US Report Exposes Alleged Abuse of Bangladeshi Workers in Fiji

A United States government report has raised serious concerns about the exploitation of foreign workers in Fiji, including 34 Bangladeshi nationals whose complaints prompted an investigation into a local construction company.

The US State Department’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report says the workers reported employment violations involving indicators of forced labour.

The company was fined FJ$10,000 for breaching employment regulations following reports of unsafe housing and working conditions, while a trafficking investigation remained ongoing.

The report also identifies workers from Bangladesh, India and the Philippines as vulnerable to exploitation in Fiji’s construction, timber, farming and manufacturing sectors.

Some foreign workers reportedly face excessive working hours, threats of violence, confiscation of passports, debt-related coercion and abusive living conditions.

The report also raises concerns about possible forced labour involving Chinese nationals employed on projects associated with Chinese government-affiliated companies.

It says Fiji’s authorities have not consistently monitored working conditions at foreign-owned or foreign-invested businesses employing migrant workers.

The report further states that Fiji identified 61 trafficking victims during the reporting period, compared with eight the previous year.

However, the country did not secure any trafficking convictions for the second consecutive year.

The US has called on Fiji to strengthen workplace inspections, investigate suspected forced labour and improve protection for vulnerable migrant workers.