Scholarship Overview
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Overview
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched three parallel writing competitions through its Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) Programme. The competitions seek original contributions—essays, research papers, and multimedia stories—exploring safe, regular and orderly labour migration in East Africa and the Horn of Africa.
The initiative is funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Winning participants will gain direct access to regional policymakers, with first-place winners invited to present their work at the Fifth Labour Migration Advisory Group (LMAG) meeting in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
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Three Competition Tracks
1. University Essay Competition: Young Voices on Safe Migration for Work
Open to university students, this track invites essays addressing:
- Access to decent work for migrant workers
- Fair recruitment practices and their regulation
- Risks and consequences of irregular migration
- Reintegration of returning migrant workers
2. Research Paper Competition
Targeted at academics, researchers and doctoral candidates. Accepted topics include:
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- Migrant workers’ rights and protection mechanisms
- Skills recognition and portability across borders
- Fair recruitment frameworks and enforcement
- Regional cooperation on labour migration governance
- Access to social protection for migrant workers
3. Journalism and Storytelling Competition
For journalists, photographers, filmmakers and content creators. Submissions may include:
- Written articles and long-form reporting
- Audio documentaries and podcasts
- Photo essays
- Video documentaries
- Animation and motion graphics
The competition prioritizes accurate, responsible reporting that reflects migrant workers’ lived experiences, challenges and contributions to host and origin communities.
Eligibility
Nationality: Citizens or residents of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
Profile by track:
- Essay competition: Currently enrolled university students
- Research competition: Academics, researchers and doctoral candidates
- Journalism competition: Professional journalists, photographers, filmmakers and media creators
Important limitation for SADC applicants: Nationals of Zimbabwe and other Southern African Development Community countries are not eligible for these competitions. The ILO has restricted participation to the seven East and Horn of Africa states listed above.
Awards and Recognition
First-place winners from each competition will:
- Travel to Zanzibar, Tanzania (16–18 December 2026)
- Present their work to the Fifth Labour Migration Advisory Group (LMAG)
- Engage with government representatives, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and regional stakeholders
- Have all travel and accommodation costs covered by the ILO
The LMAG meeting serves as a key regional forum for discussing cooperation on labour migration and strengthening protection frameworks for migrant workers.
Key Dates
| Competition launch | 29 October 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 25 November 2026 |
| LMAG meeting and winner presentations | 16–18 December 2026 |
How to Apply
The ILO has published separate guidelines for each competition track. Applicants should:
- Identify the appropriate competition track based on your professional or academic status
- Download and review the specific competition guidelines from the ILO BRMM Programme website
- Prepare your submission according to the format, length and documentation requirements specified in those guidelines
- Submit through the designated channel by 25 November 2026
Each track maintains distinct submission requirements. The research paper competition typically requires abstracts, methodology sections and full citations; the journalism competition specifies technical formats for multimedia; and the essay competition sets parameters for academic writing.
Context and Strategic Value
The BRMM Programme operates from 1 July 2022 to 30 March 2026, making these competitions among its final flagship activities. For eligible participants, the competitions offer unusual access to regional migration governance processes—valuable for researchers building policy-relevant portfolios and journalists developing specialized beats.
The focus on “safe, regular and orderly” labour migration aligns with the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and ILO conventions on migrant workers. Successful entries may inform actual policy discussions at the LMAG meeting, giving participants substantive influence beyond typical academic or journalistic competitions.
Practical Considerations
Timeline constraints: With approximately four weeks between launch and deadline, interested participants must act quickly to develop competitive submissions.
Regional focus: All entries must engage with labour migration dynamics in the East and Horn of Africa region specifically. Comparative analysis with other African regions is acceptable if the primary focus remains on the eligible seven countries.
Language: The ILO typically accepts submissions in English and French for regional competitions, though applicants should verify specific language requirements in their track’s guidelines.
Official scholarship page: https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/ilo-launches-three-writing-competitions-safe-labour-migration-east-and-horn
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