Language barriers, lack of knowledge of their labor rights, and inadequate access to regular migration pathways make migrant workers vulnerable to labor exploitation, says Dr. Hildegard Hagemann from the German Bishops’ Conference Commission for Justice and Peace in this video interview. 

For Dr. Hagemann, States need to ensure that migrant workers can access social security and services. And business leaders need to refrain from seeing migrant workers as a source of cheap labor. 

Civil society organizations have a role to play. First, helping migrant workers to organize themselves. Second, advocating on their behalf with governments and the private sector. “A worker is a worker,” says Dr. Hagemann, “and they should not be discriminated against.” 

Creating safe and legal migration pathways is also a way to curb irregular migration, which is in itself a vulnerability factor, says Dr. Hagemann.   

Watch the interview!