Migrant domestic workers

The growing demand of households for domestic services triggered a rise in levels of labour migration in recent decades. In addition to the many challenges domestic workers face in their home countries, migrant domestic workers are often confronted with a number of vulnerabilities linked to precarious recruitment processes and irregular immigration status, which can lead to violations of their human and labour rights. Their vulnerabilities emerge in the form of the absence of adapted assistance and protection mechanisms, social and cultural isolation due to language and cultural differences, lack of clear terms and conditions of their employment, absence of labour law coverage and/or enforcement in the country of destination, and restrictions on freedom of movement and association.

Through its global strategy, the ILO aims to support its constituents in achieving decent work for domestic workers through recognition of the specific vulnerabilities to which migrant domestic workers are exposed and the need to improve labour and migration laws and policies.

Key Resources:

• Decent work for migrant domestic workers: Moving the agenda forward, Report
• ILO global estimates on migrant workers
• Making decent work a reality for migrant domestic workers, Policy Brief
• Regional Model Competency Standards: Domestic work, Book
• No easy exit – Migration bans affecting women from Nepal, Report
• Promover la integración de las trabajadoras y los trabajadores domésticos migrantes en España, International Migration Paper
• Promoting integration for migrant domestic workers in Italy, International Migration Paper
• Promoting integration for migrant domestic workers in Belgium, International Migration Paper
• Promouvoir l’intégration des travailleuses et travailleurs domestiques migrants en France, International Migration Paper
• Promoting integration for migrant domestic workers in Europe: a synthesis of Belgium, France, Italy and Spain, International Migration Paper

For a full list of publications on migrant domestic workers, click here