Port Louis – ASOS, one of the largest online retailers worldwide, together with the British High Commission, hosted the event Migrant Workers: Driving Collaborative Approaches Towards Responsible Recruitment in Mauritius on 22 February.

The purpose of the event was to agree on a common framework for improving worker protection in Mauritius and beyond. It is part of ASOS’ commitment to end modern slavery, and coincides with ongoing discussions between the Mauritian and Bangladeshi governments on labour migration and workers’ rights.

“The hope is that by sharing experience and expertise, we can encourage efforts to prevent exploitation during recruitment, and engage governments to effectively enforce legislation to protect migrant workers,” said Simon Platts, ASOS Sourcing Director at the event.

Last year, ASOS became the first e-commerce brand to sign a Global Framework Agreement with IndustriALL, the world’s largest sectorial trade union organization (representing 50 million workers), to strengthen the implementation of international labour standards.

IOM, the UN Migration Agency, joined a panel about improving protection for migrant workers in Mauritius. Jason Theede, IOM Senior Regional Thematic Specialist in Southern Africa, talked about IOM’s partnerships with the private sector, and expressed optimism over the fact that companies are paying more attention to their supply chains to avoid exploitation of migrant workers.

“More and more companies have turned to policies that address labour and human rights risks in their operations and supply chains,” Theede said. “To this end, IOM continues to promote actions such as the adoption of the ‘employer pays’ principle, in which the employer covers the cost of recruiting new workers.”

The event brought together local and international stakeholders, including executives from fashion brands such as Adidas and Puma that manufacture in Mauritius. Representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO), the IndustriALL Union, the Ethical Trading Initiative and Anti-Slavery International also attended the event.

ASOS is an online fashion and beauty store primarily aimed at young adults. It sells over 85,000 branded and own-label products, delivering from the UK, US and Europe to almost every country in the world.

For more information please contact Celine Lemmel, IOM Mauritius, Tel: +230 210 4250, Email: clemmel@iom.int