Protecting the rights of migrants in the labour force: a rights-based approach to labour migration
Image © Samuele Omati
Online
Protecting the rights of migrants in the labour force: a rights-based approach to labour migration
16 February–27 March 2026
The course is available in English
Key features
ORGANIZED APPROACH
The course is organized into three main technical blocks:
- Block I: International Labour Standards and Mechanisms of Control
- Block II: Empowering vulnerable groups
- Block III: Access to Justice for migrant workers
INTEGRATED E-LEARNING
An innovative e-learning experience combining self-paced modules, webinars and discussions, case studies, forum debates, and group work using up-to- date learning methods and technologies. The course concludes with an individual final assignment.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
An action-oriented, highly participative approach will be used, with particular attention devoted to sharing international experiences with a view to their adaptation and practical application.
Introduction to the course
Labour migration is a defining feature of today's globalized world. The majority of people who cross borders do so in search of decent work, and nearly half of them are women. Migrant workers are a vital part of the global economy-contributing skills, labour, and innovation. Yet many face severe decent work deficits, including poor working conditions, lack of social protection, exclusion from labour rights, and vulnerability to abuse and exploitation. Maximizing the development potential of labour migration while upholding human dignity requires policies and practices rooted in the protection of migrant workers' rights.
The International Labour Organization (ILO), with its unique tripartite structure and normative mandate, has long led global efforts in promoting fair and rights-based labour migration governance. This online course draws upon the ILO's extensive body of research, tools, and the practical experience of its constituents-governments, employers, and workers' organizations-across diverse migration contexts. It provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of the international labour standards relevant to migrant workers and other international human rights instruments.
Who attends this course?
This course is designed for professionals and practitioners actively engaged in the governance of labour migration and the protection of migrant workers’ rights. It is particularly relevant for:
- Policy-makers and senior officials from ministries responsible for labour, employment, migration, social affairs, and foreign affairs;
- Representatives of employers’ and workers’ organizations, particularly those involved in tripartite social dialogue on migration governance;
- Staff of UN agencies, international organizations, and regional bodies working on migration, labour mobility, and social protection;
- Civil society actors and NGOs advocating for the rights and welfare of migrant workers;
- Consultants and practitioners involved in programme design, implementation, or research related to migration and labour rights.
What topics does this course cover?
This course is structured around three interrelated thematic blocks. Together, they provide participants
with a solid understanding of international labour standards applicable to migrant workers, the specific
vulnerabilities migrant workers face in the labour market, and the mechanisms available to ensure
effective protection and access to justice in practice. Throughout the course, examples and case studies
from domestic work and agriculture are used to illustrate key challenges and policy responses.
I. International labour standards protecting migrant workers and their supervision
- Fundamental principles and rights at work and their relevance to all migrant workers, regardless of
- status
- ILO instruments specifically addressing labour migration
- Complementary ILO standards of particular importance for migrant workers,
- The relationship between international labour standards and national law and policy, including the role of social dialogue in implementation
- ILO supervisory and monitoring mechanisms
II. Addressing vulnerability, discrimination, and unequal treatment in the labour market
- Forms of discrimination faced by migrant workers and structural drivers of vulnerability
- Gender and labour migration, with particular attention to specific sectors
- Irregular migration status and its impact on working conditions, access to labour protection, and willingness to seek help
- Policy approaches to protect migrant workers in vulnerable or irregular situations
III. Access to justice and effective remedies for migrant workers
- Common barriers to access to justice for migrant workers
- Administrative and non-judicial mechanisms
- Judicial and quasi-judicial mechanisms
- The role of workers’ and employers’ organizations, civil society, and public institutions in supporting migrant workers’ claims and preventing disputes
- Cross-border and post-employment challenges, such as wage recovery after return and access to remedies for seasonal and temporary migrant workers
What will I be required to do during the course?
Course learning materials and tuition will be offered online in English. The following requirements are therefore essential to participate in this course:
- The ability to use and access a computer with internet
- Working knowledge of written English
- The availability to dedicate per week between 5-10 hours to the course.
What will I be able to do?
By the end of the course, participants will be able to.
- Explain the international labour standards framework protecting migrant workers, including fundamental principles and rights at work, migrant worker–specific ILO instruments, and the role of the ILO supervisory system in promoting compliance and accountability;
- Identify and assess institutional arrangements, policy frameworks, and coordination mechanisms that support equality of treatment and effective protection of migrant workers’ rights in national labour markets;
- Analyse the main forms of vulnerability and discrimination affecting migrant workers, including gender-based discrimination, xenophobia, and the specific risks faced by migrant workers in irregular situations;
- Examine how these vulnerabilities manifest across different stages of the migration cycle (predeparture, employment and residence, and return);
- Critically reflect on the gap between formal legal protections and their implementation in practice, including structural, institutional, and enforcement-related challenges;
- Evaluate policy, institutional, and remedial measures that enhance access to justice for migrant workers, including administrative, judicial, and non-judicial mechanisms, with attention to barriers such as retaliation, informality, and mobility.
Why should I join?
The Turin Centre is known for its innovative learning tools and methodologies.
- Course facilitators are subject matter experts and specialists
- Training delivery includes interactive online learning opportunities
- Participants exchange knowledge and ideas by engaging in a group work during the course as well as in interactive peer-to-peer discussions
- Expansion of the professional network of participants
- This course qualifies for the ITCILO Diploma for Labour Migration Experts and Practitioners. Take the Academy on Labour Migration, three courses out of all eligible courses within a five year period, and complete a capstone project to become part of a global cadre of practitioners and experts with a recognised set of skills in labour migration policy.
It was a very rich training course that will enable me to represent workers in better conditions during the social dialogue with the Government and also to give better decisions at the labour court in my capacity as assessor judge.
Mohamed Lamine Ouedraogo
onfederal Secretary in charge of standards and socio-professional issues, Burkina Faso
How?
The course consists of a number of online modules offered through the e-Campus online platform to be completed over a period of six weeks.
The course is broken down into three phases:
- Pre-course learning: Flexible (asynchronous) self-guided online learning on e-Campus and a weekly quiz.
- “Real time” learning: Live interactive sessions and engaging video presentations by highly experienced trainers, blended with a collaborative group exercises throughout the course based on legal case studies, and online technical forums on e-Campus.
- End of course assignment: Individual assignment applying the participants’ context
Participants who successfully complete all assessments and the final assignment will receive a Certificate of Achievement.
How to apply?
Interested candidates should register on-line clicking on the “APPLY NOW” button at the top-right of the page.
Selection will be based on the following criteria:
- Proven work experience in relevant field;
- Submission of a letter of sponsorship to cover the total course fees
Costs and payment
The cost of participation is payable in advance by the participant or his or her sponsoring organization.
