New report identifies firms such as Meta, Levi as linked to worker abuse
Nearly 600 companies, including some major global firms, have been linked to alleged abuse of migrant workers globally in 2025, according to a new report from the Business and Human Rights Centre (BHRC).
The BHRC, in its Migrant Worker Allegations Database, identified a total of 584 companies that were linked to 747 recorded cases of abuse of migrant workers between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
US companies were linked to cases 267 times, almost four times more frequently than the next most common company headquarters location, the UK.
Meta, with 12 cases, was linked to the highest number of alleged migrant worker abuse cases, followed by Adidas, Levi Strauss, LVMH, and the VF Corporation, with seven each.
"The findings point to a deepening accountability crises and rising environment of corporate impunity," said the BHRC in a briefing.
"Set against the backdrop of the climate crises crisis, escalating conflict, and hostile migration policies, the widespread failure by companies to address the structural drivers of these violations or adopt migrant worker-centred due diligence enabled abuse to go unchecked."
Meta said in response to the BHRC global analysis that human exploitation is "abhorrent" and "not allowed" in its platforms.
"We have teams across investigations, engineering, policy, and integrity who are dedicated to anti-trafficking efforts, and we've invested in technology to proactively detect and review content and behaviour related to human exploitation including labour exploitation," Meta said in a statement released by the BHRC.
"Additionally, we work with trusted safety partners to identify, review, and remove Facebook Pages, Facebook Profiles, and Instagram accounts that may be engaging in recruitment, facilitation, or exploitation of people."
Transparentem report
Levi Strauss & Co., in a similar statement, also reiterated its commitment to human rights and labour rights.
"LS&Co. has made it clear to all of our suppliers globally that LS&Co. cannot accept any materials produced using forced labour or managed by entities involved in forced labour," it said.
Levi has been linked to labour abuses in Taiwan that were identified in a probe by the non-profit investigative organisation Transparentem.
According to the probe, Levi is one of the companies "with possible supply-chain connections" to textile and textile-related suppliers in Taiwan where alleged abuses are committed against migrant workers.
Transparentem said Levi has yet to take action to correct or remediate the harm.
In its response, Levi said it takes the allegations in the Transparentem report seriously, stressing that it is committed to joining efforts to address the issue across Taiwan's textile and apparel industry.
However, it noted that its remediation efforts have been limited due to the lack of "ability to influence the suppliers in question."
"All seven companies named in the Transparentem report… supply or have supplied materials to manufacturers that make LS&Co. products, but none are used in the manufacturing of our company's products," it said.
"Under OECD guidelines, brands have a responsibility to mitigate an adverse impact when the impact is directly linked to their operations, products or services by a business relationship. We did not participate in mill remediation efforts as we lack the business relationships and ability to influence the suppliers in question."
VF Corporation is another buyer that is linked to the findings of the Transparentem investigation.
The company in response said it has quickly collaborated with apparel brands and other stakeholders to investigate the allegations and take action.
"We have worked with our suppliers on corrective action plans, engaged in government advocacy, and joined a broader industry effort, led by the American Apparel & Footwear Association and the Fair Labour Association to advance systemic change," it said in its response.
Labour abuses 'unquestionably higher'
Value chains of Global North-headquartered companies accounted for the majority of reported cases of migrant worker abuse in 2025, according to the BHRC.
And in most cases, those impacted were migrants from the Global South.
"The most frequently recorded abuses were violations of employment standards and occupational health and safety (OHS) violations," the BHRC said.
At least 98 fatalities were recorded from severe abuse, according to the report. Nearly half of cases (47%) also saw workers experiencing three or more types of human rights violation.
By industry, agri-food supply chains, construction, manufacturing, as well as hotels, restaurants, and leisure accounted for the highest number of cases.
"Risk was exacerbated by extractive business models, including practices such as excessive subcontracting, poor purchasing, and a lack of supply chain oversight by brands at the top of the value chain," the BHRC report said.
The severity of these abuses was exacerbated by global conflict, climate emergency, as well as hostile migration policies such as the mass deportations in the US.
"Conflict, including Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the unfolding genocide in Palestine by Israel, and civil war in Myanmar, reshaped migration corridors and generated new harms, including safety risks where worksites overlapped with conflict zones," the report read.
"Workers were also exposed to extreme weather events across all regions of the world without adequate protection, from excessive heat in Europe to wildfires in the USA."
While the scope and scale of recorded migrant worker abuse is immense, the BHRC noted that existing restrictions prevent the real numbers from coming out.
"Restrictions on freedoms of speech, media, and unequal power dynamics mean the publicly reported cases recorded during 2025 are just the tip of the iceberg, providing a snapshot of the vulnerability of migrants around the world," the report read.
"The total number of cases is unquestionably higher."
Addressing migrant worker abuse
Addressing the abuse will require top-tier brands to commit to full and public supply chain transparency, according to the BHRC.
This includes the use of contractors, subcontractors, labour suppliers, and recruitment agencies.
"This is key to allowing migrant workers and their allies to raise concerns and access remedy. It forms an integral avenue for businesses' own due diligence to identify risk and ensure the welfare of workers linked to their operations," it said.
It also recommended the adoption of a migrant worker-centred approach and a proactive response to allegations of migrant worker abuse. The response may include:
- Investigate raised concerns regarding working conditions for migrants
- Privilege workers' own testimony over audit and paper trails by explicitly adopting a worker-centric approach to investigations, accepting the truth of workers' claims, and setting the burden of proof on business partners to show abuse did not occur
- Commit to remedy harms in consultation with impacted workers or their representatives, including (but not limited to) reimbursement for fee-charging, interest gained on loans and wage theft, compensation for harms including physical and mental health support, and access to decent, regular jobs
