Fair Recruitment Crucial to Safeguard Climate Migrants in Pacific Labour Schemes

A growing number of people in the Pacific Islands are being forced to leave their homes as climate change intensifies, bringing rising sea levels, stronger storms, and environmental degradation. In 2023 alone, over 50,000 individuals were displaced due to extreme weather events. Many of these climate-displaced persons are moving within and beyond their countries’ borders in search of work and safety.

In response to this crisis, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has released a new report calling for the integration of fair recruitment principles into labour mobility and relocation programmes. The report, titled Fair Recruitment and Climate Mobility in the Pacific, emphasizes that the vulnerability of climate-induced migrants must be addressed through rights-based, safe, and supportive migration systems.

Labour Migration: A Lifeline or a Risk?

As traditional livelihoods are lost to saltwater intrusion, soil degradation, and coastal erosion, labour mobility programmes have emerged as an adaptation strategy. Yet, without proper safeguards, these programmes can leave migrants exposed to exploitation, informal labour markets, and precarious working conditions.

Martin Wandera, Director of the ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries, underlined the urgency of the issue:

“Climate mobility is a growing challenge for Pacific Island communities. By ensuring that recruitment is fair, transparent, and inclusive we can help migrant workers access decent jobs both at home and abroad.”

Zero-Cost Recruitment: A Game Changer

A central recommendation of the ILO report is the adoption of zero-cost recruitment, where all fees and associated migration costs are covered by employers. This approach ensures that workers are not burdened by debt and can instead use their earnings to support their families and invest in climate-resilient futures back home.

The report outlines how the financial burden of recruitment fees often traps migrants in cycles of poverty, making them more susceptible to coercion and abuse. Zero-cost recruitment empowers them with greater financial freedom and security.

Key Policy Recommendations

To strengthen the resilience and rights of climate migrants, the ILO puts forward several actionable recommendations:

1. Alignment with International Labour Standards All labour mobility schemes must comply with established international norms, including core ILO Conventions on migrant workers and decent work.

2. Pre-departure and Post-arrival Support Migrants should receive training on their rights, workplace conditions, financial literacy, and emergency contacts before departure and after arrival.

3. Integration with Planned Relocation Strategies Fair recruitment should be embedded into broader relocation plans, ensuring that resettlement is dignified and sustainable.

4. Protection of Vulnerable Groups Marginalized populations—including women, youth, people with disabilities, and Indigenous communities—should receive targeted protections to prevent exclusion.

5. Regional Knowledge-Sharing Platform A new Pacific-wide platform should be established to facilitate data sharing, promote oversight, and align national policies.

6. Embedding Climate Resilience All labour mobility programmes must incorporate climate resilience planning, linking labour migration to broader adaptation and development strategies.

ILO’s Pacific Programme and International Support

The report was developed under the second phase of the ILO’s Pacific Climate Change, Migration and Human Security (PCCMHS) programme, with financial support from the Government of New Zealand. The initiative continues to build the capacity of Pacific Island governments to develop safe, equitable, and climate-resilient mobility frameworks.

By focusing on fair recruitment practices, the ILO seeks to shift the paradigm from reactive migration policies to proactive, justice-driven strategies that empower Pacific Islanders amidst the climate crisis.

 A Path Toward Safe and Just Climate Mobility

As the Pacific region stands on the frontlines of climate disruption, labour migration will continue to play a key role in adaptation and resilience. The ILO’s latest findings serve as a timely call to action: climate-displaced workers must not be left vulnerable. Embedding fair, transparent recruitment into labour mobility schemes is not just a technical fix—it is a matter of climate justice.