December 18

US: Sexual Violence, Harassment of Immigrant Farmworkers

Date: 21/05/2012 - 14:46

Hundreds of thousands of immigrant farmworker women and girls in the United Statesface a high risk of sexual violence and sexual harassment in their workplaces because US authorities and employers fail to protect them adequately, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

Restricted Rights: Migrant women workers in Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia

Date: 21/05/2012 - 14:38

Migrant workers have played a central part in the economic success story of many South-East Asian countries in recent years. As these countries have embraced the ‘outwards turn’ of export orientation, migrant workers have provided a regular source of cheap labour that has allowed their manufacturing industries to compete successfully on world markets.

Labour Migration from Colombo Process Countries: Good Practices, Challenges and Ways Forward

Date: 14/05/2012 - 10:51

This issue brief, the first in a series launched by MPI and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) that examines migration trends and issues in Asia, discusses labor migration from the 11 Colombo Process countries (which include China, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Vietnam). Since 2005, these countries have taken concrete steps to manage these labor flows and protect their citizens working abroad, particularly with respect to recruitment regulation and welfare protection.

Abuses still exist in Olympic supply chains

Date: 08/05/2012 - 14:11

Workers making Olympic sportswear for London 2012 for top brands and high street names including adidas and Next are being paid poverty wages, forced to work excessive overtime and threatened with instant dismissal if they complain about working conditions, according to a new report from the Play Fair 2012 campaign published today (Monday).

UN expert launches study to assess migrants’ rights in European border region

Date: 04/05/2012 - 09:05

A United Nations expert will kick off on Monday a one-year study to assess the impact that migration policies in the Euro-Mediterranean region have on the human rights of migrants, focusing on the management of the European Union’s external borders.

Deserting Refugees in the Sahara

Date: 21/05/2012 - 14:43

As dusk settles over the isolated Saharan town Kufra, young guards order a few hundred migrants lined up at a detention centre to chant "Libya free, Chadians out", before they kneel down for evening prayers.

Most of the prisoners in the small, squalid compound called the Freedom Detention Centre - run by Kufra’s military council - are from Chad. Hundreds more, from Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia, were moved to bigger facilities due to overcrowding.

Philippines to host 5th World Social Forum on Migration

Date: 21/05/2012 - 14:17

The fifth WSFM will carry the theme “Mobility, Rights and Global Models: Looking for Alternatives.” The Forum aims to strengthen the process, protest movements and organizations around the world fighting for integration and full exercise of rights of men, women, youth, children and girls who migrate after the hope of a dignified and just under one full human development.

UAE: Proposed Law to Benefit Domestic Workers

Date: 11/05/2012 - 15:45

A proposed United Arab Emirates (UAE) law on domestic workers holds promise for significant improvements in addressing worker abuse, Human Rights Watch said today. While a newspaper has reported about the law, its contents have not been made public, and a number of the reported provisions raise concerns.

ECRI's annual report 2011

Date: 04/05/2012 - 12:46

ECRI - the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance - has released its annual report for 2011, which describes its activities in the course of the year and highlights the main trends with regard to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance across Europe.

Download the report here

Better working conditions and social rights for seasonal workers

Date: 04/05/2012 - 09:00

Non-EU seasonal workers would enjoy basic working and living conditions, such as a minimum wage and decent accommodation, under draft legislation endorsed by the Civil Liberties Committee last Wednesday. These rules would tackle exploitation, while preventing temporary stays from becoming permanent. The Commission estimates that over 100,000 third-country seasonal workers come to the EU every year.