Migrant workers are all-too-often vulnerable to exploitation and more likely to end up in precarious situations.  As the world confronts COVID-19 and governments impose restrictions to stop its spread, migrant workers’ vulnerabilities are further exacerbated. In times such as these where the world is trying to contain the virus, migrant workers are struggling to access healthcare and secure their livelihoods while also fearing deportation, family separation, or detention.

Due to government lockdowns and economic activities coming into a standstill, migrant workers are at higher risk of losing their jobs. With their already precarious conditions, most of them are not covered by national labour laws and protections or aware of their rights and support systems. For example, RMG factories in India and Bangladesh are undergoing massive cuts and lay-offs due to drops in global demand and brands canceling orders. Many workers have also reported not getting paid by their employers and, thus, not being able to send remittances to families or to afford basic needs for survival.  

Now more than ever, all actors must cooperate to contain COVID-19 and minimize the social, health and economic impact on vulnerable groups. Brands and employers’ responsibilities have increased considering the situation. Based on the current scenario IOM has developed guidelines for the businesses to support them to respond to the impact of COVID-19 in their supply chains.  

The objective of this webinar is to better understand how human rights can be protected in supply chains during this pandemic. 
Target Audience: Businesses, Factory Owners, Brands, CSOs and other relevant stakeholders.
Duration: The webinar will be for 90 mins with panel discussion to understand the overall ground scenario. The last 30 mins will be kept for Q&A from participants.

For registration, please contact Sajjad Ahmed (Mr), IOM National Programme Officer at sajahmed@iom.int or Md Mamunur Rashid (Mr), IOM Project Assistant at mdmrashid@iom.int