LONDON: Some of Europe’s biggest stores are failing to stem the abuse of Syrian refugees who work in the Turkish factories that supply their clothes, a business pressure group said on Friday.
The Business and Human Rights Resource Center (BHRRC) called on the worst offenders — from fashion icon Topshop to discounter Aldi — to better protect refugee workers who have fled war only to suffer workplace exploitation in their new home.
Low wages, discrimination and poor conditions are common for Syrian refugees working in Turkey’s multibillion-dollar garment industry, where child labor is also a problem, said the BHRRC.
“Some high street fashion brands ... have made progress in protecting workers, but too many, like Aldi, Asda and Topshop, are lagging way behind,” Phil Bloomer, executive director of the BHRRC, said in a statement.
“They should learn from the leaders, and quickly.”
The Britain-based charity surveyed 37 major European brands with Turkish factories in their supply chains on the policies and practices undertaken to tackle the abuse of workers.
Companies including supermarket chains Aldi and Asda and fashion retailer Arcadia — which owns the Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge brands — are not doing enough to stop the exploitation, the BHRRC survey found.
ASOS, New Look, Next, SuperDry and Zara were the top ranking brands in the survey; Asda and Arcadia came bottom. Six companies, including Mexx and River Island, failed to respond.
The charity said more brands had boosted efforts to clean up their supply chains compared to last year, with the top performers establishing plans to protect refugees, mechanisms to handle complaints, and initiating dialogue with workers’ groups.
More than 3 million Syrian refugees — about half aged under 18 — have fled to Turkey to escape a war that erupted in 2011.
About 650,000 are estimated to be working in Turkey, many in the garment industry, yet most lack work permits, leaving them at greater risk of abuse, the BHRRC said.
A Reuters investigation last year found evidence of Syrian refugee children in Turkey working in clothes factories in illegal conditions. Turkey bans children under 15 from working.
“The Syrian refugee crisis poses a complex challenge for retailers sourcing garments from Turkey,” said Peter McAllister, head of the Ethical Trading Initiative, an alliance of trade unions, firms and charities promoting workers’ rights.
“Refugees are particularly vulnerable to exploitation,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “More needs to be done, but we are confident our member companies are taking it seriously.”
A spokesman for Walmart, which owns Asda, said the company was exploring how to address the risks to vulnerable workers in its global supply chain, with a focus on ethical recruitment.
The British Retail Consortium, which counts Aldi among its members, said more needed to be done to prevent exploitation.
The chairman of the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association, which represents three-quarters of Turkey’s clothing exporters, said Syrian refugee workers holding work permits were protected by the country’s “very strict laws” on working regulations.
“Portraying a few exceptional cases that could happen even in the most developed countries around the world as Turkey’s reality is not befitting of fairness and good intentions,” Hikmet Tanriverdi said in a statement on Friday.
Topshop declined to comment on the BHRRC survey, Arcadia did not respond to requests for comment, and Mexx and River Island could not be reached.
— REUTERS
European chains ‘profit on back of Syrian refugees in Turkish factories’
European chains ‘profit on back of Syrian refugees in Turkish factories’
Dubai’s luxury residential market sees record $9bn sales in 2025: Knight Frank
RIYADH: Dubai’s luxury residential market hit a record in 2025, with sales of homes priced above $10 million rising 27.7 percent from a year earlier to $9.05 billion, according to Knight Frank.
A total of 500 homes worth more than $10 million changed hands during the year, up from just 30 such deals recorded in 2020. Within that segment, 68 properties were sold for more than $25 million, marking a 45 percent year-on-year increase, the property consultancy said.
The findings underscore Dubai’s growing status as a global hub for high-net-worth individuals, who are increasingly viewing the emirate not just as a part-time business base but as a full-time home.
In November, a separate analysis by Savills found that Dubai topped the rankings as the leading destination for HNWIs globally, surpassing New York and Singapore.
Commenting on the latest report, Faisal Durrani, partner and head of research for the Middle East and North Africa at Knight Frank, said: “Dubai’s meteoric rise as the world’s busiest market for $10 million+ homes, having increased from just 30 sales in 2020 to 500 by the end of 2025, is best reflected in the emirate’s growing reputation as a magnet for the global elite.”
The final quarter of 2025 recorded 143 sales transactions for properties valued at more than $10 million, representing a 39 percent increase compared to the previous quarter.
The report added that demand for luxury residential properties remains highly concentrated in destination communities that combine waterfront living, security and amenities into self-contained ecosystems.
Palm Jumeirah led fourth-quarter sales in the $10 million-plus segment with 28 transactions, followed by Palm Jebel Ali with 22. La Mer, Jumeirah 2 and Tilal Al Ghaf also ranked among the most active neighborhoods at the top end of the market.
“Dubai’s residential market has differentiated itself from regional cities and many other global gateway locations through the creation of destination communities that integrate leisure, safety and convenience into self-contained ecosystems,” said Will Mckintosh, regional partner, Knight Frank’s head of Residential at MENA.
Mckintosh added: “At 50 percent larger than its established neighbor Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali remains a destination to watch. While it will obviously take time to reach the maturity of other established communities, the 2025 sales figures are a welcome indication of its high potential and the growing demand from the wealthiest buyers for prime waterfront property and the luxury Dubai lifestyle.”
The most expensive individual purchase in the fourth quarter was in the Business Bay community, where a six-bedroom apartment in Bugatti Residences by Binghatti sold for $149.7 million.
Knight Frank said Dubai’s real estate market is moving beyond its “emerging” phase to become an “emerged” market, marked by greater stability.
“Historical patterns of sharp market cycles, largely fueled by speculative investment, have receded and, while natural market cycles will persist, we believe the volatility associated with previous speculative booms is less likely in this new era of established residency,” said Durrani.
He added: “As the market extends past its five-year property price rally, the rate of price rises across the mainstream market is starting to slow, albeit they continue to rise. After growing by 194 percent since the fourth quarter of 2020, we believe prime values will expand by a further 3 percent during 2026.”
