The Exploitation of Migrant Workers Around the World

Author: Natalie Bello, PhD

April 22, 2025

[Image source: DuckDuckGo Search]

At the end of January 2024, Amnesty International Canada published a report on the systemic abuse of migrant workers within the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP). The TFWP is a government initiative that first launched in 1973, enabling employers to hire foreign workers for positions that Canadian citizens and permanent residents are unable to fill. Foreign workers, many often from the Global South, are employed in low-paid positions across various job sectors, such as “agriculture, food processing, the care system, construction and hospitality” (Amnesty International Canada, 2025). Amnesty International's report highlights the abuse and discrimination migrant workers experience upon their arrival in Canada. In the report, France-Isabelle Langlois, Executive Director of Amnistie internationale Canada francophone, stated that workers are “met with unsafe working conditions, racist intimidation and threats, sexual harassment, and physical violence”  (Amnesty International Canada, 2025).

Amnesty International Canada's report highlights the stories of individuals who suffered abuse, like a Guatemalan man forced to work between 60 and 70 hours per week without sufficient rest or fair compensation. His employer also confiscated his passport and installed cameras both inside and outside his living and work spaces. One woman from Jamaica shared how her supervisor told her to "go back to the tree you came from", while another woman from Cameroon described enduring racist psychological and sexual abuse from her employer as soon as she arrived. One reason these abuses continue to occur is that the TWFP is a closed work permit, meaning workers are tied to a single employer who controls their “migration status and labor conditions” (Amnesty International Canada, 2025). Although the program has undergone several reforms over the years, the TWFP remains a closed work permit.

According to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), 239,646 closed work permits were issued in 2023 (Sivakumar, 2024), with “70% of migrants” arriving from "Mexico, India, Philippines, Guatemala and Jamaica in 2023” (Amnesty International Canada, 2025). Professor Jenna Hennebry of the International Migration Research Centre at Wilfrid Laurier University explained that the TFWP has "steamrolled ahead like a glorified employment agency" in response to employer demands (2024). The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) department has struggled to support new migrant workers or develop policy infrastructure to address the various issues the program has created, Hennebry also mentioned. The 2023-2024 IRCC Departmental Result's Report noted that immigrants and refugees make up 28.9% of the Canadian labor force (Government of Canada, 2024). However, Hennebry claims that Canada's workforce does not meet demand, particularly for roles in the agriculture, service, caregiving, and skilled trade sectors. Labor shortages in these sectors will continue to worsen as incoming workers are unable to compensate for the upcoming wave of retirees (Canadian Federation of Independent Business, 2024), along with the cost of living in rural areas, a lack of awareness about career opportunities in agriculture, cultural preferences for attending university, and the unavoidable seasonality of work (Wright, 2024).

Although major changes have been made to the TFWP in 2024, such as the validity period of a Labour Market Impact Assessment issued by the ESDC department being reduced from 12 months to six months or decreasing the number of low-wage workers a Canadian business can employ through the TFWP (Rodrigues, 2025). These changes are primarily aimed at reducing the number of low-wage foreign workers in Canada, rather than addressing the abuses faced by migrants who come to Canada for employment. The structural barriers of closed work permits, along with additional challenges such as restrictions on unionizing, language barriers, and factors related to gender, class, and race, create intersectional obstacles that prevent workers from reporting or escaping abuse.

The enforcement system heavily relies on individual reports, requiring migrant workers to substantiate their claims of abuse and navigate a complex foreign judicial system. Canadian authorities have introduced new measures to address these barriers and improve access to reporting abuse such as funding for organizations to deliver information and hire support workers. Additionally, there is a one-year open work permit for workers who have experienced or are at risk of abuse by their employer, known as the Open Work Permit-Vulnerable Workers (OWP-VW). Unfortunately, these measures have not led to the structural changes necessary to end the abuses faced by foreign workers, nor have closed work permits been abolished in Canada. While Canada’s immigration policies continue to evolve—with new rules being introduced and the possibility of a more conservative leader becoming the next Prime Minister—it is crucial to recognize that the abuses faced by migrant workers are global human rights issues. Let us now examine some of the abuses encountered by foreign workers in different parts of the world.

Saudi Arabia

Migrant workers in Saudi Arabia are facing abuse, some in “situations of forced labour, including exorbitant recruitment fees, rampant wage theft, inadequate protections from extreme heat, restrictions on transferring jobs, and uninvestigated worker deaths” (Human Rights Watch, 2024). Authorities have failed to prevent or address these abuses. Furthermore, FIFA, the international football organization, has officially confirmed Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2034 Men’s World Cup without conducting proper human rights due diligence or securing a commitment from Saudi Arabia to prevent labor exploitation and other forms of abuse.

Minky Worden, Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch, stated that, “FIFA is willfully blind to the country’s human rights record, setting up a decade of potentially horrific human rights abuses preparing for the 2034 World Cup” (2024). Not only have the construction requirements for the global soccer tournament raised concerns over the potential treatment of migrant workers, but the development of the multibillion-dollar giga-projects has led to further abuse due to “unrealistic, tight deadlines for projects”. The giga-projects are multiple landmark initiatives designed to transform Saudi Arabia's economy and showcase the country's "geographic wealth, cultural heritage, hospitality, economic ambitions, and aspirations for environmental conservation" (Kane and Al Khudair, 2021).

Human Rights Watch reported that there are 13.4 million migrant workers, making up 42 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population, who are employed in a range of sectors, “including construction, hospitality, private health services, and retail” (Human Rights Watch, 2024). Foreign workers are subjected to dangerous working conditions, including extreme heat, lack of breaks, and underpayment or non-payment. In more extreme cases, workers have reported serious health issues from prolonged heat exposure, job-related injuries, and unexplained deaths, with families left without proper investigations or compensation. Saudi Arabia also places restrictions on free expression and prohibits migrant workers from joining a trade union or going on strike. One reason these abuses persist is due to the country's kafala system, which ties legal migrant workers to specific employers.

In 2021, Labor Reform Initiatives (LRI) were implemented, which aimed to give workers the ability to change employers under specific conditions or leave the country. However, these initiatives were poorly enforced and regulated, allowing employers to maintain extensive control over foreign workers and severely restrict their job mobility. It is evident that there are still concerns over the working conditions for migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. With continuous pressure to complete multi-billion dollar projects within a short period and rising temperatures, it can be expected that more migrants will be exposed to dangerous working conditions.

Nepal

Many Nepalese seek work outside of their own country, specifically in Middle Eastern countries, despite reports of abuse towards foreign workers. Nepal's economy relies heavily on remittance sent home by migrant workers. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 2 million Nepalese live abroad, and in 2023, approximately $11 billion in remittances were sent to family members in Nepal, accounting for “26 percent of the country's GDP” (International Organization of Migration, 2024). The remittances sent by migrant workers have helped lift many households out of poverty. As a result, the Nepali government has been hesitant to implement measures that might restrict emigration, while recruitment agencies actively lobby the government to prevent any restrictions that could affect their businesses (Rai, 2022).

In a 2023 Equidem Research Nepal report, Executive Director and lead researcher Rameshwar Nepal stated, "Nepali migrant workers have become more vulnerable to exploitation, right from the recruitment phase” (Pandey, 2023). The report also noted that Nepalese workers in the Gulf countries and Malaysia were forced to pay illegal recruitment fees, face contract violations, endure wage theft, and encounter significant challenges when receiving proper compensation or trying to return home. Employees often need permission from their employer to leave the country. In some cases, employers may file charges of abscondment or theft against workers, which can lead to their arrest as a means of preventing them from leaving the country (Pandey, 2023). Kul Prasad Karki, chairperson of the Pravasi Nepali Coordination Committee (PNCC), a non-governmental organization (NGO) advocating for migrant workers' rights, remarked, "The Foreign Employment Act states that the recruiters' businesses are protected. Those companies don't care whether workers' rights are respected or not, or when workers are offered different, low-paying jobs than what was mentioned in their contracts” (Rai, 2022).

In response to these unethical recruiters, the Nepali government implemented the "Free Visa, Free Ticket" policy in July 2015. It was intended to reduce the service fees charged by recruitment agencies to foreign workers and also required employers in "Malaysia and six Gulf states to cover the costs of migrant workers' visas and airfare" (Amnesty International, 2017). When introduced, the Free Visa, Free Ticket policy was seen as groundbreaking. However, nearly a decade later, its implementation has been poor, and it has faced significant backlash from recruitment agencies. Migrant workers continue to struggle with exorbitant “recruitment fees, misinformation, and systemic exploitation, leading to cycles of debt and disillusionment” (Pandey, 2024). Recruitment agencies often exploit policy loopholes by illegally charging workers for documentation or overseas placement or misleading workers about the type of work they will be doing once they leave Nepal  (Pandey, 2024). Many migrant workers are unaware of their rights and protections, forcing them to rely on “informal loans from family, friends, or moneylenders” (Pandey, 2024), which puts them in debt before they leave the country. Once abroad, workers can experience abuse from their employers, unsafe working conditions, and difficulties changing jobs or leaving the country due to the kafala system that is in place in many Gulf countries. Despite attempts to rectify the abuses Nepalese workers experience from the very start of their foreign employment, insufficient policy enforcement has allowed abusive practices to persist. This is especially concerning for a country like Nepal, which relies heavily on remittances from abroad.

United Kingdom 

A recent report published by the trade union UNISON in February of this year revealed that many foreign workers coming to the United Kingdom to work in the care sector are being charged excessive and "fraudulent fees" just to secure a job. Upon arrival, these migrant workers often find themselves "living in overcrowded homes and earning less than the minimum wage" (Ravikumar, 2025). Post-Brexit Britain has created a system where companies sponsoring workers, particularly in the care sector, hold disproportionate power over foreign workers and can threaten deportation. Nearly a third of care workers, specifically in England, are from “Nigeria, Zimbabwe, India, and the Philippines” (Ravikumar, 2025). They fill vacancies within the country that have remained since the UK departed from the European Union and to meet the demands of an aging population. Significantly, UNISON reported that the social care sector has become reliant on foreign workers to fill vacancies for years due to “underfunding and a low-pay culture" (UNISON, 2025).

[Image source: UNISON]

UNISON’s report, Caring at a Cost, surveyed over 3,000 foreign workers in the care sector. Their survey exposed that some migrant workers were required to spend more than £20,000 (24,700 US dollars) in recruitment fees (Ravikumar, 2025). Nearly “18% of survey respondents” stated that employers deducted money from their salary as fees for “administration, uniforms, cars, loans, training, hotel rooms, and airport pick-ups" (UNISON, 2025). Other workers (4%) indicated that they had to pay their employer to be released from their contract despite this practice being illegal (UNISON, 2025). One in 10 workers reported not being compensated for travel time between visits or paid for instances when they missed work due to illness. Some migrant workers even had their pay deducted without any explanation.

A quarter of survey respondents also reported being paid below the legal minimum wage, leaving them unable to pay bills or rent, and forcing some to skip meals or sleep rough. Among the workers who had accommodation provided, one in 10 reported that the living conditions were inadequate. Workers (24%) were forced to share accommodation with others and in one extreme case, 15 people were living in a single one-bedroom apartment.

Survey respondents also reported receiving racist and discriminatory abuse, often from those they were caring for, as well as from other care workers, senior managers, or employers. Workers who raised concerns over their treatment were threatened with dismissal or redundancy. Similarly to Nepal, fraudulent recruitment agencies exploit migrant workers, particularly those from the Global South, by promising them employment and then subjecting them to ongoing abuse once they arrive in the UK. In response, the current Labour government has backtracked the Conservative government's 2022 visa route, which had granted sponsor licenses to providers who had recently started a practice. As a result, many employers struggled to provide enough work for their staff. The Home Office has since changed its stance, now rejecting sponsorship requests unless a guaranteed availability of work is in place. The government has also banned “rogue employers" from sponsoring foreign workers and is committed to helping care workers affected by labor exploitations find alternative employment (Strauss, 2025). While the current government has taken the first steps to address what has been described as “modern-day slavery”, (Jackson, 2025) it is still too early to determine whether these actions will put an end to the labor abuse migrant workers face in the UK’s care sector.

Australia

In 2023, the Grattan Institute released a report examining the abuses faced by foreign workers in Australia. One of the key findings was that migrant workers were twice as likely as long-term residents to be underpaid, with up to "16 percent of migrant workers earning less than the minimum wage" (Coates, 2023). Brendan Coates from the Grattan Institute argued that the exploitation of overseas workers, “weakens the bargaining power of Australian workers, undermines the minimum wage, promotes a ‘race to the bottom’ for employers, and harms Australia’s ability to attract prospective skilled migrants” (2023).

Concerningly, the government has also failed to prevent migrant workers from sexual harassment, bullying, and unsafe working conditions (Khadem, 2023). The report suggested the government take a stronger approach to ending labor abuses by "reforming visa rules to make migrants less vulnerable to exploitation", strengthening and improving labor law enforcement to hold employers accountable, "closing loopholes in job recruitment, and supporting migrants in pursuing underpayment claims" (Coates, 2023). While the Australian government has committed to implementing the recommendations of the Migrant Workers' Taskforce’s 2019 report, which was commissioned by the former coalition government in 2016, it is evident that stronger enforcement is needed to end these abuses of migrant workers.

In 2024, Tomoya Obokata, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, was invited to make an official visit to Australia. After spending two weeks in the country, he expressed "serious concerns" about "the welfare of workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, the Domestic Worker (diplomatic or consular) stream, and those on the Temporary Skill Shortage Visa, Working Holiday Visa, and Student Visa" (Hutchens, 2024). Obokata noted a power imbalance between employers and workers, with many workers being tied to a single employer and often dependent on them for "contract extensions" or "nomination for permanent residency” (Hutchens, 2024). Obokata's interim report acknowledged the progress the government has made in addressing migrant abuses. However, Obokata still put forward 36 recommendations, with the full report set to be released in September 2025. With multiple reports being released on the state of Australia's migrant worker visa programs, there are still concerns that need to be addressed as the country continues to reform its policies.

Conclusion

Migrant worker exploitation is not confined to Western or Eastern nations; it is a global issue that requires a collective effort from all countries to resolve. As our world becomes more interconnected, the demand for migrant labor will persist, particularly in wealthy capitalist nations where the need for workers remains high. It is evident that migrant workers often undertake dangerous, low-paying jobs and face exploitation even before they leave their home countries. It is essential that governments recognize the invaluable contributions of foreign workers and treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve.

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Glossary

• Abscondment - It is the act of secretly leaving or hiding oneself to avoid arrest or legal proceedings. In the context of employment, it is to leave a job without notice.

• Amnistie internationale Canada francophone - This is the French-speaking division of Amnesty International Canada.

• Brexit - In June 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum on whether to leave the European Union, a decision that officially took effect at the start of 2020. This event has become widely known as Brexit.

• Coalition - A coalition is a temporary alliance, typically formed by political parties, to create a government or state.

• Conservative government - The Conservative Party is a political party in the United Kingdom that previously formed a government but lost its position when it was defeated by the Labour Party in the 2024 General Election. The party is generally positioned as center-right to right-wing on the political spectrum.

• Disillusionment - It is a feeling of disappointment that arises when something turns out to be not as good as it initially seemed.

• Domestic Worker (diplomatic or consular) stream -This is a type of Australian visa that allows individuals to perform temporary full-time domestic work in the household of someone holding a Diplomatic visa. Applicants must be 18 years or older, and the visa is initially valid for up to 12 months, with the possibility of an extension.

• Employment and Social Development Canada - The Employment and Social Development Canada is a department in the federal government that is responsible for social programs and the labor market at the federal level. The department works to improve the standard of living for Canadians, promote a highly skilled labor force, and encourage an efficient and inclusive labor market.

• Foreign Employment Act - The Foreign Employment Act was passed in Nepal in 1985 with the aim of regulating the employment of Nepalese citizens abroad. It covers areas such as the licensing and regulation of recruitment agencies, worker selection, advertising, fees, employment contracts, and investigations.

• Free Visa, Free Ticket - This is a policy introduced in 2015 in Nepal, aimed at reducing the cost of labor migration by making employers responsible for covering visa and ticket expenses.

• Giga projects - The Giga projects are a series of large-scale real estate and infrastructure developments in Saudi Arabia, designed to stimulate the economy. These projects are expected to play a key role in diversifying the economy away from oil dependency.

• Global South - The term refers to countries that are less developed or economically disadvantaged. Coincidentally, these nations are primarily located in the southern hemisphere, with many in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

• Home Office - The Home Office is a government department in the United Kingdom responsible for public safety, policing, border security, immigration, passports, and civil registration.

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) - This is a department within the Canadian government responsible for immigration, refugees, and citizenship. The department was established in 1994 as part of a reorganization.

• International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) - FIFA is the international self-regulatory governing body for association football (soccer), beach soccer, and futsal. Founded in May 1904, FIFA’s mission is to promote the global growth of football (soccer), ensure its accessibility, and advocate for integrity and fair play. It is also responsible for organizing the FIFA World Cup, an international tournament held every four years.

• International Organization for Migration (IOM) -The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations system. Its mission is to support migrants worldwide and provide guidance on migration policy and practices. The IOM operates across six regions, including Nepal.

• Kafala system - This sponsorship system ties migrant workers to specific employers during their stay in a country. It is most prevalent in Arab nations, particularly those on the Arabian Peninsula. Supporters of the system argue that it benefits local businesses and fosters economic development, while critics point out that it often leads to low wages, poor working conditions, and the potential for worker exploitation.

• Labor Reform Initiatives (LRI) - The Labor Reform Initiative (LRI) was launched in November 2020 by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to reform the sponsorship system, enhance migrant workers' mobility, and modernize employment terms.

• Labour government - The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom that formed a government for the first time since 2010 after winning the most seats in the 2024 General Election. The party is positioned on the center-left of the political spectrum.

• Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) - The Labour Market Impact Assessment is a document Canadian employers may need before hiring foreign workers. The document is issued by the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) department, and it assesses the impact of hiring a foreign worker. A positive LMIA indicates that there is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident that can fill the position, while a negative LMIA indicates the position can be filled by a citizen or permanent resident.

• Loophole - A loophole is a flaw or technicality within a law, rule, or system that allows individuals to bypass or circumvent its intended purpose.

• Migrant workers - A migrant worker is an individual who relocates to another country for employment. Typically, migrant workers do not intend to stay permanently in the country or region where they work.

• Migrant Workers' Taskforce - The Migrant Workers' Taskforce was established in Australia in 2016 to identify ways to improve laws, enforcement, investigations, and practical measures to address cases of migrant worker exploitation.

• Modern Day Slavery - Modern day slavery is when individuals or groups of people are forced to work or are exploited for little or no pay. These individuals are controlled by others who use violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power to maintain control.

• Non-governmental organization (NGO) - A non-governmental organization (NGO) operates independently of government control and is not for profit. Most NGOs focus on humanitarian causes, aiming to address social, economic, or environmental issues.

• Open Work Permit-Vulnerable Workers (OWP-VW) - This work permit allows workers with a closed or employer-specific permit to leave an abusive work situation and seek new employment in Canada. It is a temporary visa valid for six to 12 months.

• Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) - The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire workers from nine Pacific islands and Timor-Leste to fill vacancies that Australian citizens or permanent residents are unable to fill.

• Recruitment agencies - A recruitment agency is an external partner that assists companies in filling open positions with qualified candidates. The agency is responsible for sourcing and vetting individuals for specific roles.

• Redundancy -Redundancy occurs when a person loses their job because there is insufficient work available.

• Remittance - Remittance refers to money sent by foreign workers to their home countries to support their families. Most remittances flow from high-income to lower-income countries and play a significant role in international capital flow, particularly for labor-exporting nations.

• Sleeping rough - When a person sleeps in public spaces or areas not intended for habitation because they do not have a current home to return to. This term is more commonly used in the United Kingdom and differs from the broader concept of homelessness.

• Sponsor license - A sponsor license is a permit that allows employers in the United Kingdom to hire workers who are not citizens or permanent residents to fill job vacancies. The license is issued by the UK visas and Immigration (UKVI) agency.

• Sub-minimum - Sub-minimum refers to something that falls below the established minimum standard or rate. It is commonly used in the context of wages, where an individual is paid less than the legally mandated minimum wage.

• Systemic abuse - Systemic abuse refers to the unfair or harmful treatment of individuals or groups of people by a social, cultural, or institutional system. It is often repetitive and deeply embedded within these systems, making it challenging to address.

• Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) - This program allows Canadian employers to hire foreign workers to fill temporary jobs when citizens or permanent residents are not available to fill the role. There is no set maximum time a person can temporarily work in Canada. The length of time is dependent on the job offer from an employer and length of time listed on the Labour Market Impact Assessment. To qualify as a Temporary Worker, an applicant must already have a job offer from a Canadian employer and obtained permission from the Canadian government via the Labour Market Impact Assessment. The program is regulated through the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

• Temporary Skill Shortage Visa -The Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa was replaced by the Skills in Demand (SID) visa in December 2024. This visa allows employers to sponsor skilled workers from overseas to fill positions Australian workers or permanent residents are unable to fill.

• UNISON - UNISON is a British trade union with over 1.2 million members, primarily working in public services such as local government, education, and healthcare. Founded in 1993, UNISON offers support on work-related issues, including protection and representation, assistance with pay and working conditions, and legal advice.

• Working Holiday Visa - The Working Holiday Visa is an Australian permit designed for young adults who wish to extend their vacation by working in Australia to fund their travels. The visa allows individuals to stay for up to 12 months with the possibility of extending their stay with a renewed visa.