Social protection for migrant workers, refugees and their families

Social security is a basic human right. Yet, 4.1 billion people worldwide have no access to social protection including healthcare. This includes millions of migrant workers, refugees, and their families who face major legal and practical obstacles in accessing social protection benefits. 

Many policy options exist to secure and maintain social security rights across countries, and the ILO has developed a strategy and policy guidance tools that can inform governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations as well as other stakeholders in their efforts to extend social protection to migrant workers and refugees. 

Based on the principles of equality of treatment and nondiscrimination, countries are encouraged to consider the following six complementary and mutually reinforcing policy measures: 

• Progressively building national social protection systems that are inclusive of migrant workers and refugees; 
• Supporting the ratification of relevant ILO standards and new / revised social security laws and their concrete implementation; 
• Concluding social security agreements (bi/multi) between countries to ensure the portability of benefits across countries; 
• Concluding BLMAs with social security provisions based on the equality of treatment principle;
• Setting complementary measures addressing the administrative & practical obstacles faced by migrant workers and refugees; 
• Adopting other unilateral measures, or mechanisms that allow for flexibility in the design of the scheme and assistance with regards to qualifying conditions and minimum requirements can also be considered.