Migrant workers at Carrefour locations are exploited, cheated and forced to live in squalor: Amnesty International

Migrant workers employed at Carrefour locations in Saudi Arabia, which are franchised by the French retail giant, are subject to exploitation, excessive working hours and appalling living conditions, Amnesty International revealed in a new report.

The report, “I Would Fear Going to Work”: Labor Exploitation at Carrefour Sites in Saudi Arabia, highlights how workers were misled by recruitment agents, denied rest days and cheated out of their earnings. Many feared being ‘fired’ if they complained or refused overtime, with some abuses potentially amounting to forced labor and human trafficking.

The investigation found that workers, mainly from Nepal, India and Pakistan, were overworked, underpaid and often lived in overcrowded and unsanitary accommodation. “In Carrefour stores, employees are not treated like people. They treat workers like animals,” said Anand, a former warehouse worker, describing the grueling conditions. Many workers were forced to walk more than 20 km every day, work shifts of up to 16 hours and often had their weekly rest days canceled, despite Saudi labor laws and Carrefour policies.

Amnesty International criticized Carrefour and its partner, Majid Al Futtaim, for failing to prevent the abuses or compensate affected workers. “Carrefour has a clear responsibility under international human rights standards to ensure that abuse does not occur in its operations,” said Marta Schaaf, Amnesty’s Director of Climate, Economic and Social Justice.

In response, Carrefour and Majid Al Futtaim announced internal investigations and audits of their Saudi operations, but Amnesty stressed that further action, including the reimbursement of recruitment costs and workers’ compensation, is still needed.