Are Malaysian palm oil firms preventing foreign workers from returning home?

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Malaysian Palm Oil Firms Discouraging Foreign Workers from Returning Home Amidst Labour Shortage

Some Malaysian palm oil plantations are reportedly discouraging foreign workers from returning home at the end of their contracts, encouraging them to continue working instead. This situation is exacerbated by the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has intensified a pre-existing chronic labour shortage in the industry. Rights groups have received numerous complaints from plantation workers who wish to leave but are unable to do so.
Reports of Workers Being Discouraged from Leaving

Rights groups, including Liberty Shared, Verite, and Tenaganita, have documented complaints from dozens of plantation workers who stated they were told they could not leave their jobs due to coronavirus-related restrictions. These organizations believe this issue is widespread and could potentially affect thousands of foreign workers. Workers have reported instances of being discouraged from departing, urged to continue working, receiving payments in cash, experiencing late payments, or having promises of return tickets unfulfilled.
Pandemic Exacerbating Pre-existing Labour Issues

The Malaysian palm oil industry has historically faced accusations of mistreating migrant workers, who constitute a significant portion of its workforce. Companies have often discouraged workers from leaving due to the substantial costs associated with replacing them. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified this issue by imposing travel restrictions that prevent new workers from entering the country, thereby worsening the labour crunch and potentially increasing the vulnerability of existing foreign staff.
Specific Cases and Official Responses

Liberty Shared filed a complaint with Malaysia's anti-trafficking agency on December 8 concerning five workers who had been attempting to return home for several months. Reports have surfaced of an Indian worker at a Felda plantation unable to go home since March due to ill health, with his contract expiring in June, and another worker at the same estate trying to leave since January, having paid to break his contract and secure a flight. Felda has stated it has not received reports of such cases, but the Indian High Commission in Malaysia confirmed receiving assistance requests from Felda workers and is actively working on their repatriation. Indonesia's embassy has also received complaints from its nationals stuck on plantations and is urging companies to facilitate their return.
Company Stances and Labour Abuse Allegations

While major palm planters acknowledge that repatriation efforts have been slowed by travel restrictions, they deny forcing workers to stay. Sime Darby Plantation, for instance, stated it had repatriated 1,125 workers since July and handles approximately 200 repatriation requests monthly. However, FGV Holdings, a significant shareholder of Felda, has previously faced import bans from the United States due to accusations of labour abuses. A former worker for Sime Darby Plantation also reported managers discouraging workers from leaving by citing flight restrictions and urging them to continue working.

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Are Malaysian palm oil firms preventing foreign workers from returning home?

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