Praneeta Prakash 
[Source: APO]
The Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission is calling on businesses employing migrant workers to respect their human rights and to be mindful of the laws against forced labour, human trafficking, and labour exploitation.
Chair Pravesh Sharma says the commission continues to receive complaints of alleged exploitations, human rights abuses and violations faced by migrant workers.
He says these migrant workers lack knowledge about labour laws and how to access justice and also lack a social support system.
The Chair says some migrant workers also fall victim to deceptive recruitment practices.
He adds the HRADC has been informed by some migrant workers that they had to either obtain bank loans or sell their properties to pay recruiters to secure employment contracts, work permits and air tickets to come to Fiji in the hope of improving their families’ living conditions back home through remittance.
He says however, safeguards and legal protections available under the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji, Employment Relations Act 2007, and Crimes Act 2009 and under International human rights laws to protect the rights of all workers in Fiji including migrant workers.
He says workers facing human rights abuses are entitled to report their grievances to the Commission.
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