Migrant workers in Ireland should not be treated as economic entities, according to a report published in Dublin today.
The report - published by the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) - also says the employment rights of migrant workers should to be equal to those of State nationals.
The Government should ratify the International Convention on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and their Families, the report also concludes.
The President of the Human Rights Commission, Dr Maurice Manning, said: "We are very concerned about the inadequacy as far as existing labour rights are concerned.
"There are rogue employers and with existing resources, no more than 20 labour inspectors, the rogue employers are going to get away with exploitation and worse.
"We do not want to see hear a repetition of what happened to the unfortunate Chinese migrant workers whose lives were so irresponsibly thrown away in Morecambe just a month ago," Dr Manning said.