The issue
Migrant workers are individuals who move across borders for employment and play a critical role in global supply chains, while facing heightened risks of labour rights abuses. Businesses have a responsibility to respect their rights and to address risks related to recruitment, employment conditions and worker mobility.
Because migrant workers often move through complex recruitment chains, the risks of forced labour, debt bondage and discrimination can be hidden several tiers deep in a supply chain. Effective human rights due diligence (HRDD) means identifying these risks early and engaging directly with the workers affected.
Why it matters for business
- Recruitment fees and debt bondage are a leading indicator of forced labour.
- Contract substitution and withheld documents restrict workers’ freedom.
- Language and legal barriers make grievance mechanisms harder to access.
What good practice looks like
Engage potentially affected workers and their legitimate representatives throughout the due diligence process, not only when complaints arise. Where direct engagement is not possible, consult credible independent experts, including human rights defenders and civil society (UNGP 18).
Test how robust your own stakeholder engagement is with the short self-assessment below, then explore real company examples in Practical Examples.