Migration & Corporate Sustainability: More than Just a Checkbox

By Vaiva Zaleckaitė, Tijesunimi Agbaje & Lina Vosyliūtė

When discussing sustainability, the conversation often centers on carbon footprints, renewable energy, and climate targets. But sustainability is and must be about people, too. Migration is a sustainability issue. Yet, in many corporate strategies, it’s treated as an afterthought or reduced to a box-ticking compliance exercise.

The Overlooked Workforce Behind Global Supply Chains

Today, more than 169 million migrant workers power global industries, according to the International Labour Organization. They are essential to everything from agriculture and construction to care work and manufacturing. Yet despite their contributions, migrant workers often face low pay, unsafe conditions, and limited legal protections. On average, they earn 13% less than national workers doing the same job, a gap that grows even wider for women, older migrants, and those with disabilities.

These are not singular cases; rather, they reflect systemic issues across supply chains and business operations

Misalignment Between Corporate Values and Practice

A company cannot credibly claim to uphold human rights if migrant workers within its supply chain are paid significantly below local wage standards and lack access to basic legal protections. Similarly, commitments to diversity and inclusion are unsubstantiated when 73% of migrant women workers remain in precarious, low-paid jobs, or when elderly and disabled migrants face heightened risks of exploitation. Hence, even the most ambitious sustainability goals lose credibility when they ignore the social dimension

Moving Beyond Minimum Standards

The recent revisions to the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), including the removal of civil liability provisions, companies are no longer subject to a harmonized framework of legal responsibility at the EU level, limiting victims’ ability to seek remedies for harm caused by corporate negligence or misconduct. However, this change should not be interpreted as a justification for scaling back efforts to protect vulnerable workers. Migrant workers, especially those in low-wage or undocumented roles, continue to face a heightened risk of exploitation. Protecting their rights remains a shared responsibility across businesses, governments, and society.

This is especially urgent in sectors such as agriculture, construction, and domestic work, where migrant workers account for up to 90% of identified forced labor cases. Addressing these challenges is not only a legal and ethical imperative; it’s also a business one.

Companies that embrace fair labor practices and support inclusive employment policies see measurable benefits, such as 35 % increase in innovation, higher retention rates. Additionally, every dollar invested in migrant workforce development can generate up to three dollars in economic productivity.

Rethinking Sustainability: A Call to Action

Companies should recognize migrant inclusion as an integral part of their sustainability efforts rather than a peripheral corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity. Genuine sustainability requires addressing social equity, labor rights, and the dignity of all workers, particularly those most vulnerable to exploitation.

The challenge for business leaders is to translate stated commitments into consistent operational practices. Social impact metrics should be integrated into sustainability reporting with the same rigor as environmental targets. Ethical labor practices are not only consistent with business growth, they are fundamental to its success.

Sources

– Over 169 million migrant workers contribute to global industries.

Source: International Labour Organization (ILO) – “ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers: Results and Methodology” (2021); https://www.ilo.org/publications/ilo-global-estimates-international-migrant-workers-results-and-methodology

– Migrant workers often face wage disparities and unsafe working conditions.

Source: International Labour Organization (ILO) – “Global Wage Report 2020-21: Wages and Minimum Wages in the Time of COVID-19”; https://www.ilo.org/global/research/global-reports/global-wage-report/2020/WCMS_762534/lang–en/index.htm

– A significant number of migrant women are employed in low-wage, informal jobs with minimal legal protections.

Source: International Labour Organization (ILO) – “Care Work and Care Jobs for the Future of Decent Work” (2018); https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_633135/lang–en/index.htm

– Forced labor is prevalent in sectors such as agriculture, construction, and domestic work, often involving migrant workers.

Source: International Labour Organization (ILO) – “Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage” (2017); https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_575479/lang–en/index.htm

– Companies with diverse and inclusive employment policies are more likely to outperform their peers financially.

Source: McKinsey & Company – “Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters” (2020); https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters

– Investing in migrant workforce development can lead to significant economic gains.

Source: McKinsey Global Institute – “People on the Move: Global Migration’s Impact and Opportunity” (2016); https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/employment-and-growth/global-migrations-impact-and-opportunity