Migrants work under dangerous conditions to prepare for COP28, investigation warns

O FairSquare, a human rights research and advocacy group, has obtained evidence that more than a dozen migrant workers from Africa and Asia areariam working outdoors in early September, when temperatures reached 42°C in Dubai – the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, host of this year's COP.

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According to photos, videos and testimonies obtained by investigators, the migrants worked in conditions of extreme heat and humidity on two different days during the “midday ban” – a UAE law that prohibits outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day in the summer months. The standard seeks to protect workers from exposure to heat, which can be fatal.

The FairSquare report is the latest investigation exposing dangerous working conditions for workers in the Gulf region, where the vast majority of the private sector workforce is made up of migrants.

A spokesperson for COP28 said that the contractors denied the alleged violations and that an internal investigation found no evidence that the midday ban was violated.

Migrant workers toil in perilous heat to prepare for Cop28 climate talks in UAE https://t.co/oFHKvyIFvi

— Guardian Environment (@guardianeco) October 20, 2023

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