Prompted by international scrutiny of working conditions on flagship projects in Qatar and the UAE, in 2016, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre surveyed construction companies on their approach to safeguarding migrant workers’ rights in both countries.
Two years on and with a second survey, the findings show that while a consistent but small group of construction companies demonstrate real commitment to tackling the risks to migrant workers in their operations, the overwhelming majority operate with high risks to human rights and continued disregard for workers’ welfare. In both years, more than 70% of surveyed companies did not respond and over 60% did not have a public commitment to human rights.
This briefing analyses the survey responses and public human rights commitments of construction companies with current projects in the region and makes recommendations to companies, clients and governments to advance the rights of migrant workers.
An overview of the risks to migrant workers on construction projects across the Gulf. Migrant workers make up between 60% and 90% of the workforce in the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Low-wage construction workers are at...
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre has quizzed 100 construction companies operating in Qatar and the UAE on the measures they are taking to stop exploitation of migrant workers. Only 22 responded, indicating a shocking level of inaction. Despite increasing...
This report gives an insight into the link between corporate practices in the Arabian Gulf’s engineering and construction sector and the recruitment – in South Asian countries like India and Bangladesh – of many of the migrant workers who staff the industry’s projects.
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Since 2018, a range of civil society, academic and governmental actors have raised concerns about possible forced labour in and connected to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People’s Republic of China. Governments and corporate en...Read More
This document aims to explain and provide details about the trafficking situation in Vietnam and provide insight into the general profile of traffickers and the crime of human trafficking. While the data source is limited, it provides some insight a...Read More
This facilitator’s guide provides tips and advice to help facilitators successfully use the curriculum for Labour Inspection Training on Child Labour in Belize. It describes the purpose and objectives of the training; provides an overview of ...Read More
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