By the numbers (January 1 2022 - November 30 2025)
This tracker will be updated on a monthly basis and includes cases dating from January 2022. If you would like more information on reading and accessing the data or would like to submit a case to the tracker, please contact us.
560
Allegations
have been publicly reported regarding migrant worker abuse since 2022
40%
Construction and engineering
The highest proportion of cases by sector.
61%
Violations of employment standards
Most commonly reported abuse. Includes wage theft, unreasonable hours / performance targets, arbitrary dismissal & forced labour, among other abuses.
56%
Asia & the Pacific
Migrants' region of origin most commonly reported (with Nepali workers most commonly impacted, in 144 cases)
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries rely heavily on migrant labour. There are an estimated 20 million migrant workers in the Gulf; they account for 10% migrants globally and up to 90% of the manual labour force in the Gulf. Despite making significant contributions to the economic development of their host countries and to remittance outflows to their home countries, migrant workers face abuse, discrimination and exploitation by unscrupulous employers, as well as significant obstacles to access justice and remedy.
The tracker analyses publicly-reported allegations against eight broad categories of abuse, encompassing 20 indicators. The data is currently downloadable, along with an explanation of our methodology. Please contact us for more information.
Whenever possible we approach named companies to invite them to respond to allegations against them. Read more about the numerous challenges we face in identifying and contacting companies regarding cases of labour abuse committed in the Gulf.
Labour rights and the Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup 2034
In December 2024 Saudi Arabia won its bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. This page tracks human rights violations impacting migrant workers in the Kingdom and collates key research and news linked to the tournament.
Featured content
“We were treated as if we were machines”: Migrant workers powering Saudi Arabia’s energy transition
This analysis explores risks to migrant workers on renewable energy projects in Saudi Arabia. Using live tracking of projects in the country and interviews with Nepali and Bangladeshi workers in the supply chains of well-known multinationals, the report finds migrants on these projects are vulnerable to systemic human rights violations.
Gulf energy explorer: Renewables, rights and risks
This portal provides interactive data on renewable energy projects in the Gulf and maps company stakeholders. It aims to shed light on migrant worker rights in the renewables industry - an under-researched and opaque area - and drive positive action across the value chain.
Rush to renewables: Toward migrant worker rights and a just energy transition in the Gulf
This analysis by BHRC in collaboration with the human rights organisation Equidem finds the renewable energy sector in the Gulf risks falling woefully short in identifying and mitigating worker rights risks, even as it expands at pace.
