Report Notes Major Increase in Migrant Workers Abused
The number of migrant workers abused by their foreign employers abroad more than doubled in 2011, rights group Adhoc announced yesterday before calling on the government to improve its efforts to protect both migrant and repatriated workers. “It’s a dangerous sign,” said Adhoc president Thun Saray during the launch of an official report on the rights of women and children. In 2011, Adhoc received 124 cases of migrant worker abuse, filed on behalf of the workers by their families. During 2010, the group received notice of just 51 cases. Workers and their families have reported a slew of abuses over the past year, ranging from unpaid wages and unlawful confinement to starvation and sexual abuse. While cases recorded by Adhoc involved fishermen in Thailand and garment workers in Indonesia, the bulk – 85 – concerned maids in Malaysia. …
