Pilot project in the automobile sector: Assessment of Migrants Human Rights in Nissan’s Supply Chain in Thailand

An estimated 169 million people move for work globally. Migrants often fill critical market gaps, boosting economies and serving as the backbone of global supply chains.

Despite their contributions, migrant workers remain disproportionately vulnerable to exploitation and human rights violation. The 2022 Global Estimates of Modern Slavery Report revealed that among 28 million victims of forced labour, one in every three is a migrant worker. A staggering 86 percent of these forced labour cases are traced back to the private sector.

Private sectors play a pivotal role in promoting regular pathways for safe migration while ensuring decent work for all. With businesses increasingly relying on migrant workforce, it's crucial for them to understand the risks facing these vulnerable groups and implement responsible business practices.

Addressing the risks migrant workers face goes beyond ticking boxes. Businesses need to commit to human rights due diligence in their supply chains, going beyond audits to actively engage with suppliers to monitor labour practices and with migrants to understand their specific needs and challenges.

Through migrant-centered human rights due diligence (HRDD), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) supports businesses in identifying and mitigating human rights risks facing migrant workers during all stages of their migration journey.

Japanese Business in Thailand

Thailand is a hub for Japanese manufacturers and their suppliers in South-East Asia. It is also a key country of destination for migrants seeking job opportunities in the manufacturing sector. This presents a unique opportunity and need for Japanese companies to champion ethical labour practices that protect the rights of migrant workers.

Pilot project with Nissan

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (Nissan), as a global automaker, employs over 133,580 individuals in 160 international markets.

Recognizing migrants’ vulnerabilities as a key potential risk in their supply chain, Nissan partnered with IOM to conduct a migrant-centred human rights due diligence assessment at one of its suppliers in Thailand.

IOM assessed Nissan and its Thai supplier, mapping risks faced by migrant workers during their labour migration journey from their communities of origin to the workplace in the country of destination.

As part of the assessment, migrant workers and Nissan and its supplier were interviewed individually.

Driving Action for Responsible Supply Chains

The assessment gathered insights on migrant workers’ experiences and revealed gaps in protection for migrant workers, highlighting the need for inclusive policies and improved flow of information.

Based on IOM’s recommendations, the Thai supplier took proactive steps to develop inclusive policies that safeguard migrants’ rights using the IOM Migrant Worker Guidelines for Employers.

Recognizing the challenges posed by language barriers, all employment documents and company policies were translated into migrant languages by the Thai supplier. This improved migrants’ access to accurate information on their rights and entitlements, leading to improved working conditions.

The Thai supplier worked with recruiters and migrant workers to map and reduce the identified risks, and will continue to monitor its implementation and improvement.

Through this initiative, Nissan understood the risk for migrants’ vulnerabilities and experienced capacity building based on collaboration with the Thai supplier as a case. Nissan has received IOM assessment results for human rights governance for migrant workers and its recommendation for improvement and plans to continuously review and strengthen policies and activities in this area.

Human rights due diligence is a continuous process. Inclusion of migrants in the process contributes to well-informed policies and practices that tackle forced labour at its roots.

Collaborative actions informed by HRDD can help businesses and their suppliers strive to create value not only for consumers but also people they hire. This includes operating in a sustainable and responsible way by creating a respectful and inclusive work environment for all employees, including migrants.

Thanks to Nissan’s initiative as the first company in the automobile sector to join this pilot project with IOM and organizing the project, when started it, with supplier on- boarding based on respecting people in the business and the building trust with them.

About Nissan:

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (Nissan), a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1933, operates in 160 international markets globally, employing over 133,580 individuals. As a signatory to the UN Global Compact and aligned with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP), Nissan is dedicated to upholding fundamental responsibilities in its business practices, ensuring fair working conditions and respecting human rights. In response to the escalating vulnerability of migrant workers in Thailand, documented in the Thailand Migration Report, Nissan partnered with IOM in 2023 to conduct a migrant-centred Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) assessment at one of its suppliers in Thailand.

About IOM

IOM has collaborated with over 18 brands, suppliers and labour recruiters to help businesses respect migrant workers’ rights and provide them effective remedies, reaching more than 560 private sector actors, delivering trainings to over 2,800 brands, suppliers and recruiters and providing nearly 100 tools, reviews, digital solutions and other resources to enhance business policies and practices in a management systems-based approach.

For more information on IOM’s Migration, Business and Human Rights Programme in Asia (MBHR Asia), visit https://mbhr.iom.int