result in skills transfer and enhanced individual capacities that will be valuable for their personal development and economic empowerment upon their return to Malawi,” she was quoted by MANA.

Nyalonje also noted that the country also stands to benefit from the workers remittances which will improve foreign exchange inflows.

Tembo and her delegation also officially launched the Malawi Embassy in Tel Aviv which was attended by Foreign Minister, Katz as a follow up of diplomatic relationship with Israel that was started in 2020 through former Foreign Minister, Eisenhower Mkaka.

Interestingly, the Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires — which is led by Consul of the Republic of Malawi in the State of Israel, Nir Guess — is David Bisnowaty — former Member of Malawi Parliament representing Lilongwe City Centre Constituency, who is an Israeli by birth.

Through the MoU, the Malawi Embassy is expected to enhance the LUANAR-Kinneret Internship Program, which is offering exceptional opportunities for students to gain invaluable experience in the field of agriculture.

According to NGO, ‘There is Hope in Malawi’, since its inception in 2014, the LUANAR-Kinneret Internship Program has benefited over 915 LUANAR students, providing them with a platform to learn and grow in Israel’s dynamic agricultural sector.

It continues to serve as “a beacon of excellence, offering aspiring agricultural professionals the chance to gain hands-on experience, develop essential skills, and contribute to the sustainable development of agriculture in Malawi and beyond”.

“The 11-month internship program aims to achieve several objectives, including sharing Israel’s expertise in managing intensive and sustainable farming systems, providing students with advanced knowledge in processing and marketing agricultural produce, and fostering mentorship in farm business management and entrepreneurship.”—Editing by Maravi Express