Saudi Arabia: Carrefour accused of abuse and exploitation of migrant workers, according to Amnesty International
Amnesty International denounces the exploitation of migrant workers employed in Carrefour facilities in Saudi Arabia, under the franchise of the Majid Al Futtaim group. The report highlights that these workers, mainly from South Asia, are forced to work long hours without adequate pay and live in substandard housing. Recruited under misleading promises, they find themselves in debt due to prohibitive recruitment fees, despite the ban on these practices in Saudi Arabia.
The Amnesty report states that working conditions border on forced labor, including threats of dismissal or non-payment for those refusing overtime. Some workers also reported being harassed by their supervisors, with their refusal to comply with demands potentially leading to unemployment. Amnesty points to the responsibility of Carrefour and its franchisee Majid Al Futtaim, accused of inaction in the face of repeated abuses, although Carrefour recently launched an internal investigation.
Workers’ testimonies reveal systematic labor law violations, with employees forced to work grueling paces for up to 16 hours a day and denied days off. The accommodation provided by recruitment agencies is unsanitary and overcrowded, far from legal standards. Despite the reforms announced in Saudi Arabia, Amnesty deplores the persistence of these abuses in international franchise companies.
As the International Labor Organization Council is due to consider a complaint of workers’ rights violations, Amnesty is calling on Carrefour and Majid Al Futtaim to compensate workers and respect international human rights standards. This case highlights the urgency of in-depth reform of labor practices in Saudi Arabia, necessary to guarantee the dignity of migrant workers.