In March 2023, The Kathmandu Post reported on the experience of six Nepali workers in the UAE after they arrived a year ago. The workers allege paying recruitment fees higher than the legal provision to agencies and one described paying a sub-agent, despite this being illegal under the same provision, the paper reported.

Arriving in the UAE, the workers said they remained jobless for months waiting for driving licenses they had been promised would take just two. The men also allege agency representatives withheld passports and are demanding money for them to be returned, and that their income was insufficient to cover their food and housing costs. Workers alleged being fired by Talabat for not having insurance. When workers raised grievance with one agency's representatives in the UAE, they were allegedly ignored.

Recruitment agency Baba Human Resource Management provided comments for the article. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited the following companies named in the article to respond to the allegations:

• Link International Placement Services & Uplift Delivery Services did not respond.
• Delivery app Talabat and its parent company Delivery Hero provided a joint response; it can be read in full below.