Exploiting Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia’s Amazon Warehouses

Amnesty International Report Exposes Exploitation of Contracted Workers in Amazon Warehouses in Saudi Arabia

Introduction

Amnesty International released a report today revealing shocking human rights abuses suffered by contracted workers in Amazon warehouses in Saudi Arabia. The report, titled “Don’t worry, it’s a branch of Amazon,” highlights the failure of Amazon to prevent these abuses and calls for urgent action to rectify the situation. The workers were deceived by recruitment agents and labor supply companies, cheated of their earnings, housed in appalling conditions, and prevented from finding alternative employment or leaving the country.

Abuses Amount to Human Trafficking

According to Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice, it is highly likely that the abuses suffered by the workers amounted to human trafficking. The workers thought they were seizing a golden opportunity with Amazon, but instead, they suffered abuses that left many traumatized. Many of the interviewed workers experienced abuses so severe that they are likely to be considered human trafficking for the purpose of labor exploitation. Cockburn emphasizes that Amazon could have prevented and ended this suffering long ago, but its processes failed to protect these contracted workers.

Responsibility of Amazon and Saudi Arabia

Amnesty International places responsibility on both Amazon and the government of Saudi Arabia. Amazon must urgently compensate all those who have been harmed and ensure that such abuses never happen again. The government of Saudi Arabia also bears a heavy responsibility and must investigate these abuses promptly. Additionally, labor system reforms are needed to guarantee workers their fundamental rights, including the ability to freely change employers and leave the country without conditions.

Deception and Exploitation

The report is based on interviews with 22 Nepali workers who were employed by two third-party labor supply contractors, Al-Mutairi and Basmah, and worked in Amazon‘s warehouses in Riyadh or Jeddah between 2021 and 2023. These workers paid recruitment agents an average of $1,500 to secure work at Amazon‘s facilities in Saudi Arabia. However, they were deceived into believing that they would be employed directly by Amazon. Some workers realized this deception only after arriving in Saudi Arabia.

Once in Saudi Arabia, the workers were subjected to squalid living conditions and exploitation. They were housed in dirty and overcrowded accommodations, sometimes infested with bed bugs. The contractors withheld part of their salaries and food allowances without explanation, and underpaid overtime. Workers faced grueling work conditions, including lifting heavy items, meeting aggressive performance targets, constant monitoring, and inadequate rest. These conditions led to injuries and illnesses.

Trapped in Saudi Arabia

Most workers signed two-year contracts with the labor supply companies but spent less than 12 months at Amazon‘s facilities before their work ended, leaving them in a vulnerable position. The contractors took advantage of Saudi Arabia’s sponsorship system, which prevented workers from changing employers without consent and restricted their ability to leave the country freely. The labor supply company managers refused to provide transfer authorization documents required to change employers within the first year. Workers who left without permission risked arrest for absconding.

Many workers wanted to return home before their contracts ended, but the contractors refused to purchase a flight ticket, leaving them stranded in appalling conditions. Some workers contemplated suicide due to their dire circumstances. The workers were at the mercy of the Amazon contractors and had no social protection or support from the Saudi state.

Amazon‘s Failures

Amnesty International’s report reveals the failures of Amazon to prevent and address these abuses. The company was aware of the vulnerability of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia before it began operating there in 2020. Workers had raised complaints directly with Amazon managers, but these complaints were often ignored, and the abuses continued. Some workers who complained faced reprisals from the contractors, such as salary deductions or physical assault.

The report finds that Amazon has failed to adhere to its own policies and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. It also suggests that Amazon may have benefited from the services of victims of human trafficking. This calls for urgent investigation and remedial action from Amazon.

Reform and Remedies

Amnesty International’s report recommends that Amazon compensates the workers, investigates working practices across its facilities and supply chains, strengthens due diligence, and ensures that workers can freely voice their concerns without fear of retaliation. One crucial recommendation is for Amazon to hire more staff directly and reduce reliance on labor supply companies, which pose a higher risk of abuse. In cases where such companies are used, stricter controls are needed to prevent exploitation.

Amazon has acknowledged the abuses consistent with the findings of the report and claims to have taken steps to address them. However, these measures come years after workers first raised their complaints. It is imperative that Amazon remediates all migrant workers who paid recruitment fees and compensates them for the full range of abuses they suffered, both during and after their employment with the company.

Conclusion

The Amnesty International report sheds light on the exploitation and human rights abuses suffered by contracted workers in Amazon warehouses in Saudi Arabia. The findings underscore the urgent need for Amazon to take responsibility, compensate the victims, and implement necessary reforms to prevent such abuses in the future. Moreover, the government of Saudi Arabia must conduct a thorough investigation, reform the labor system, and ensure that workers’ fundamental rights are protected. The international community should also pay attention to these issues and hold companies accountable for their actions.

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