The UK has been listed as the most common location for migrant worker abuse in 2024 so far by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. New analysis from the centre revealed more than 40 cases of abuse in the first six months of the year, impacting migrant workers from India, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Ecuador, Spain, Indonesia, Nigeria and nine other countries. Large multinational companies of the likes of Amazon, Deliveroo, security provider ISS, Meta and Uber Eats were also linked to such allegations – alongside multiple private healthcare companies and well-known UK-headquartered companies, including Cotswold Outdoors, Deliveroo, Footasylum, HSBC, JD Sports, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer’s, Next, Schroders and Sports Direct. “UK brands have responsibility to respect migrant workers’ rights throughout their global supply chains,” said Isobel Archer, Labour and Migration Senior Researcher at the BHRRC. “As mandatory human rights due diligence laws become the norm, UK companies will find they can no longer turn a blind eye to abuse happening overseas – but they should already be taking action to address abuses in sectors and geographies where workers are most at risk.” Where allegations of abuse are brought to light, brands with the most leverage and resources must act swiftly to investigate and remedy direct abuse to workers, Archer added. Over 40% of cases (17) recorded by the BHRRC were linked to the UK’s health and social care sector, increasingly propped up with labour sourced from countries in the Global South – whose nationals reported being charged extortionate and illegal recruitment fees and being subjected to sexual harassment, extremely long hours, wage theft and abuse on arrival. Meanwhile, 14 cases (14%) were linked to agriculture and fishing, as the Seasonal Worker Scheme continues to be linked to unfair recruitment, and poor working and living conditions – including by UN experts, the BHRRC argued. Several cases of abuse were also reported by hotel and restaurant staff (5), and cleaning and maintenance workers (5).
