Migrant Worker Tools and Resources

Risks facing migrant workers

Risks of child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking are particularly high if suppliers use labor brokers to recruit or place migrant laborers.

 

Photo Credit: Matt Briney_Unsplash

Migrant workers may be particularly at risk of forced labor due to:

 

  • Icon - House Isolation

    Migrant workers may live in employer-provided housing or on employer-owned property, where they may be isolated from external sources of support and may not feel safe speaking openly about abuse. Employers may control access to workers’ housing, limiting the reach of outside inspectors or advocates.

  • Icon - Globe Language

    Many migrant workers do not speak the language of their destination country, making it challenging for them to understand their work agreements, understand local labor laws, and communicate with managers and authorities.

  • Icon - ID Card Legal Status

    Some migrant workers are dependent on their employer for their work visa. Others may work abroad without a visa or work permit. In both cases, the power imbalance between companies and workers may leave many migrants unable to fully access their rights due to fear of deportation or inability to return home. 

     

  • Icon - Dollar Sign Remittances

    Many migrant workers financially support family in their home countries. In many cases, jobs abroad pay significantly higher wages to migrant workers than jobs at home. This dynamic discourages workers from speaking up, filing grievances, or leaving their employer—even in cases of serious labor abuses.

  • Icon - Group of People Recruitment Fees

    Many migrant workers pay fees to recruitment agencies and brokers for placement in jobs abroad; these fees may cover costs such as travel, visa, and other recruitment formalities, in addition to unspecified “fees” that are often substantial and sometimes structured as high-interest loans.

  • Icon - No Symbol Prohibitions on the right to organize

    In some countries with large populations of migrant workers, it is legally prohibited for migrant workers to form or join unions.

At a minimum, companies should carefully screen migrant workers in a supply chain to identify and remediate illegal recruitment fees, assess whether workers understand the terms of their employment contracts and their rights, and ensure workers retain access to their identification documents. At the supplier level, a company can begin to assess forced labor risks by understanding whether policies on migrant worker recruitment and employment align with local labor laws and international labor standards.

Examples
in Action

Wage Theft against Migrant Workers during COVID-19

Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)* is a regional network of NGOs, associations, and trade unions committed to protecting and promoting the rights and welfare of migrant workers. Their Justice for Wage Theft reports analyze cases of wage theft documented by MFA and its partners. The latest report, “Crying Out for Justice,” was published in February 2022 and includes 2,602 documented cases of wage theft across Asia in over a dozen sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report found the largest proportion of cases in construction. In total, the cases described in MFA’s report reflect $19.2 million in stolen wages and dues for migrant workers from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, and the Philippines.

 

Woman in white long sleeve shirt and blue denim jeans cleaning a glass window with a yellow sponge while wearing a mask, goggles and yellow gloves
Photo Credit: CDC_Unsplash

Guidance on migrant workers

Photo Credit: Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). CIW staff conduct worker-to-worker education in the fields as a part of the Fair Food Program.

The Dhaka Principles for Migration with Dignity (Dhaka Principles) and accompanying implementation guidance were developed by the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB)* and are supported by businesses, governments, trade unions, and civil society. The 10 Dhaka Principles trace a worker from recruitment through employment to the end of the employment relationship. The document provides key principles that employers and migrant recruiters should respect to sure migration with dignity. They are based on international human rights standards and the three pillars of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Companies should ensure that their code of conduct and service-level agreements integrate good practice principles to reduce the vulnerabilities of migrant workers.

Companies should ensure that their code of conduct and service-level agreements integrate good practice principles to reduce the vulnerabilities of migrant workers. 

The 10 Dhaka Principles are:

  1. No fees are charged to migrant workers.
  2. All migrant worker contracts are clear and transparent.
  3. Policies and procedures—including company human rights policy statements and operational policies—are inclusive and make specific references to migrant worker rights.
  4. No migrant workers' passports or identity documents are retained.
  5. Wages are paid regularly, directly to the worker, and on time.
  6. The right to worker representation is respected.
  7. Working conditions are safe and decent.
  8. Living conditions are safe and decent.
  9. Access to remedy is provided.
  10. Freedom to change employment is respected, and safe and timely return is guaranteed.

Examples
in Action

Construction worker in red, blue and white plaid dress shirt wearing yellow hat holding black smartphone
Photo Credit: Emmanuel Ikwuegbu_Unsplash

Technology to Survey Migrant Workers

Companies and civil society groups are increasingly turning to digital platforms as a tool to communicate with migrant workers. Some applications provide workers with peer-to-peer information-sharing and information regarding support services. Other common features include push notifications to workers on their rights and resources, worker surveys and feedback tools, and anonymous communication channels between workers and brands.

These applications provide companies with a method of communication with migrant workers in their supply chain but are not grievance mechanisms and therefore do not provide a means for dispute resolution. These tools can effectively supplement but are not a replacement for worker engagement (see Step 1: Engage Stakeholders).

 

Examples of platforms that also facilitate communication with migrant workers include:

  • Worker Connect is a communications platform from TechSoup.* It allows workers to anonymously share feedback with companies, provides workers with information on labor laws, and gives labor due diligence professionals information to identify and address code of conduct risks and violations.
  • Ulula * offers a customizable platform that enables real-time communication with workers in more than 100 countries, deploys surveys and alerts, integrates training and resources, and includes an anonymous reporting tool to identify problems.
  • Global Labor Justice has produced Model Operational Guidelines to secure Wi-Fi for migrants working on distant water fishing vessels in Taiwan’s fleet. Migrant workers are at sea for up to a year, which can leave them isolated and unable to communicate not only with their families, but also with state officials, NGOs, and unions. Having Wi-Fi access can help workers to protect their fundamental rights by enabling them to communicate with each other, workers’ organizations, and government authorities as problems occur, not months later.
  • WOVO is a smartphone application from Labor Solutions* that began as a tool for factory and farm workers mainly in Southeast Asia, and now operates around the world, providing business solutions for building resilient supply chains by connecting, engaging, and educating workers. WOVO was featured in a case study of grievance mechanisms for businesses.
  • The Responsible Sourcing Tool contains sample Migrant Worker Interviews and interview guidance that can be used by those developing and conducting targeted migrant and foreign contract worker interviews. Companies can also use these sample interviews to shape their own worker interview questionnaires in order to improve the ability of auditors to identify possible cases of abuse or recruiter-induced human trafficking at company, supplier, and subcontractor facilities.