Israel’s agricultural industry heavily relies on Thai migrant labor, but the conditions these workers face are far from fair. Human Rights Watch recently released a report documenting serious abuses, including low wages, excessive working hours, unsafe conditions, and inadequate housing. Despite laws intended to protect them, weak enforcement allows these violations to persist. Interviews with workers revealed that many live in substandard conditions and face retribution if they protest. These abuses raise concerns about the exploitation of migrant labor in Israel’s booming agricultural sector.
Human Rights Watch’s 48-page report, A Raw Deal: Abuses of Thai Workers in Israel’s Agricultural Sector, highlights the dangerous and exploitative environment for the 25,000 Thai migrant workers who form the backbone of Israel’s agricultural industry. The report reveals systematic violations, including sub-minimum wages, overwork, exposure to hazardous chemicals, and inadequate living conditions. Despite a bilateral agreement with Thailand to improve recruitment conditions, many workers remain trapped in abusive situations, with limited ability to change employers.
One alarming finding is the growing number of unexplained deaths among Thai workers. Between 2008 and 2013, over 120 Thai migrant workers died, with causes ranging from sudden nocturnal death syndrome to unknown factors due to the lack of autopsies. The report calls for a full investigation into whether these deaths are linked to poor working conditions. Workers also face significant obstacles when attempting to transfer employers or protest abuses. In some cases, recruitment agents demanded up to a month’s salary to facilitate transfers, leaving workers in limbo.
Despite the existence of Israel’s labor laws, enforcement mechanisms remain weak. Regulatory agencies responsible for oversight lack the resources and coordination necessary to conduct thorough inspections or impose meaningful penalties on violators. The Israeli government has issued only 15 fines over the past five years, with minimal impact on employers exploiting migrant labor.
The Human Rights Watch report urges Israel to strengthen enforcement of its labor laws to protect migrant workers’ rights and ensure that the agricultural sector’s reliance on foreign labor does not come at the cost of basic human rights. As the country continues to benefit from Thai workers’ contributions, the responsibility falls on the government to take immediate action to rectify these serious abuses.
