A coalition of rights groups on Monday urged the UK to incorporate human rights protections before signing a trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), amid documentation of abuses faced by migrant workers across these countries.

In a joint statement, the groups urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to include human rights conditions in the agreement, warning that the UK is implicitly complicit in labor exploitation and forced labor through its trade relationships.

Additionally, the statement criticized GCC countries and the UK for the shortcomings in their human rights frameworks, including the UK’s failure to implement legislation recommended by Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights.

In 2017, the Joint Committee on Human Rights recommended a legal obligation to prevent abuses in companies’ operations and supply chains. More specifically, the committee called for the enactment of a “failure to prevent human rights abuses” provision based on the Bribery Act of 2010, which would hold companies accountable for their human rights abuses worldwide.

According to Human Rights Watch, one of the signatories of the statement, the agreement could lead to UK businesses becoming involved in these abuses, criticizing the country’s treatment of its domestic migrant workers and the lack of transparency in trade negotiations.

According to Article 7 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), ratified by the UK and most of GCC are signatory parties of, everyone should enjoy just and favorable conditions of work, including wages and working hours.

The UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement is part of the UK’s post-Brexit plan to boost economic trade outside the EU framework. The deal focuses on energy cooperation, services trade, and investment opportunities as pathways to open new markets for British businesses.