A global organization, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, reports that it found 445 allegations of migrant worker abuse recorded in the first half of 2025.
This number was an increase from 324 for the same period last year.
These allegations of abuse were linked to 327 identifiable companies, with 80 US-headquartered companies dominating the dataset. This was followed by companies headquartered in the UK (23), Taiwan (22), Germany (18), Brazil (15) and China (15).
Companies most frequently named in the cases were Meta (8 cases), Starbucks (7), Levi Strauss (7) and VF Corporation (7).
“The first half of 2025 saw severe allegations of abuse against migrant workers in global supply chains,” said Catriona Fraser, migrant rights researcher, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, in a statement. “The data points to a clear trend whereby the wealthiest nations – and the multinational corporations operating in them – are profiting from the exploited labour of migrants from the Global South. Labor rights violations by unscrupulous employers continue to widen the gulf between the richest and the poorest around the world.
“Particularly alarming is the high prevalence of workers facing barriers accessing remedy,” she continued. “Companies accused of abuse must be held accountable, including through mandatory human rights due diligence legislation that ensures migrants who have experienced exploitation can access remedy and justice.”
BHRRC data from the first half of 2025 revealed:
- Many companies are repeat offenders. 16% of companies were linked to more than one case of migrant worker abuse, with US-headquartered companies particularly likely to be linked to more than one case.
- Meta was linked to allegations of labor rights abuse of migrant content moderators by outsourced firms in Colombia, Germany, Ghana and Kenya, and the use of its social media platforms for exploitative recruitment.
- A civil lawsuit filed against Starbucks named seven Brazilian coffee farms in Starbucks’ supply chain which subjected internal migrants from other areas of Brazil to severe labour rights violations, including conditions of forced labour.
- VF Corporation and Levi Strauss were linked through alleged supply chain connections to several Taiwanese suppliers accused of abusing the rights of migrant workers from Southeast Asia. In total, Transparentem’s investigation found over 40 buyers had supply chain connections to nine purportedly exploitative Taiwanese suppliers. Levi Strauss was also linked to another Taiwanese supplier accused of migrant exploitation in a separate investigation.
- Abuses are primarily linked to high-income countries in the Global North but impact migrant workers from lower- and middle-income countries in the Global South.
- US companies dominate the dataset, accounting for just under a quarter (24%) of companies named in reporting (80 companies).
- Abuses most commonly took place in the UK (45 cases). This was followed by Saudi Arabia (41), Taiwan (38) and the USA (37).
- Migrant workers from India (49 cases), the Philippines (38) and Bangladesh (37) were most commonly impacted.
- Wage theft was the most commonly reported allegation of abuse (145 cases), accounting for a third of the database. This was followed by barriers accessing remedy (115) and occupational health and safety violations (107).
Sector spotlights
The agri-food sector accounted for the highest number of allegations of abuse.
- A total of 118 allegations of abuse of food supply chain workers were recorded in the first half of 2025.
- This included allegations of abuse at all segments of the supply chain - on farms and fishing vessels (83 cases), in food and beverage processing and packaging (35 cases), and in food distribution and on shop floors (5 cases).
- Workers most frequently reported wage theft (55), occupational health and safety violations (35) and barriers accessing remedy (30), including exposure to toxic chemicals and injuries from dangerous machinery. In one shocking case, a Guatemalan farmworkers’ pelvis broke following an accident on a Canadian farm, but his employer left him on the ground and refused to take him to hospital.
The construction sector accounted for the second highest number of allegations of abuse.
- A total of 75 allegations of abuse were recorded in the first half of 2025.
- The highest number of fatalities took place in the construction sector. Fatalities were recorded in 45% of allegations of abuse in this sector (34 cases linked to 54 worker deaths), a considerable increase in comparison to the proportion of cases linked to deaths last year (22%).
- Deaths were most frequently recorded at worksites in Saudi Arabia (13 cases linked to 22 worker deaths) and India (8 cases linked to 48 worker deaths).
- The high number of fatality cases recorded in Saudi Arabia comes as the country prepares for the 2034 FIFA Men’s Football World Cup. Deaths were recorded at the World Cup Aramco Stadium, at NEOM and Qiddiya, mega-projects which will both house World Cup stadiums, and at the large entertainment venue Jeddah Superdome (operated by Sela), alongside other worksites.
- Workers in construction worldwide were most frequently subjected to safety violations (37), including worker deaths in 34 cases, and barriers accessing remedy (23).
