German labour laws are inadequate in protecting foreign workers’ rights, warns a report by the German Institute for Human Rights. It said migrant workers are often forced into hardships out of fear of losing their jobs.
In the state-financed German Institute for Human Rights DIMR’s third annual report, which was presented last week, foreign workers, including those from other EU nations, faced grievous exploitation.
“Although most people take human rights for granted today, that can certainly not be said about the everyday lives of many people — even here in Germany,” DIMR Director Beate Rudolf said at the report’s presentation in Berlin.
As reported by Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s international broadcaster, DIMR’s report found that employers often pay foreign workers far below the federal minimum wage of €8.84/h and fail to make social security payments.
Furthermore, the report highlighted the dire situation that migrant workers find themselves in due to their dependence on employers. They are often forced to work unpaid overtime and live in inhumane housing.
The biggest problem, the report warned, is that many migrants have few opportunities to use legal action to improve their circumstances.
According to DW, the report coincided with new data from the United Nations’ International Labour Organization (ILO), which found that the number of migrant workers around the globe has risen by some 9% over the past four years.
