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a consistent corporate culture across its offices, employees may
not be as inclined to integrate into the local community. Others
remarked that while P&G was a model for corporate integration,
it was the employees’ families who benefited from the integration
programmes. They, like other migrant groups, were without a
common corporate culture and needed integration assistance.
Several delegates observed that P&G was not necessarily
representative of the issues facing most migrant workers because
it dealt with a highly skilled workforce. However, some of P&G’s
initiatives may still serve to provide ideas which could be applied
in the context of lesser-skilled workers. Regardless of skill level
and type of employer, delegates generally shared the view that
migrants bring new skills, innovation, and a desire to work to
the countries of destination. Businesses have a strong interest
in the contribution that both foreign professionals and lesserskilled
migrant workers can make in numerous sectors of the
economy. It is important to remember, however, that migrants
are not just labour resources but rather human beings who come
to the host country not only with their skills and knowledge, but
also with aims and aspirations, political views and affiliations,
cultural heritage and traditions and whose interaction with
the local society therefore needs to be considered and assisted.
Partnerships between Governments and the private sector, which
benefits greatly from migrant labour, can represent a “win-win
situation”, with advantages for both sides, while helping to ensure
the successful integration of migrants in the labour markets and
societies of destination.
The Role of International Organizations
Many international organizations have experience with
migration and integration situations in diverse countries, making
them well placed to provide consultative assistance, including the
comparison of different integration models and the identification
of good practices. At the workshop, participants expressed their
appreciation for organizations such as IOM, the International
labour Organization (IlO) and the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCRCS) for adding value to
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