Understanding GCC Labour Laws. Part three: Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements (BLMAs)

Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements (BLMAs) are cooperation arrangements signed between migrant-sending and host countries. They detail the specific responsibilities of each party and the actions required to achieve shared goals in managing labour migration, ensuring regulation according to agreed principles and procedures. These agreements include legally binding bilateral labour agreements (BLAs), Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and technical cooperation agreements between government ministries or agencies that address various aspects of labour migration.

According to research by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), bilateral labour agreements "can provide concrete means to improve the governance of labour migration and strengthen the protection of migrant workers based on shared responsibility when they are solidly underpinned by international human rights and labour standards and effectively implemented."

BLMAs are flexible tools that take various forms, with differing objectives, scopes, and legal implications. They serve to address a broad range of recruitment needs and labour shortages across diverse socioeconomic contexts and labour market conditions.

Summary of BLMA’s between the GCC & migrant-sending countries