Egypt launches joint procedures for overseas recruitment and handling workers’ complaints

Egypt’s Ministry of Labour has launched joint procedures for recruiting workers abroad and handling complaints against recruitment agencies or employers. The initiative, announced by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on October 13, 2026, benefits from the organization’s technical support and European funding through the THAMM Plus programme. The authorities aim to improve services for Egyptians seeking jobs overseas and prevent recruitment abuses.

In brief, Egypt has introduced joint procedures for overseas job offers, support for workers before and after departure, agency oversight, and the handling of complaints against recruiters or employers. The initiative seeks to prevent abuses. The ministry had warned about fraudulent offers and stated that registration for jobs offered directly by it was free. Egyptian law allows authorized private agencies to charge administrative costs of no more than 1% of a worker’s salary, only during the first year. The ILO principle recommends that workers should not bear recruitment costs. The ILO’s regional THAMM Plus component has $5,375,000 in EU funding for Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia for the period from November 2023 to October 2027. No separate allocation for the Egyptian procedures is indicated. The announcement does not specify deadlines for resolving complaints and does not announce a new dedicated portal. The procedures do not automatically grant a visa or a job in the EU, and their effects have not yet been presented as measured results.

According to the ILO, the procedures establish responsibilities, standardized forms, and common administrative pathways for ministry staff. They cover the identification of job offers in other countries, assistance before departure and during employment, oversight of private agencies, and the handling of complaints. Employment services abroad, the representation of workers overseas, and labour inspection are covered.

The risks that the authorities are seeking to reduce also appear in a warning issued by the Ministry of Labour on June 10, 2026, and reproduced by the official portal of Cairo Governorate. The ministry flagged fraudulent advertisements and unauthorized intermediaries requesting money for employment or travel formalities. It called for the use of official channels and stated that registration for job opportunities offered directly by the ministry was free.

For private agencies, however, the legal framework must be explained separately. Labour Law No. 14 of 2025, which entered into force on September 1, 2025, regulates the recruitment of Egyptians for jobs inside and outside the country. It provides for agency licensing and allows licences to be withdrawn, among other reasons, for publishing fictitious offers or collecting sums in breach of the law.

Article 43 generally prohibits the direct or indirect collection of money from a worker for job placement, allowing the service to be paid for by the employer. The same article introduces an exception for authorized private agencies, which may charge administrative costs of no more than 1% of the worker’s salary, only during the first year. Collecting any other sums from the worker, under any name, is prohibited.

The principle promoted by the ILO is stricter. Its Fair Recruitment guidelines recommend that workers and jobseekers should not bear recruitment fees or related costs. The document is a non-binding international benchmark in itself, and its recommendation should not be confused with the exception permitted under Egyptian law. These guidelines also support clear contracts, accessible information, and mechanisms for complaints and remedying abuses.

In the statement included in the launch communiqué, Minister Hassan Raddad presents the procedures as a step toward modernizing services and protecting the rights of Egyptians working overseas. Eric Oechslin, director of the ILO office in Cairo, emphasizes institutions’ capacity to apply the rules. In his assessment, legal protections must be supported by practical procedures and institutions prepared to use them in their day-to-day work.

On behalf of the EU Delegation in Egypt, Sébastien Lorion, responsible for social inclusion, governance, and migration, links procedural transparency to the development of safe and legal channels for worker mobility, including to the European market. Cooperation is supported through THAMM Plus, which includes institutional capacity-building, skills development, and the recognition of qualifications.

The regional THAMM Plus component implemented by the ILO in Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia has a budget of $5,375,000, funded by the European Union, and runs from November 1, 2023, to October 31, 2027. The amount covers the component’s activities in the three countries. The project fact sheet does not indicate a separate allocation for the Egyptian procedures.

The procedures were developed through cooperation between the ministry and the ILO, which began during the first THAMM phase, and were updated to reflect the 2025 legislation and related decrees, according to the organization. The announcement does not establish a new right to a visa or a job in the EU. Access to employment in a European country continues to depend on the conditions applicable to the category of workers and the destination country.

Regarding complaint handling, the communiqué confirms the existence of a common administrative component but does not specify resolution deadlines or announce a new dedicated portal. The ILO states that the procedures may be reviewed based on implementation experience, legislative changes, and the digitalization of services. The launch thus establishes the administration’s working framework, while the effects on worker protection remain to be assessed in practice.