Migrant workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) face increasing risks related to climate change as they work in extreme heat without adequate protection, a leading rights group warned on Tuesday.

“Widespread labor abuses like exorbitant recruitment fees and wage theft limit workers’ ability to send financial support back home, including during climate-linked extreme weather events,” Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report.

The UAE has repeatedly faced criticism over the treatment of migrant workers, who constitute more than 88% of the country’s total population of around 9.3 million, according to 2021 World Bank data.

The migrant workers, most of whom hail from South Asian nations such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, mostly work in the oil and gas industry, agriculture, transportation and construction. According to HRW, the workers are often exposed to the UAE’s extreme heat, which is worsening due to climate change.