EXAMINING OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF ETHIOPIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR REMITTANCE AND THE NEED FOR FURTHER REFORM

Abstract

Ethiopia underwent a series of labour law reforms that culminated in the amendment of overseas employment proclamation in 2021. In view of this national trend, the study attempts to examine the extent to which the imperatives of global overseas employment interrelation have made inroads in to the inflow of remittance from overseas employment legal framework and policy regimes. To address this main research question, a qualitative legal research method is employed to analyze data that has been collected from relevant sources such as books, interviews, journal articles, World Bank documents, legal and policy documents regulating the overseas employment laws in Ethiopia. The data collected from both literature and legal sources were analyzed reveals that Ethiopia has limitations in regulating overseas employment with relevant governmental and non-governmental institutions, hinders the flow of remittances overseas employment. Many countries around the world have adopted ILO Convention No. 189, 190, 143 and 97 and made it part of their national laws to address the employment-related problems of their nationals employed overseas. Although these conventions are important conventions in terms of protecting the rights and safety of overseas employees, Ethiopia has not yet ratified these conventions and made them part of the country's law. Due to these and other reasons, Ethiopians overseas employees face many physical, psychological and economic problems. Ethiopia’s’ Overseas Employment Proclamation No. 1246/2021role in solving the multifaceted problems of workers is minimal. In addition, as a country, the Ethiopian government is not getting the remittance it deserves from this sector. The research has systematically identified and highlights of major substantive areas of overseas employment law that is required to undergo reformulation through repeal or amendments within the overseas employment law and policy regulatory space of laying down the foundations for a comprehensive national policy and developing an efficient and operational framework for its implementation. General, this study has examined that the role of the Ethiopian overseas employment policies and legal frameworks in terms of respecting the rights of overseas employees and generating remittances from this sector is ineffective and needs further strengthening.