"Not just a number": Tracking migrant worker abuse in global supply chains - 2025 Global Analysis
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Between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (the Resource Centre) recorded 665 cases of alleged abuse of migrant workers globally in our Migrant Worker Allegations Database (the Database).
These cases span all sectors, all abuses and all regions of the world, from climate-displaced Nepali workers then hit by the impacts of climate change on Gulf construction sites, to Bangladeshi women workers toiling for American household name fashion brands and British retailers in Jordanian garment factories.
Read the analysis
Explore the data using our interactive tools to find out more about the types of threats migrant workers face, which industries benefit from abuse and which migration corridors are most dangerous for workers.
Key findings
- The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre recorded 665 cases of alleged abuse of migrant workers between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024.
- Women workers were visible in only one third of cases (32%), despite making up almost half of all migrant workers according to global estimates; undocumented workers were impacted in one third of cases (32%) in which migration status was reported.
- The most frequently cited category of abuse – as we found in 2023 – was violations of employment standards (seen in 61% of cases) including wage theft, excessive or illegal working hours with inadequate rest and leave, arbitrary dismissal and contract substitution. This was followed by violations of occupational health and safety standards in 39% of cases (262), unfair recruitment practices in 36% of cases (241), verbal or physical abuse in the workplace or accommodation in 28% of cases (185), barriers to access remedy in 26% of cases (170) and precarious or poor living standards in 24% of cases (162):
- Wage theft remained the top issue for workers, reported in 34% of cases (229).
- Recruitment fee-charging was reported in 26% of cases (170).
- Intimidation in the workplace was reported in 22% of cases (149).
- Unreasonable working hours with inadequate rest was reported in 22% of cases (147).
- 218 deaths were recorded across 13% of cases (89) during 2024.
- The Asia-Pacific region again clearly featured as the largest region of worker origin, with 56% of cases impacting workers from the region. It was also again the top receiving region, accounting for 37% of cases by destination country.
- Nine of the top ten destination countries – USA, UK, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Australia, Italy, Canada, New Zealand and Taiwan – are classified by the World Bank as high income. The exception, India, was the destination country in 34 cases: 32 of these impacted internal migrants moving within India.
- By contrast, all of the top 10 origin countries – India, Bangladesh, Philippines, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam and Guatemala – were countries the World Bank classifies as lower and upper middle income.
- Where companies could be linked to the cases, these were more likely to be headquartered in high income countries, except for India, China and Indonesia.
- The top three sectors most frequently linked to migrant worker abuse were:
- Agri-food supply chains in 32% of cases: agriculture and fishing (162 cases), processing and packaging (40), and distribution and retail (16)
- Construction and engineering (20% of cases)
- Manufacturing (12% of cases)
- Three Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and attacks on human rights defenders were recorded relating to migrant worker abuse in Cameroon, Malaysia and the UK.
Find out more
Allegations of abuse against migrant workers
Search for named companies included in the Migrant Worker Allegations Database, which records cases of publicly reported allegations of human rights abuse against migrant workers committed by, or otherwise linked to, businesses around the world.
Civil society responses
Unions, migrant worker and human rights' organisations respond to our findings
Migrant workers in global supply chains
The ILO estimates there are over 169 million international migrant workers globally. Explore all our resources on migrant workers' rights in global supply chains.