A/70/310 Summary The present report outlines the main activities undertaken by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants during the reporting period since his last report to the General Assembly. The thematic section of the report discusses the impact of recruitment practices on the human rights of migrants, particularly low-wage workers, during labour migration. It articulates concern about the apparent growing prevalence of severe exploitation and abuse suffered by migrants at the hands of unethical recruiters, intermediaries and subagents in both countries of origin and destination. It recommends a comprehensive and human rights-based framework to achieving wholesale transition towards an ethical system of recruitment. Contents Page I. II. III. IV. V. 2/26 Introduction and summary of recent activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 A. Participation in consultations and conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 B. Country visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 C. European Union follow-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Recruitment practices and the human rights of migrants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 A. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 B. Trends relating to recruitment practices and the human rights of migrant workers . . . . . 4 C. Recruitment intermediaries and human rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The political economy of international labour recruitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 A. Unethical recruitment and development impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 B. The economic inefficiency of the current recruitment model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 C. Economic adaptation to abuse and exploitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Shifting the bottom line: wholesale transition to an ethical system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 A. Effectively banning recruitment fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 B. Effective regulation and oversight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 C. Filling gaps in the legal and policy framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 D. International and regional cooperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 E. Empowering migrants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 F. Integration of migrants in countries of destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 G. Engaging with the private sector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Conclusions and recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 15-13569