Reports
Living in Fear and Humiliation
Rising Xenophobic Harassment and Violence towards Central Asian Migrants in Russia
The 63-page report, “Living in Fear and Humiliation: Rising Xenophobic Harassment and Violence towards Central Asian Migrants in Russia,” documents that Central Asian migrants, mostly from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan working in Russia face ethnic profiling, arbitrary arrests, and harassment by police and private actors, including far-right nationalist groups. Migrants are also subject to new, often abusive administrative restrictions. Following the attack, Russian officials doubled down, fanning the fire of racist and anti-migrant public sentiments. Russian authorities should condemn any expression of xenophobia, including by their own officials, and work to ensure full compliance with the rights of migrants.


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July 18, 2012
Boat Ride to Detention
Adult and Child Migrants in MaltaThis report details treatment of migrants, typically from sub-Saharan Africa, who arrive in Malta after treacherous boat journeys across the Mediterranean, in unseaworthy boats, without enough food, water, or fuel. Upon arrival in Malta, virtually all irregular migrants are detained – and the conditions in detention can exacerbate the trauma of the journey.
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July 10, 2012
Hate on the Streets
Xenophobic Violence in GreeceThe 99-page report documents the failure of the police and the judiciary to prevent and punish rising attacks on migrants. Despite clear patterns to the violence and evidence that it is increasing, the police have failed to respond effectively to protect victims and hold perpetrators to account, Human Rights Watch found.
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June 25, 2012
Isolated in Yunnan
Kachin Refugees from Burma in China’s Yunnan ProvinceThis 71-page report describes how at least 7,000 to 10,000 ethnic Kachin refugees have fled war and abuses in Burma since June 2011, seeking refuge in southwestern China. The report is based on more than 100 interviews with refugees, displaced persons in Burma, victims of abuses, relief workers, and others.
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May 15, 2012
Cultivating Fear
The Vulnerability of Immigrant Farmworkers in the US to Sexual Violence and Sexual HarassmentThis 95-page report describes rape, stalking, unwanted touching, exhibitionism, or vulgar and obscene language by supervisors, employers, and others in positions of power. Most farmworkers interviewed said they had experienced such treatment or knew others who had. And most said they had not reported these or other workplace abuses, fearing reprisals.
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December 14, 2011
No Way to Live
Alabama’s Immigrant LawThis 52-page report documents the effect of the Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer Citizen and Protection Act, commonly known as HB 56, on unauthorized immigrants and their families, as well as the larger Alabama communities in which they live. -
November 4, 2011
“You’ll Be Fired if You Refuse”
Labor Abuses in Zambia's Chinese State-owned Copper MinesThis 122-page report details the persistent abuses in Chinese-run mines, including poor health and safety conditions, regular 12-hour and even 18-hour shifts involving arduous labor, and anti-union activities, all in violation of Zambia’s national laws or international labor standards.
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October 31, 2011
“They Deceived Us at Every Step”
Abuse of Cambodian Domestic Workers Migrating to MalaysiaThis report documents Cambodian domestic workers’ experiences during recruitment, work abroad, and upon their return home. It is based on 80 interviews with migrant domestic workers, their families, government officials, nongovernmental organizations, and recruitment agents. -
September 27, 2011
Domestic Plight
How Jordanian Laws, Officials, Employers, and Recruiters Fail Abused Migrant Domestic WorkersThis 111-page report documents abuses against domestic workers and the failure of Jordanian officials to hold employers and the agents who recruited the workers accountable. -
September 21, 2011
The EU’s Dirty Hands
Frontex Involvement in Ill-Treatment of Migrant Detainees in GreeceThis report assesses Frontex’s role in and responsibility for exposing migrants to inhuman and degrading detention conditions during four months beginning late in 2010 when its first rapid border intervention team (RABIT) was apprehending migrants and taking them to police stations and migrant detention centers in Greece’s Evros region. -
June 14, 2011
A Costly Move
Far and Frequent Transfers Impede Hearings for Immigrant Detainees in the United StatesThis 35-page report states that transfers separate detained immigrants, including legal permanent residents, refugees, and undocumented people, from the attorneys, witnesses, and evidence they need to defend against deportation. That can violate their right to fair treatment in court, slow down asylum or deportation proceedings, and extend their time in detention.
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March 21, 2011
Everyday Intolerance
Racist and Xenophobic Violence in ItalyThis report documents the state’s failure to take effective measures against hate crimes. Prosecutions for racially-motivated violence are rare, with Italian officials downplaying the extent of the problem and failing consistently to condemn attacks. Insufficient training of law enforcement and judiciary personnel and incomplete data collection compound the problem. -
December 16, 2010
Buffeted in the Borderland
The Treatment of Asylum Seekers and Migrants in UkraineThis 124-page report is based on interviews with 161 refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers in Ukraine, Slovakia, and Hungary. It shows that although some conditions in migration detention facilities have improved, Ukraine subjects many migrants to inhuman and degrading treatment and has been unable or unwilling to provide effective protection for refugees and asylum seekers.
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December 11, 2010
Rights on the Line
Human Rights Watch Work on Abuses against Migrants in 2010This roundup of Human Rights Watch reporting on violations of migrants’ rights in 2010 includes coverage of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. -
October 6, 2010
Walls at Every Turn
Abuse of Migrant Domestic Workers through Kuwait’s Sponsorship SystemThis 97-page report describes how workers become trapped in exploitative or abusive employment then face criminal penalties for leaving a job without the employer’s permission. Government authorities arrest workers reported as “absconding” and in most cases deport them from Kuwait – even if they have been abused and seek redress.
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September 16, 2010
Without Protection
How the Lebanese Justice System Fails Migrant Domestic WorkersThis 54-page report reviews 114 Lebanese judicial decisions affecting migrant domestic workers. It finds that lack of accessible complaint mechanisms, lengthy judicial procedures, and restrictive visa policies dissuade many workers from filing or pursuing complaints against their employers.