Programme Origin
Launched in 2019, the “Towards a Holistic Approach to Labour Migration Governance and Labour Mobility in North Africa” (THAMM) programme was designed to create safe, regular, and mutually beneficial labour migration and mobility opportunities between North African countries and Europe.
THAMM emerged from the EU’s Valletta Action Plan and the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) priority on legal migration and mobility. It builds on earlier pilots such as PALIM (a Belgium–Morocco project testing labour mobility schemes), and Germany’s “Triple Win” programme, but broadens the approach by combining institutional reforms, skill recognition, and pilot mobility pathways.
The overall objective is to support systemic change in how labour migration is governed by aligning education, employment, and migration policies, while testing practical mobility schemes that can be scaled and replicated.
Funders and Participating Organisations
The programme is funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), with co-financing from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is implemented by a consortium of international agencies, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Agency for International Cooperation), and Enabel, the Belgian Development Agency.
The partnership brings together Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia with EU partners Germany and Belgium. At the national level, stakeholders include ministries of labour, vocational training institutes, public employment services, and social partners such as employers and unions.
Progress to Date
THAMM is organised around five main areas of action:
- Policy and governance: Legal and policy frameworks for labour migration have been strengthened in all three partner countries, with Egypt focusing on integrating migration into employment strategies and Tunisia advancing youth employment reforms and fair recruitment systems.
- Skills recognition: Morocco has been at the forefront of skills development, particularly in mechatronics, where training modules were adapted to European standards. More than 30 trainers have been certified, and a jointly recognised certificate was introduced, tested in both Morocco and Belgium, to allow graduates smooth labour market entry in Europe.
- Data and evidence: Public institutions in Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia have been supported to strengthen migration statistics, labour market information systems, and data-driven policy analysis, improving national capacity to forecast needs and match skills with demand.
- Mobility schemes: Pilot labour mobility pathways have been established with Germany and Belgium in sectors including mechatronics, hospitality, and construction. In Tunisia, national consultations ensured that mobility schemes were designed around local priorities, while in Morocco, the PALIM experience was scaled into THAMM to support apprentices and skilled workers.
- Stakeholder cooperation: Regional dialogue has been reinforced across Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, while new coordination mechanisms linked North African public employment services with European employers. Employers were directly involved in validating training curricula, co-designing soft-skills modules, and selecting candidates, which helped build trust and ensure placements aligned with labour market needs.
Major Takeaways and Lessons Learned
- Systemic reform is long-term: THAMM has shown that building a fair, demand-driven labour mobility system requires institutional change that may take decades to fully mature. These pilots are not simply about short-term placements, but about identifying structural elements necessary for sustainability.
- Employer engagement is non-negotiable: Early and continuous involvement of the private sector has been key. Employers validated training curricula, co-designed complementary soft-skills modules, and participated directly in candidate selection. Cooperation between Moroccan and Belgian companies in mechatronics helped align training with dual labour market needs.
- Complex governance requires coordination: With multiple public employment agencies in Belgium, plus counterparts in North Africa, coordination was challenging but essential. Bringing all actors around the table ensured that no single institution dominated and that mobility schemes remained demand driven.
- Skills recognition unlocks mobility: The creation of a jointly recognised mechatronics certificate was a breakthrough. Candidates who completed training in Morocco and sat tests in both Morocco and Belgium achieved full recognition, enabling smooth entry into the European labour market.
- Fair recruitment and worker protection: By embedding ILO standards and IOM’s fair recruitment principles, THAMM safeguarded migrant workers from high fees and exploitative practices, while building trust with European employers.
- SMEs need extra support: Larger companies became self-sufficient in working with Moroccan employment agencies, but many small and medium enterprises struggled with the heavy administrative and visa processes. Supporting them remains a key challenge for scaling.
What’s Next
- Scaling mobility pathways: Expanding placements beyond pilots, with stronger employer networks and more streamlined visa and recognition processes.
- Institutionalising recognition: Ensuring that tests and certificates can be fully recognised without requiring re-testing in Europe, to reduce costs and delays.
- Deepening private sector engagement: Strengthening cooperation frameworks so that SMEs can benefit alongside larger employers.
- Expanding sectors and countries: Building on the success in mechatronics to extend mobility partnerships to additional professions (e.g. care, construction, hospitality) and new EU partners.
- Embedding national strategies: Supporting Morocco’s emerging strategy on international job placement, Tunisia’s labour mobility reforms, and Egypt’s integration of migration into its employment policies.