UN experts flag widespread exploitation of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia: HRW

United Nations human-rights experts have raised concerns over "widespread and systematic" exploitation, deception, and deepening debt bondage faced by Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), more than 800,000 Bangladeshis currently hold Malaysian work permits, making them the largest group of documented foreign workers in the country.

Information received by UN experts shows that thousands of workers remain stranded in Bangladesh or face exploitation in Malaysia after paying recruitment fees up to five times higher than the official rate, reads an HRW report published yesterday (26 November).

The reported abuses include confiscation of passports by Malaysian employers, misleading job offers, gaps between promised and actual employment conditions, and inadequate support from relevant government agencies.

Workers who lack proper documentation face the highest risks, including arrest, detention, ill-treatment, and deportation under Malaysia's strict immigration laws and other anti-migrant policies.

HRW noted that Malaysian authorities frequently conduct immigration raids and currently detain an estimated 18,000 migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in immigration detention centres nationwide.

The rights group added that the United States has previously imposed import restrictions on Malaysian factories over forced-labour concerns.

The European Union's Forced Labour Regulation, set to take effect in 2027, will similarly restrict goods linked to forced-labour practices.

UN experts warned that debt bondage and deceptive recruitment could result in bans on goods produced under such conditions.

According to the HRW, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and other labour-sending and receiving countries — as well as nations where major buying companies are headquartered, including the US, the UK, and European Union member states — are legally obligated to ensure that labour migration systems protect workers' rights.

The UN experts urged both governments to investigate the reported abuses and to promptly ensure effective remedies.

They emphasised that "involuntary repatriations and any form of reprisals" against migrant workers would violate international human-rights obligations.

HRW further reported that international buyers sourcing goods from Malaysia should follow the Fair Labor Association's guidelines on responsible recruitment — which recommend factoring ethical recruitment costs into purchasing decisions, ensuring suppliers do the same, and supporting migrant workers' access to legal aid.

The UN experts stressed that Bangladesh and Malaysia must take immediate steps to end the mistreatment of migrant workers, warning that governments benefiting from migrant labour risk the prospect of further sanctions if abusive practices continue.