International labor bodies like the ILO have hailed the Circular Migration Scheme that Mauritius started in 2008. Acclaim came to this successful programme, as Mauritius’s early partners in it included Italy with policies favourable for migrant workers. As a result of this partnership, Mauritian diaspora in Italy number some 10,000 by one recent estimate.
Mauritius indeed made a superb choice in having Italy as a pilot partner in its Circular Migration Scheme. The economic policies of policies if Italy are not only sound. It is also amongst the world’s major manufacturing countries and one of the largest markets in the European Union. Moreover, Italy is located strategically at the crossroads of Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East.
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Circular migration partnership activities
The activities in the Mauritius–Italy circular migration project first involved 30 Mauritian public officials. They were oriented with Italy’s legal and institutional framework on labour migration management.
Circular migration: a building block for Mauritius
Under the scheme, 30 Mauritian agribusiness operators also underwent training in sustainable agriculture in Italy. The programme likewise provided comprehensive activities for the job placement of Mauritian workers in the fields of tourism and fisheries in Italy.
The migrant workers underwent pre-departure training including Italian language lessons and cultural orientation to facilitate their integration in Italy. The government of Mauritius also installed mechanisms to monitor the Mauritian diaspora in Italy.
Complementary support platforms in place
An online recruitment system set under the Circular Migration Scheme provided further impetus on the inflow of Mauritian workers to Italy. The European Union and the Italian government funded this initiative facilitating Italian employers’ selection from amongst Mauritian job applications. The International Organisation for Migration, a UN-related body, monitors and supports the recruitment process.
Other mechanisms are in place complementing the Circulation Migration Scheme to the benefit of migrant Mauritian workers in Italy. One is the treaty between Mauritius and Italy that provides for the avoidance of double taxation of income earned in the two countries.
Reintegration benefits
The overseas workers of Mauritius can benefit as well from the reintegration efforts set for them upon their return to the island. The Mauritian government has support platforms ready to help these returning migrants to invest in small- or medium-sized enterprises.
Returning professionals who have developed advanced skills and expertise abroad can likewise register under the Mauritian Diaspora Scheme. They can register under this programme either as a self-employed individual or as an employee with a contract with a local company. The government offers many incentives under this scheme, further affirming the soundness of the Mauritian diaspora policy.
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