COP28? NGO denounces “widespread abuse” of migrants in host country

“E should be treated as such, particularly at COP28, a conference dedicated to promoting climate action taking place in a country that is overwhelmingly dependent on migrant workers”, reads a statement from HRW.

In the note, the non-governmental organization argued that migrant workers in the UAE face “multiple harms directly related to the worsening climate crisis”.

“Outdoor workers in the UAE are disproportionately exposed to extreme heat, which is linked to chronic health damage, without adequate protection and compensation,” warns the human rights organization.

The labor abuses they face, HRW continued, “like wage theft, limit the ability to send financial support home, even as families face climate-related catastrophes.”

The organization recalled that the host country “has been associated with a series of labor abuses, including wage theft, recruitment fees and exposure to extreme heat.”

He therefore called on summit participants to “pay increased attention to the widespread abuses” that workers face “under the abusive ‘kafala’ system [patrocínio] from the country”.

This is a system to monitor migrant workers and requires them to have a sponsor.

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