Colombia's Labor Emigrants: Ideas to Promote a Successful Migration Experience

News about migration in Colombia usually focuses on two themes: the 2.8 million Venezuelans who have arrived in the country since 2015, fleeing the political and economic crisis in their nation; and the hundreds of thousands of migrants of various nationalities who, since 2021, have crossed the Darien Gap.

However, this narrative has overshadowed another crucial fact: in 2020, around 3 million Colombian emigrants — 6% of the population — lived abroad, a figure that has tripled since the 1990s, when the country was going through a major economic and violence crisis.

The lack of visibility of Colombian emigration has resulted in poorly coordinated policies with destination countries and a lack of support for emigrants. They face the challenges of changing countries, and often languages, alone, leaving their families behind in search of better opportunities. Without adequate support policies for those migrating for work, Colombia risks losing skilled workers, while destination countries receive workers who might need additional training to respond to local demands.

It doesn't have to be this way: Colombia and destination countries can work together to establish "triple win" strategies that benefit both labor migrants and the development of both countries. This can be achieved through a collaborative approach involving a wide range of actors in the migration process — including Ministries of Labor and Foreign Affairs, domestic and foreign employers, chambers of commerce, consulates and many others — creating a favorable migration ecosystem for labor emigrants.

Coordinated labor migration policies can help Colombian migrants, who are mostly women and generally more educated than the general population, to train and prepare before migrating, when they land in the destination country and when they return to Colombia. In addition, such policies allow countries of origin to protect and strategically leverage their workforce and the knowledge acquired by their diaspora, as did Indian emigrants to the Silicon Valley, who contributed to the development of India's information technology sector.

Strengthening Colombia's nascent labor emigration ecosystem

A recent World Bank diagnosis of labor emigration policies in Colombia (in Spanish) reveals that the country already has incipient elements of a favorable labor emigration ecosystem, such as bilateral and multilateral labor migration agreements; transnational employment agencies to connect workers with jobs abroad; and portability of social security with some countries. However, they remain fragmented and uncoordinated. In addition, there is no consistent support for the return of labor migrants to Colombia. For example, there is a lack of mechanisms for validating qualifications acquired abroad or incentives for business development in the country.

A good example of emerging efforts in Colombia to coordinate labor migration is the TEAM Project. Since 2021, the Public Employment Service Unit, in close cooperation with the German Federal Employment Agency, has been working on the recruitment and training of Colombian workers to work in Germany. The project offers German classes, cultural sessions and comprehensive logistical support throughout the process (assistance with visas, travel arrangements and recognition of qualifications, among others). A World Bank qualitative study by TEAM concludes that it has provided safe and legal work in Germany to more than 80 Colombian workers in areas of their specialization, with 260 more workers in the process of migrating. Although the project still faces challenges, including challenges for Colombians to succeed in German classes and the heavy burden of homologation of qualifications for employers, it is a great foundation on which to build.

Global Partnerships for Skills Development of Migrants and Resident Workers

Another promising strategy that Colombia can explore is to implement Global Alliances for Skills Development (GSP) which are bilateral or multilateral labor mobility agreements between countries of destination and origin, which train migrant and resident workers, and link migrants with opportunities according to their skills. Employers and governments of destination countries are the main funders of training provided in the country of origin and legal migration is guaranteed. The training focuses on skills in high demand in both countries to prepare workers for jobs both overseas and at home. The World Bank, with funding from the Government of Spain, is in the process of creating a GSP between the two countries, based on the existing labor migration agreement that has provided employment in Spain to more than 3,000 Colombians between 2007 and 2023.

Migration as water

Countries of origin tend to view policies for migrants with reluctance, as they fear that they may appear to be incentives to drive away their talented people. However, this view overlooks the benefits that coordinated labor migration strategies can bring to countries and migrants.

Some compare migration to water: it must be channeled because it cannot be stopped. Colombia already has some tools to channel emigration, but it needs to continue using them in a coordinated way to improve the lives of Colombians, inside and outside the country. Colombia already has some tools to channel emigration, but it needs to continue using them in a coordinated way to improve the lives of Colombians, inside and outside the country.

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