Migrant workers are particularly at risk of labour exploitation. Workplace inspectors play a role in protecting non-EU workers' rights. This report guides inspectors to identify abuse and protect migrant workers. In autumn 2024, FRA will publish a manual with extensive resources to support workplace inspectors.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine posed new challenges for the EU. Millions were forced to flee the war. As a result of the scale of people’s displacement, the EU activated for the first time the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD). More than 1.3 million children sought international protection in the EU. This bulletin explores the respect, protection and fulfilment of the fundamental rights of displaced children and ways to safeguard their rights. The third in a series, this bulletin builds on the evidence in FRA’s Bulletin #1 and #2 on the experiences of displaced people seeking safety in the EU.
The Employers Sanctions Directive was primarily enacted to dissuade employers from recruiting migrants in an irregular situation, but it also contains provisions to protect workers. It facilitates access to justice for exploited workers and sets out workers’ rights to claim back payment of outstanding wages. The directive also contains provisions to enhance the effectiveness of labour inspections. This report describes how the 25 Member States bound by the directive have been implementing its protective provisions, focusing on the impact these provisions have on migrant workers in an irregular situation who are victims of exploitation and other labour
law violations.
Peace brings optimism. FRA’s Alice Hamilton explains her passion for access to justice and victims’ rights. Growing up with a Protestant father and a Catholic mother at the height of the Troubles gave Alice a valuable insight into living in a divided Ireland. As a child, she dreamed of equal treatment in both communities – a society where you are free to marry who you choose. Now Alice shares her optimism for the future in a Europe that protects fundamental rights.
Severe labour exploitation is widespread across the European Union. While workplace inspections can help counter this phenomenon, they need to be strengthened to do so effectively. Based on interviews and focus group discussions with almost 240 exploited workers active in diverse economic sectors, this report provides important evidence on how unscrupulous employers manipulate and undermine inspections, and on what can be done to counteract such efforts.
Workers are being severely exploited for their labour across the EU, and
inspections are not effective at stopping this reality. Based on interviews with
almost 240 workers – including non-EU citizens who came to the EU and
EU nationals who moved to another EU country to work – a new FRA report
outlines the problem and identifies ways to bolster inspections.
The stories of the domestic workers FRA interviewed for this paper reveal appalling working conditions and fundamental rights abuses in private homes across the EU. These stories indicate that, seven years on from FRA’s first report on domestic workers in 2011, little has changed in terms of the risks and experiences of severe labour exploitation domestic workers in the EU face.
Worker exploitation is not an isolated or marginal phenomenon. But despite its pervasiveness
in everyday life, severe labour exploitation and its adverse effects on third-country nationals
and EU citizens - as workers, but also as consumers - have to date not received much
attention from researchers. This report identifies risk factors contributing to such exploitation and
discusses means of improving the situation and highlights the challenges EU institutions and
Member States face in making the right of workers who have moved within or into the EU
to decent working conditions a reality.
L’exploitation de la main d’oeuvre n’est pas un phénomène isolé ou marginal. Toutefois,
en dépit de leur omniprésence dans la vie quotidienne, les formes graves d’exploitation
au travail et leurs effets préjudiciables sur les ressortissants des pays tiers et les citoyens
de l’UE - en tant que travailleurs, mais également en tant que consommateurs - n’ont pas
à ce jour suscité beaucoup d’intérêt de la part des chercheurs. Ce rapport
identifie les facteurs de risque qui contribuent à ce type d’exploitation et discute des
moyens d’améliorer la situation, tout en soulignant les défis auxquels sont confrontés les
institutions et les États membres de l’UE pour veiller à ce que le droit à des conditions de
travail décentes des travailleurs provenant de l’UE ou de pays tiers soit réellement appliqué.
Die Ausbeutung von Arbeitskräften ist kein vereinzelt auftretendes oder nebensächliches
Phänomen. Aber ungeachtet ihrer weiten Verbreitung und Alltäglichkeit haben schwere Arbeitsausbeutung
und ihre negativen Auswirkungen auf Drittstaatsangehörige und EU-BürgerInnen –
als Arbeitskräfte, aber auch als VerbraucherInnen – bislang bei WissenschaftlerInnen kaum
Beachtung gefunden. Im Rahmen der umfangreichen Feld- und Sekundärforschung der FRA
wurden die unterschiedlichen strafrechtlich relevanten Formen der schweren Ausbeutung von
Arbeitskräften aus anderen EU-Mitgliedstaaten oder Drittstaaten erstmals umfassend untersucht. Ziel war es, die diesbezüglichen Wissenslücken zu schließen und das derzeit herrschende
Klima der stillschweigenden Akzeptanz schwerer Arbeitsausbeutung in Frage zu stellen.
Worker exploitation is not an isolated or marginal phenomenon. But despite its pervasiveness in everyday life, severe labour exploitation and its adverse effects on third-country nationals and EU citizens - as workers, but also as consumers - have to date not received much attention from researchers.
Menschenhandel ist ein großes problem in der EU und weltweit. Jährlich werden viele Kinder Opfen von Menschenhandel für sexuelle oder Ausbeutung oder andere Zwecke. Gerichtsurteile werden Kinderhandel sind jedoch selten. Der Bericht betont, dass die EU in diesem Bereich mehr unternehmen muss. Aus diesem Grund schlägt die FRA vor, bessere Gesetze gegen Kinderhandel und für den Opferschutz zu verabschieden.
Trafficking in human beings is a major problem both in the EU and worldwide. Every year a substantial number of children fall victim to trafficking for sexual exploitation or other purposes. There are extremely low numbers of convictions in child trafficking cases. Overall, the report finds that the EU must do more to address the issue. The FRA calls for better legislation to combat child trafficking. The protection and care for victims, in particular, must be improved.
La traite des êtres humains pose un gros problème de nos jours, que ce soit au sein de l’Union européenne ou ailleurs. Même s’il n’existe pas de statistiques fiables, il est clair que, chaque année, un grand nombre de personnes, en majorité des femmes et des enfants, sont victimes de la traite à des fins d’exploitation sexuelle, d’exploitation du travail ou autres.
Dieser Report ist das Ergebnis eines Projekts der FRA zum Thema Migranten in einer irregulären Situation. Als erster von zwei thematischen Reports nimmt er Ergebnisse eines umfassenden Reports über die Grundrechte von Migranten in irregulären Situationen in der EU vorweg.