The African Union (AU), in partnership with key international organisations, has launched the third phase of its flagship Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP), aimed at strengthening labour migration systems across the continent.
The new phase, dubbed JLMP PROPEL (Promoting Opportunities, Protection, Employment and Labour Integration), was officially unveiled on 30 April 2026 during a high-level event in Addis Ababa. The initiative is being implemented jointly by the African Union Commission, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the German development agency GIZ.
Speaking at the launch, AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, H.E. Ambassador Amma Adomaa Twum-Amoah, emphasized the increasing significance of well-managed labour migration in Africa’s development. She highlighted that the number of international migrants within Africa rose from 17.6 million in 2010 to 26 million in 2022, while remittance flows reached an estimated 97.5 billion US dollars in the same year.
The four-year programme, running from 2025 to 2029, is backed by funding of 16 million US dollars. It seeks to enhance governance frameworks, improve protections for migrant workers, and expand access to decent employment opportunities across AU member states.
Ambassador Churchill Ewumbue-Monono, Chair of the AU Permanent Representatives Committee Sub-Committee on Migration, Refugees, and Internally Displaced Persons, underscored the programme’s broader institutional goals. He noted that JLMP PROPEL aims to strengthen policy coordination, improve labour migration data systems, and support skills mobility while ensuring better protection mechanisms for migrant workers and their families.
The programme will focus on promoting policy coherence among member states, improving data collection and analysis, enhancing recognition of skills across borders, and strengthening social protection systems. It also seeks to deepen regional integration through more coordinated migration policies.
Development partners have expressed strong support for the initiative. The programme is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Sweden’s Deputy Head of Mission in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Hedvig Lohm, reaffirmed her country’s commitment, noting that sustainable reform depends on inclusive dialogue, shared responsibility, and strong local ownership.
The launch event brought together representatives from AU member states, regional economic communities, development partners, and the media. The original JLMP framework was first adopted by AU Heads of State and Government in 2015.