Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Cameroon

Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97) (Ratification: 1962)
Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143) (Ratification: 1978)

In order to provide an overview of matters relating to the application of the ratified Conventions on migrant workers, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine the Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97) and the Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions), 1975 (No. 143) together.

Information and international cooperation

Article 1 of Convention No. 97. Information on migration. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that it is taking measures to gather and analyse pertinent information on migration flows. Thus, the National Policy on Labour Migration of Cameroon, pending adoption, should include a section on developing an effective labour market information system, also covering labour migrations. The Committee also notes that the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) expressed concern about the lack of comprehensive statistics on the demographic composition of the population, disaggregated by ethnic or national origin and language spoken, including with regard to migrants (CERD/C/CMR/CO/22-23, 26 May 2022, para. 4). The Committee strongly hopes that the Government will be able to gather and analyse relevant data on: (i) migration flows from and to Cameroon in the near future; as well as (ii) the situation regarding migrant workers of Cameroon. It requests the Government to provide information on progress made in this regard.

Articles 1, 7 and 10 of Convention No. 97 and Article 4 of Convention No. 143. Cooperation between States. The Government indicates that no new agreement regarding migration has been signed during the past period. It also indicates that the National Employment Fund cooperates with public employment services all across the world, and in particular with the members of the World Association of Public Employment Services (AMSEP/WAPES) and the African Association of Employment Services (AASEP), through exchange of expertise, study visits, joint participation at seminars, cross-training and technical support missions. The Committee requests the Government to communicate all information on possible future cooperation agreements, specifying whether the social partners have been consulted. It further requests the Government to indicate whether the cooperation of the FNE with other employment services includes systematic information exchanges with a view to preventing irregular migration and illegal employment of migrants.

Measures against/combat against irregular migration

Articles 2 and 4 of Convention No. 97. Free service to assist migrant workers. Measures to facilitate the departure, journey and reception. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the FNE supervises labour migration in all its phases: (1) preparation for departure (guidance, training, formalities, interculturalism); (2) matchmaking with international employers; and (3) preparation for return through the Programme to support returning Cameroonian immigrants (PARIC). The Government states that all FNE services are entirely free and available to all persons registered as internationally mobile jobseekers (Demandeur d’Emploi à la Mobilité Internationale (DEMI)). The FNE has also produced a Guide for Migrants, which takes up the themes of preparation, residence, return and reinsertion. The Committee requests the Government to report on the numbers of women and men wishing to emigrate who have made use of the FNE services over the past period, indicating the principal countries of destination. It also requests the Government to indicate whether there is a free service providing information to migrant workers immigrating to Cameroon.

Article 3 of Convention No. 97. Measures against misleading propaganda. With reference to its previous comments, the Government states that, in conformity with Decree No. 2021/2124/PM of 14 April 2021, private employment agencies are required to obtain prior approval from the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training (MINEFOP) in order to operate legally, having submitted a stamped request addressed to the Ministry. The Decree fixes the conditions for the opening of agencies and minimal operating rules and establishes that, in cases of violation or misleading information, the MINEFOP may issue an order to suspend the agency’s activity for a period not exceeding three months, and may withdraw its approval of an agency found acting wrongly (section 21). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on inspections conducted and penalties imposed under section 21(1) and (2) of the above-mentioned Decree, in cases of misleading propaganda. It further requests the Government to continue providing information on all measures taken effectively to combat misleading propaganda relating to emigration and immigration.

Measures to suppress clandestine movements of migrants and illegal employment of migrants

Articles 2 and 3(a) of Convention No. 143. The Government indicates that the National Observatory for Employment and Vocational Training (ONEFAP), together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is implementing reinsertion programmes for returning migrants and providing vocational training for young persons to boost their employability. The Committee notes these initiatives, which principally concern insertion, but observes that this information does not indicate action taken to detect and suppress clandestine movement of migrants and illegal employment of migrants. The Committee therefore requests the Government to provide information on: (i) cooperation between the various competent State services (public employment services, labour inspection, border authorities, etc.) to combat clandestine movement of migrants and illegal employment effectively; and (ii) any information campaign aimed at raising the awareness of employers and of migrants, especially in at-risk sectors. It further requests the Government to provide information on the number of inspections carried out, identified and sanctioned cases and reduction in illegal employment rates. In this regard, the Committee reiterates its request for information on the platform for combating irregular migration.

Articles 3(b) and 6 of Convention No. 143. National legislation and penalties. The Committee observes that the Government has taken note of its recommendation regarding the collection of data on the number and nature of offences recorded and penalties imposed and applied to the organizers of clandestine movements of migrants and to the employers of workers who have migrated in illegal conditions. The Committee hopes that, in its next report, the Government will be able to provide information on the number and nature of offences identified, and on the penalties imposed and applied.

Support for migrant workers

Article 9 of Convention No. 97. Transfer of the earnings and savings of migrant workers. The Committee recalls that under Article 9 of the Convention States must permit, taking into account the limits allowed by national laws and regulations concerning export and import of currency, the transfer of such part of the earnings and savings of the migrant for employment as the migrant may desire. It also recalls that the Government previously indicated that “limits to transfers of earnings and savings of migrant workers were established by contractual agreements”. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the limits applied in practice to transfers of the earnings and savings of migrant workers.

Basic human rights for all migrant workers

Article 1 of Convention No. 143. With reference to its previous comments concerning measures taken to ensure respect for the human rights of refugees and of displaced persons working outside their country of origin, the Government informs the Committee that it has, among other actions, established a framework for inter-ministerial concertation between Cameroon and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (HCR) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), to coordinate action taken to support refugees and host populations living on Cameroonian territory; oversee the voluntary return of 599 refugees from the Central African Republic; and implement an emergency humanitarian aid plan to assist Cameroon national refugees in Nigeria. The Committee also notes with interest that, according to the 2024 report of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the Government has entered 90,000 refugees, amounting to 19 per cent of the refugee population of the country, in its universal health coverage regime. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures adopted to ensure respect for the basic human rights of refugees and displaced persons working outside their countries of origin.

Article 9(3) of Convention No. 143. Costs of expulsion. The Committee recalls that in its previous comment it noted that neither Act No. 1997/012 of 10 January 1997, fixing conditions of entry, residence and exit of foreigners in Cameroon, nor Decree No. 2007/255 regulate the burden of the costs of expulsion, even though, according to the Government, the costs of expulsion are in practice paid by the employers of the migrant workers concerned. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that it will reply to the comments made by the Committee regarding costs of expulsion in its next report. The Committee therefore hopes that in its next report the Government will specify the measures adopted to ensure that migrant workers and their families do not bear the cost of expulsion in practice.