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12 Jul 2021

UAE: Multinational hotels among clients of Nepali recruiter found to be charging fees; incl. co. responses

From the beginning of 2021, migration corridors to the Gulf, Malaysia, Eastern Europe and other destinations from Nepal began to increase following the travel ban brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The private recruitment sector has been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with government figures highlighting a significant drop in the number of agencies mobilised (from 854 licensed recruiters to only 183 in December-January). Exploitative recruitment practices such as charging extortionate fees to prospective migrant workers are common.

Three recruitment agencies - Greenstar, Vision & Value and Pass International - were all raided by the authorities who found evidence of recruitment cost charging to workers migrating to the UAE. Vision & Value lists on its website Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott, Millennium & Copthorne and Radisson among its clients. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited these hotel companies to respond to the allegations; responses from all five companies can be read below.

All three recruiters' operations were suspended by the Department of Foreign Employment.

Company Responses

Radisson Hotel Group View Response
Hilton View Response
IHG Hotels & Resorts View Response
Marriott View Response
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels View Response

Timeline