A consortium of European media outlets working in collaboration with Lighthouse Reports have released a series of reports revealing the abuses refugees and other migrants face in EU-financed detention centres in Türkiye. The reports follow on numerous recommendations issued by UN human rights bodies earlier this year, which included inputs from the Global Detention Project […]
Migrant Workers
Qatar: Persistent Concerns Regarding the Treatment of Migrant Workers Despite Reforms
Qatar has adopted important reforms to protect the rights of migrants workers, but weak implementation and ongoing violations reveal inherent problems in the country’s labour system. Recent reports by human rights groups point to persistent exploitation of workers as well as other human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention and deportation. Abuses and Exploitation of Migrant […]
United Arab Emirates: Harsh Prison Sentences for Bangladeshi Protesters Reflects Broader Threats to Migrant Workers in the Country
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently sentenced Bangladeshi migrant workers to long-term – and, in some cases, life – prison sentences for demonstrating against a crackdown on anti-government protesters in Bangladesh. The harsh sentences have renewed criticism of the country’s arbitrary and discriminatory treatment of migrant workers. Long-term Imprisonment and Deportations Several dozen Bangladeshi nationals […]
Filipino Migrants Deported from Kuwait Amidst Tensions Over Worker Rights
Amidst tensions between the Philippines and Kuwait concerning migrant worker rights, some 700 Filipino workers were deported from Kuwait between April and July this year. Abused by Employers An estimated 268,000 Filipinos live and work in Kuwait–many of whom are employed as domestic workers. Due to the country’s Kafala system, workers are legally tied to […]
Russia: Immigration Detainees Amongst Foreign Migrants Targeted for Military Recruitment
In an effort to reach recruitment targets for its war in Ukraine, Russia has been attempting to coerce or force foreign migrants to fight. Authorities and private military companies have attempted to enlist foreigners in migration offices, workplaces, prisons, worker dormitories, and mosques. According to several reports, immigration detainees have also been targeted for enlistment. […]
The Migrant Workers Convention: A Legal Tool to Safeguard Migrants Against Arbitrary Detention
Adopted in 1990 and in force since 2003, the UN Migrant Workers Convention is the most comprehensive international treaty in the field of migration and human rights. In this chapter, Mariette Grange details how the convention safeguards migrants against arbitrary detention. She explains, however, that as the convention has only been ratified by 51 states—none of which are industrialised, migrant-receiving countries—the full potential of the convention remains to be tested. […]
