Members of Parliament have called for a legal framework to regulate private recruitment agencies that connect Rwandans with jobs abroad, warning that the absence of licensed firms is exposing job seekers to fraud, exploitation and human trafficking risks.

The call was made on Wednesday, July 29, after the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security presented its report on the implementation of the National Labour Mobility Policy to the Chamber of Deputies.

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The committee found that although the policy provides for the establishment of licensed private recruitment agencies to facilitate access to international employment opportunities, the regulations required to operationalise them have not yet been put in place.

MPs recommended that the Ministry of Public Service and Labour (MIFOTRA) submit to Parliament, within three months, a roadmap detailing how the policy will be implemented, including the development of labour mobility regulations and revision of its strategic implementation plan.

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MPs also resolved that the finance ministry should, within six months, present to the Chamber of Deputies a formal system aimed at making it easier for Rwandans living abroad to send remittances and invest in Rwanda.

Presenting the committee’s proposed resolutions on behalf of the deputy chairperson, MP Aline Ingabire said the recommendations aim to fast-track implementation of the policy and create a regulatory framework for safe labour migration.

MPs raise concerns over fake recruiters

During the debate, lawmakers raised concerns that the absence of regulated recruitment agencies has allowed individuals and companies to exploit young Rwandans by making false promises of employment abroad.

MP Eugene Musolini questioned whether there are clear requirements for companies involved in recruiting workers for overseas jobs.

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"Are there requirements for firms working in labour migration? There is an issue of young people being trafficked in the name of job opportunities. Is anything being done to ensure these are genuine firms?” he asked.

Musolini also questioned what measures are being taken against companies that advertise overseas employment opportunities but later turn out to be fraudulent.

MP Ingrid Marie Parfaite Izere asked what action is being taken against scammers whose recruitment adverts continue to circulate in the media.

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Regulatory gap delays recruitment agencies

Responding to the concerns, Hope Gasatura Tumukunde, chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security, said the establishment of recruitment agencies is already provided for under the National Labour Mobility Policy, but implementation has been delayed by the absence of a ministerial order regulating their operations.

"The establishment of these firms is already provided for under the policy, but the MIFOTRA ministerial order regulating their operations has not yet been issued,” she said.

Gasatura said the regulations would define the requirements for recruitment agencies and provide a framework for their operations under government supervision.

She added that the lack of an organised recruitment system has affected the competitiveness of some Rwandans seeking jobs abroad, as countries with structured labour migration systems and bilateral agreements often provide better opportunities for their workers.

Presenting the committee’s findings, Gasatura said that while several laws support the implementation of the labour mobility policy, Rwanda does not yet have specific legislation governing labour mobility.

"The committee found that there are existing laws and others established to support the policy’s implementation, but no specific laws and regulations providing a framework for labour mobility have been put in place,” she said.

She noted that the policy provides for licensed private agencies to recruit Rwandans for overseas jobs under government oversight, but such agencies have not yet been established.

The committee also found that technical and vocational education and training programmes are not yet fully aligned with the skills demanded by international labour markets, limiting graduates’ competitiveness abroad.