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In many parts of the world, migrant workers face harsh conditions that raise a disturbing question: are they modern-day slaves? Passport confiscation and wage theft are two of the most common and abusive practices affecting millions of workers in construction, domestic work, agriculture, hospitality, and delivery services. When employers hold passports, control accommodation, and delay or deny salaries, migrant workers can become trapped in jobs they cannot safely leave. These practices undermine basic labour rights, human dignity, and freedom of movement, making the link between forced labour, exploitation, and modern slavery harder to ignore. Explore detailed guides on migrant worker protections and fair employment standards on our Migrant Labour Rights page.
How Passport Confiscation Traps Workers
Passport confiscation occurs when employers or recruitment agents take a worker’s passport “for safekeeping” or as a form of control. Without their documents, migrant workers may be unable to change jobs, travel, access services, or return home.
This is a significant power gap that is particularly harsh when the immigration status is pegged on one employer. Any attempts at workers to complain or run away result in detention, deportation, or retaliation. The international labour standards are categorical that passports are the property of the workers, but this unlawful tendency is commonplace and regular in most industries.
Read more: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2025: Why It Still Matters Today
Wage Theft and Economic Exploitation
Wage theft takes many forms: unpaid overtime, illegal deductions, delayed salaries, underpayment compared to contracts, or complete non-payment of wages. For migrant workers who often borrow money or pay high recruitment fees to secure jobs abroad, wage theft can mean unpayable debts and deep poverty.
When combined with long hours, hazardous conditions, and restricted movement, wage theft can amount to forced labour. Employees find themselves in abusive working environments just because they have no money to quit or they are afraid of losing all that they have invested in the migration process.
Are Migrant Workers Modern-Day Slaves—and What Must Change?
The combination of passport confiscation and wage theft pushes many migrant workers dangerously close to modern-day slavery. They also do not have control over their identity documents, earnings, standards of life and at times even their freedom to express themselves.
To do this, governments must have tougher inspections, easily available means of complaints, and actual punishments to the abusive employers and recruiters. The elimination of tied-visa system, prohibition of retention of passport, enforcement of payment using traceable channels and reinforcement of worker associations are all important steps. Ultimately, migrant workers are not modern-day slaves by definition—but when basic labour rights are denied, the line between employment and exploitation can disappear.
