Madagascar and Mauritius aim to better regulate professional mobility to meet growing labor needs and enhance worker skills. Authorities, investors and organizers gathered at the Moris-Mada Business Connect Summit yesterday at CCI Ivato. Labor mobility is an increasingly important cooperation issue between Madagascar and Mauritius. Speaking yesterday at the International Conference Center (CCI) Ivato during the Moris-Mada Business Connect Summit, Mauritian Minister of Labor and Industrial Relations Muhammad Reza Cassam Uteem praised the contribution of Malagasy workers and called for "regular and dignified" recruitment. According to the Mauritian minister, approximately 10,000 Malagasy workers currently work in Mauritius, primarily in commerce, textiles and tourism. Facing an aging active population, the island seeks to meet growing labor demands. Madagascar, with its young population, represents an important pool. Demand for Malagasy workers, the highest after India and Nepal, is expected to "intensify," he said. However, this mobility must be better regulated. The minister acknowledged cases of exploitation of Malagasy workers, even human trafficking, and announced plans to strengthen recruitment agency oversight. In March 2025, it was indicated before the National Assembly that some irregular workers included Malagasy and African nationals who entered Mauritius on tourist visas before working or exceeding authorized stay periods. He warned against intermediaries charging candidates or promising Mauritius employment with only a vacation visa, urging the government to do likewise. Recognizing skills Beyond recruitment, skills recognition is another key issue. According to the World Bank, 98.9% of employed young Malagasy worked in the informal sector in 2022. For Mauritius, establishing an equivalence system with Madagascar would better identify and certify candidate skills. Electricians, plumbers, masons, nursing assistants and machine operators are among sought profiles. This approach could foster more structured professional mobility and value skills currently acquired largely outside formal training channels. Foreign workers already play an important role in certain Mauritian economic sectors. In the first quarter of 2026, Statistics Mauritius counted 13,074 foreign workers in export-oriented enterprises, compared to 14,578 Mauritian workers, representing nearly 47% of the workforce.