More Than Seven in Ten Migrant Workers in Ireland Exploited Under Employment Permit System, Major New Survey Reveals
MRCI calls on Government to urgently reform the permit system following survey of over 1,000 employment permit holders
Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) today launched a landmark survey of over 1,000 employment permit holders, exposing systemic and widespread exploitation of migrant workers across Ireland. The report, Tied to Exploitation: The Experience of Migrant Workers in Ireland, was launched at Buswells Hotel, Dublin, and sets out the stark reality facing workers on general employment permits.
Key Findings
- 71% of general employment permit holders experienced exploitation in employment.
- 61% experienced severe exploitation – meaning repeated or multiple serious employment rights breaches.
- 51% of those who were exploited did not report it – primarily out of fear of losing their job or permit.
- Of those who raised an issue with their employer, only 9% had it resolved positively, with 61% reporting no resolution and 19% experiencing retaliation, threats or dismissal.
- 35% of permit holders paid recruitment fees – averaging €5,476, with some paying up to €21,175.
- Only 50% of workers were aware they could urgently leave exploitative employment.
The survey, conducted between July 2025 and February 2026, is representative of the estimated 38,000 general employment permit holders in Ireland and covers 58 nationalities across all major employment sectors, including healthcare, hospitality, agriculture, transport and construction.
The findings paint a deeply troubling picture where workers are routinely underpaid, overworked, harassed and denied basic rights, with many feeling powerless to speak out due to their dependency on a single employer for both their income and immigration status.
Neil Bruton, MRCI Director said: “If you are a general employment permit holder in Ireland, then more likely than not you have been exploited at some point. This is not a problem affecting a small number of rogue employers – it is a systemic failure of the employment permit system. Workers are afraid to speak up because their job and their right to remain in Ireland depends on their employer. The system must change so that people can stand up for themselves more easily.”
Exploitation Across the Board
The most common breaches identified in the survey include: 35% of workers treated less favourably than colleagues because of their permit status; 27% subjected to excessive working hours; 27% denied proper breaks; 27% not paid a Sunday premium; and 23% who experienced harassment, verbal or physical abuse at work.
Exploitation was found across all job sectors and most nationalities surveyed. Healthcare assistants – the largest group, representing 45% of respondents – had a 78% exploitation rate. Female workers experienced higher rates of exploitation than male workers (76% vs 66%).
Fear Prevents Workers Speaking Out
The survey found that fear of losing their permit or job was the single biggest barrier to reporting exploitation. Some workers reported being directly threatened with permit cancellation or deportation if they raised concerns. Of those who did report issues internally, the overwhelming majority saw no meaningful resolution.
Just 3% of those who experienced exploitation filed a formal complaint with the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), highlighting the profound barriers to accessing formal redress.
One anonymous respondent in the survey said, “I worked 70 to 80 hours a week with no proper breaks. If you took a 15 mins break you would be in trouble,” while another stated, “‘The company I worked for was always bringing up the fact I hold a work permit to force me to do all sort of illegal things, such as 12 hours shifts with no break.”
Simon, a MRCI activist and permit holder said ‘Freedom to work in any job would have allowed me to escape severe exploitation and change jobs when I was badly treated, instead of feeling trapped. I was left with no job while I waited for a new permit, making it very difficult to live. We need more freedom to stand up for our rights.’
MRCI’s Primary Recommendation: Freedom to Work In Any Job After Two Years
MRCI’s primary recommendation is that the Irish Government grant all employment permit holders the freedom to work in any job after two years, rather than the current five-year tie to a single employer. This single reform, MRCI argues, would have the greatest impact in protecting migrant workers from exploitation by giving workers the power to stand up for their rights and leave bad employers if they need to.
The current ‘change of employer’ provision, introduced in June 2024, is described by MRCI as “the most restrictive option possible,” as it only allows movement to the exact same job type for the full five-year permit period.
Full List of Recommendations
- Grant all employment permit holders the freedom to work in any job after 2 years.
- Introduce a new criminal offence for severe exploitation.
- Ban exploitative employers from applying for future employment permits.
- Increase redress by enabling compensation under the Payment of Wages Act and the National Minimum Wage Act.
- Extend the time allowed for migrant workers to lodge employment claims.
- Allow both criminal and civil proceedings for all employment rights breaches.
- Tackle unlawful recruitment fees by upholding the ‘Employer Pays’ principle.
- Require DETE to proactively and regularly communicate with migrant workers about their rights.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Siobhán Murphy, MRCI Campaigns Coordinator: siobhan@mrci.ie
Neil Bruton, MRCI Director: neil@mrci.ie
Vidya Nagaraju, communications: 0838889185
Notes to Editors
The survey: 1,019 responses were collected between 23 July 2025 and 25 February 2026, covering 58 nationalities. For a population of 38,000 general employment permit holders, this sample has a confidence level of 99% and a margin of error of 3.04%.
Definitions: Exploitation is defined as at least one substantial employment rights breach. Severe exploitation is defined as at least two breaches, or at least one on a repeated or consistent basis.
