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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
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Results for labor exploitation
24 results foundAuthor: Cameron, Sally Title: Trafficking and Related Labour Exploitation in the ASEAN Region Summary: In the ASEAN region, many thousands of people are trafficked from, through and to ASEAN countries each year. This report has synthesised key current English language research on trafficking in the ASEAN region as a means to provide a basic outline of human trafficking as it is currently understood. Country profiles present trafficking within an economic and labor migration context, as consideration of both is fundamental to understanding why anti-trafficking responses are so challenging and why they must be multi-dimentional. Details: Utrecht, The Netherlands: International Council on Social Welfare, 2007. 273p. Source: Internet Resource; ICSW Briefing Paper Year: 2007 Country: Asia URL: Shelf Number: 118584 Keywords: Human TraffickingLabor Exploitation |
Author: Ball, Rochelle Title: Australia’s Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme: Managing Vulnerabilities to Exploitation Summary: As part of the Australian Government’s response to trafficking in persons, the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) has undertaken preliminary research to assess the risks and protective factors for labour trafficking and to identify matters for priority research. In this context, a literature review is presented of Australia’s Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme (PSWPS), which is designed to enable Pacific Islanders to temporarily work in the horticultural sector and following a recent announcement, to also allow East Timorese access to tourism work in Australia. The paper is informed by literature relating to the longer running New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employment (RSE) Program, supplemented with targeted stakeholder consultations conducted between 2008 and 2010 in the Pacific. At this early stage, the PSWPS is regarded as a positive development in the legal sourcing and use of overseas temporary labour but its planned growth will nonetheless be challenging. The RSE may provide valuable lessons for the recently announced expansion of the PSWPS and other temporary workers schemes for Pacific Islanders. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2011. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No. 432: Accessed November 22, 2011 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/E/0/C/%7BE0C1EEB4-B893-489E-98F3-8FF9BAF3E8C9%7Dtandi432.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/E/0/C/%7BE0C1EEB4-B893-489E-98F3-8FF9BAF3E8C9%7Dtandi432.pdf Shelf Number: 123428 Keywords: Human TraffickingLabor ExploitationLabor MarketsLabor Trafficking |
Author: Lo, Sandy Title: Chinese Migrants: Their Experiences in Their Own Words Summary: What is life like for Chinese migrants who come to the UK? As part of a project on Chinese migrant workers, this collection of stories lets them describe their experiences in their own words. It explores: - what draws people from China to the UK; - how they made the move; - their experiences when they get here; - how they build a new life. It shows: - how difficult it can be to move to better jobs here; - how vulnerable they are; and - reveals the impact on family and relationships. Finally, it examines how people decide if they should stay or leave, and what stops them escaping exploitation. Details: York, UK: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2011. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed March 2, 2012 at: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/chinese-migrant-experience-full.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/chinese-migrant-experience-full.pdf Shelf Number: 124349 Keywords: Chinese Migrants (U.K.)Forced LaborHuman TraffickingLabor Exploitation |
Author: International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Title: Forced Labour: Mini Action Guide Summary: Forced labour is often associated with slavery. That is correct. Forced labour is therefore often associated with the past. This is incorrect. Forced labour continues to manifest itself in new forms throughout the world, and certain contemporary forms are even increasing in numbers of victims in a context of globalisation and increased migration. The ILO made a very conservative minimum estimate in 2005 stating that at any given moment 12.3 million people are working in forced labour conditions. The way in which forced labour is used is constantly changing. The legislation abolishing slavery two centuries ago may have abolished formal slavery and legal ownership of certain people over others; however, in practice forced labour has never been eradicated. Workers in forced labour today loose their freedom of movement through more indirect and less obvious mechanisms such as debt bondage, serfdom, indentured labour, etc. At the same time there are still some persistent vestiges of traditional slavery in certain parts of Africa, and the difference between a modernday domestic worker abused, exploited and locked up in a private home or bonded labourers on remote farms or working with brick kilns and traditional slaves may in practice be smaller than we like to think. Forced labour is a truly global problem affecting every region and all countries in the world whether industrialised or developing, rich or poor. Labour intensive and unregulated industries are affected the most: agriculture, domestic work, construction, mining, quarrying and brick kilns, manufacturing processing and packaging, entertainment and prostitution. Forced labour constitutes the antithesis to decent work and violates all core labour standards. Forced labourers are often victims of discrimination based on ethnicity or sex, and cultural preconceptions about inferiority of certain groups of people are therefore – together with economic hardship – the main root causes of the entire phenomenon. Up to 50 percent of all forced labour victims are children in forced child labour, a “worst forms of child labour”. These workers are under extreme exploitation and often isolated from their peers. Freedom of association and the right to organise will seem a distant dream to them – let alone their right to collective bargaining. Trade unions in most countries around the world are campaigning for decent work for all. We cannot be serious about this if we still allow forced labour and human trafficking to foster in every country around the world. Details: Brussels, Belgium: ITUC International Trade Union Confederation, 2008. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 17, 2012 at http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/guide_forced_labour_EN.pdf Year: 2008 Country: International URL: http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/guide_forced_labour_EN.pdf Shelf Number: 124997 Keywords: Debt BondageForced LaborForced Labor, ChildrenHuman TraffickingLabor Exploitation |
Author: Lalani, Mumtaz Title: Forced Labour in the UK: The Business Angle Summary: This paper: • examines the business structures, processes and pressures that may drive or facilitate the use of forced labour in the UK; • considers policies that may be used in response to these; • makes recommendations to the business community, government and trade unions and migrant community organisations to help reduce exploitation and forced labour in the UK. Details: York, UK: Joseph Rountree Foundation, 2012. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: JRF Programme Paper: Accessed April 27, 2012 at: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/forced-labour-and-business-full.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/forced-labour-and-business-full.pdf Shelf Number: 125074 Keywords: Business PracticesEmployment PracticesForced Labor (U.K.)ImmigrantsLabor Exploitation |
Author: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) Title: Severe labour exploitation: workers moving within or into the European Union - States' obligations and victims' rights Summary: Worker exploitation is not an isolated or marginal phenomenon. But despite its pervasiveness in everyday life, severe labour exploitation and its adverse effects on third-country nationals and EU citizens - as workers, but also as consumers - have to date not received much attention from researchers. The extensive fieldwork and desk research carried out by FRA for the report is the first to look comprehensively into various criminal forms of severe labour exploitation of workers who move from one EU Member State to another or from a third country. It aims to fill the knowledge gap, thus challenging the current climate of implicit acceptance of severe labour exploitation. The report identifies risk factors contributing to such exploitation and discusses means of improving the situation. It highlights the challenges faced by EU institutions and Member States in making the right of workers who have moved within or into the EU to decent working conditions a reality. It aims to support them in preventing severe labour exploitation, monitoring situations where severe labour exploitation occurs and making victims' right to have access to justice a reality. An EU-level consensus is needed which states that severe labour exploitation is unacceptable and that all workers are entitled to the effective protection of their rights. If the EU and its Member States are serious about maintaining national and international labour standards, accepting systemic labour exploitation is not an option. Details: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2015. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 13, 2015 at: http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra-2015-severe-labour-exploitation_en.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Europe URL: http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra-2015-severe-labour-exploitation_en.pdf Shelf Number: 136007 Keywords: Forced LaborLabor ExploitationWorker Exploitation |
Author: Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies Title: "I thought I was applying as a caregiver": Trafficking in Women for Labour Exploitation in Domestic Work Summary: In recent years the issues of gender and migration have received more attention from scholars, researchers and policymakers in different national contexts as well as at the EU level. Despite there being acknowledgment that gender matters, the experience of migrant domestic workers as possible victims of trafficking in human beings for labour exploitation has remained unexplored. Migrant domestic workers are left out of most policy framework relating to immigrant integration, violence against migrants, trafficking in human beings (THB), or exploitation, and therefore they tend to be invisible at all levels. However, female migrant domestic workers are visible agents within the destination countries since current economies in Europe are also built around them. EU Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Greece and Cyprus have become destination countries for many female migrant domestic workers, while Lithuana is a country from which domestic workers originate. It is evident from previous research that many are victims of exploitation. OSCE's Guide on Gender-Sensitive Labour Migration Policies notes that more women are migrating and the demand for workers in female dominated sectors, such as domestic work, is ever-increasing. Research shows that domestic workers play a crucial role in society but at the same time, due to the isolated and unregulated setting of their work, they are especially vulnerable to abuse, violence and exploitation. Migrant domestic workers mostly live in their employer's house and many, according to studies by the International Labour Organization, report physical, psychological, sexual abuse, and exploitative work conditions. They are often overworked, underpaid, have their personal documents confiscated, are restricted in their freedom of movement, and have their pay withheld in order to pay off debts related to their recruitment and transportation. Such exploitation is under-reported, and authorities do not necessarily recognize these situations to be cases of trafficking. However, trafficking in women may occur if the employee has been deceived, or if her dependent status and vulnerability has been abused in order to subject her to exploitation. Furthermore, the recent EU directive on THB (2011/36/EU) recognizes the gender dimension and it encourages Member States to be more aware of the less investigated forms of THB such as labour exploitation. The new strategy on THB (The EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings 2012-2016) is a critical tool in assisting the Member States to implement the Directive, and both documents pay special attention to THB for labour exploitation. Details: Nicosia, Cyprus: University of Nicosia Press, 2015. 175p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 13, 2016 at: http://www.medinstgenderstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/here5.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Europe URL: http://www.medinstgenderstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/here5.pdf Shelf Number: 137562 Keywords: Domestic Workers, Abuse ofForced LaborHuman TraffickingLabor ExploitationMigrants |
Author: Verite Title: Labor and Human Rights Risk Analysis of Ecuador's Palm Oil Sector Summary: This report is another important contribution to the literature on human and labor rights risks in palm oil production globally. Thus far, there has been very little research on conditions in palm oil production in Ecuador, Latin America's largest producer. Research carried out by Verite and REACH (Research-Education-Action-Change) found a number of risks including indicators of forced labor, unethical recruitment and hiring practices, wage and hour violations, child labor, discrimination against women and minorities, environmental damage, and displacement. Verite found that several factors heightened workers' vulnerability, including competition for a limited number of jobs, the involvement of labor brokers in the recruitment and management of workers, and the displacement of Colombian refugees who are forced to migrate to Ecuador, where the palm oil sector constitutes one of the only sources of employment available to them outside of illegal activities. Verite found that Colombian immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, are extremely vulnerable to labor and human rights abuses, especially in Esmeraldas, the province with by far the highest number of Colombian immigrants and the highest rate of African palm cultivation. Approximately 1,000 Colombians flee each month from violence in Colombia, which had the second highest rate of displacement in the world after Syria, to Ecuador, which is by far the country with the largest number of Colombian refugees. These immigrants faced discrimination and threats of deportation, constraining their ability to protest unfair labor conditions and making them especially vulnerable to exploitation. Verite research detected a large number of indicators of forced labor, including indicators of unfree recruitment, work and life under duress, and impossibility of leaving employers, especially among Colombian immigrants. Verite's research also uncovered additional problems faced by palm workers. These risks included wage, benefit, and working hour violations; child labor; discrimination against women, indigenous people, and people of African descent; health and safety risks; poor housing; environmental damage; harm to indigenous communities; and inadequate grievance mechanisms. For more information, along with recommendations for action, please see our in-depth report on Labor and Human Rights Risks in Ecuador's Palm Oil Sector. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2016. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 1, 2016 at: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/Risk%20Analysis%20of%20Ecuador%20Palm%20Oil%20Sector-final%20draft.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Ecuador URL: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/Risk%20Analysis%20of%20Ecuador%20Palm%20Oil%20Sector-final%20draft.pdf Shelf Number: 139262 Keywords: Child LaborForced LaborHuman RightsImmigrant laborLabor Exploitation |
Author: Palumbo, Letizia Title: Trafficking and Labour Exploitation in Domestic Work and the Agricultural Sector in Italy Summary: In Italy, as in many European countries, agriculture and domestic work are sectors characterised by high levels of irregular work without contract and with no respect of minimum pay, humane living conditions or access to basic services. Generalised informality however sometimes leads to cases of sever exploitation and outright human trafficking. This report focuses on the conditions that can lead from irregular work to abuse and trafficking in agriculture and domestic work - we question the cultural and economic aspects that make such situations possible. We also review the relevant legislation punishing exploiters and protecting victims with a view of identifying existing gaps and make suggestions for improvement. Indeed while the Italian legal framework is particularly progressive as regards the assistance and protection of victims of trafficking and severe exploit ation, related legal practices and implementation of policies on the ground suffer from several shortcomings. For instance, the implementation of Article 18 of Legislative Decree No. 286/1998, which provides victims of exploitation and trafficking with spe cial protection and assistance as well as with a residence permit for humanitarian reasons, has been arbitrary and inconsistent throughout the country, especially in cases of labour exploitation. In addition, Italy has inadequately transposed into national law Directive 2011/36/EU on trafficking and lacks a comprehensive law on labour exploitation. In recent years anti -trafficking interventions have not been a priority and programmes for assistance of victims of trafficking and severe exploitation have been under -funded. There is no effective system of data collection on the victims participating in these programmes; the national plan against trafficking has been adopted only recently (February 2016) after a severe delay of more than one year with respect to the established deadline; there is a lack of structured campaigns against t rafficking and serious exploitation. This report stresses the need for an integrated and comprehensive approach to trafficking and labour exploitation in agriculture and domestic w ork and makes specific recommendations for each of the two sectors. Details: Italy: European University Institute, 2016. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 1, 2016 at: http://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/42406/GGP_TRAFFICKO_2016_EN.pdf?sequence=3 Year: 2016 Country: Italy URL: http://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/42406/GGP_TRAFFICKO_2016_EN.pdf?sequence=3 Shelf Number: 139910 Keywords: Domestic WorkersForced LaborHuman TraffickingLabor Exploitation |
Author: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Title: Labour Exploitation, Trafficking and Migrant Health: Multi-country Findings on Health Risks and Consequences of Migrant and Trafficked Workers Summary: Global assessments suggest that a substantial proportion of labour migrants ends up in situations of extreme exploitation, some of whom are identified as victims of human trafficking. Because large numbers of migrant workers fall into a "grey area" between trafficking (as defined by international and national law) and exploitative labour situations, there is good reason to explore the differences and similarities between the health needs of those who have been identified as trafficked compared to other migrants working in the same labour sector who have not. It is urgent to understand present-day occupational health and safety risks, forms of abuse and exploitation in different sectors and common hazardous working and living conditions to improve prevention and response strategies. This is among the first studies to explore and compare the influence of occupational and other risk exposures on people's health and well-being and compare the experiences of migrant workers and victims of trafficking across sectors and regions. Our multiregion qualitative study on exploitation and harm experienced by individuals in the textile sector in Argentina, and artisanal gold-mining in Peru and construction sector in Kazakhstan, found important commonalities in the health hazards and financial, social and legal challenges across sectors and regions. In total, we interviewed 71 people; of these, 18 were formally identified victims of trafficking and 53 were migrant workers. Our research found that many of the abuses reported by victims of trafficking were also reported by numerous migrant workers who were not identified as victims of trafficking. Policymakers and programme staff need to look more carefully at what is happening to the larger population of people working in unregulated, informal sectors, because there are many similarities in the harm experienced by migrant workers and that experienced by identified victims of trafficking. We hope that future interventions will aim to include the larger populations of those who are in need of assistance. By making this broader investment, we will simultaneously protect against the most extreme abuses that we call modern slavery or human trafficking. Details: Geneva: International Organization for Migration, 2015. 184p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 26, 2016 at: https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/labour_exploitation_trafficking_en.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/labour_exploitation_trafficking_en.pdf Shelf Number: 140042 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingLabor ExploitationMigrant Workers |
Author: Ricard-Guay, Alexandra Title: Labour Trafficking in Canada: At the Margins of the Anti-Trafficking Efforts Summary: As in many other countries, such as in Europe, Canada has increased its anti-trafficking efforts since this crime was included in the criminal code in 2005. However, trafficking for labour exploitation remains poorly addressed in the current anti-trafficking response. Concerns related to domestic sex trafficking have dominated the landscape and driven the bulk of government actions, leaving labour trafficking side way. This paper reviews the evolution the Canadian governance of trafficking and examines the key challenges in addressing trafficking for labour exploitation. The paper draws on a study conducted in Canada between 2011 and 2013, and which is based on 79 interviews with key stakeholders. One key argument of the analysis presented in this paper is that the Canadian policy has been shaped by national mobilisation around the issue of sexual exploitation of young women, especially adolescent girls as well as Aboriginal women. Further, this framing and conception of trafficking interact with the legal definition of trafficking in the criminal code and the ways in which it is applied. Indeed, the current trafficking offence is less easily understood as applying to situations of labour exploitation. However, labour trafficking is progressively emerging as a matter that deserves public and political interest. Migrants' and refugees' rights organisations, as well as civil society anti-trafficking initiatives, play a role in raising awareness about this issue and including this issue in the government actions. Details: Florence, IT: European University Institute, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS), 2016. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Research Paper No. RSCAS 2016/40: Accessed September 13, 2016 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2832812 Year: 2016 Country: Canada URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2832812 Shelf Number: 140259 Keywords: Human TraffickingLabor ExploitationMigration |
Author: Sikka, Anette Title: Labour Trafficking in Canada: Indicators, Stakeholders, and Investigative Methods Summary: Human trafficking is a complex phenomenon, touching on issues of migration, employment, prostitution and crime control. The purpose of this research project is to provide information on labour trafficking in Canada that will assist law enforcement and other criminal justice bodies in identifying and investigating these cases. In addition to an analysis and summary of relevant international and domestic laws and policies, the report synthesizes the existing body of literature, and analyzes published cases of labour trafficking in Canada. The literature review suggests that the topic of labour trafficking has not received significant attention as its own subject matter and merits critical analysis in the legal, jurisprudential and policy context. A case review found little evidence linking labour trafficking in Canada to established organized crime. Further, analysis found no forced labour situations reported as potential cases of trafficking of Canadians or permanent residents outside of the sex trade or criminal activity, such as drug trafficking. The analysis of labour trafficking was focused upon 'legal' occupations, which resulted in published cases that involved potential labour trafficking cases that were mainly related to migrant workers in Canada. A key finding of the report is that cases exist in stories reported by the media, as well as academics, not-for profit and legal literatures, which may meet the legal definition of labour trafficking, but have not been conceptualized or classified as human trafficking for the purposes of labour exploitation. This report identifies a number of exploitative labour practices that can become part of the spectrum of human trafficking activities. An analysis of cases identifies a combination of deceptive recruitment practices and aggravating exploitative work arrangements which result in situations that explicitly or implicitly prevent migrants from leaving employment situations in a manner that conforms to legal definitions of human trafficking. In particular, case analysis reveals activities by recruiters and employers that place individuals in exploitative situations that they are unable to leave. Some of these fears arise from physical threats or abuse, but also from debt bondage or threats of criminalization. For instance, examples are documented where exploitation, whether through inadequate working conditions, insufficient housing, confiscation of identity documents, or physical abuse, exist as factors contributing to a migrants' unwillingness or inability to escape exploitative work situations. The existence of high debt or extreme poverty in a home country can leave migrants vulnerable to exploitative working conditions. Threats, including overt reference to legal actions such as deportation, when used in the context of these exploitative conditions, may constitute trafficking in persons. These factors of coercion or deception and exploitation, when considered jointly, suggest a spectrum of activities that can be considered labour trafficking; which have been, hitherto, given little consideration as a form of human trafficking. The report notes a series of indicators which may aid stakeholders in the detection, investigation, prosecution and amelioration of trafficking generally, and specifically in a labour context. Noting a general dearth of human trafficking cases, and of labour trafficking specifically, the report finds that physical harm, as is often the case in sex trafficking, is a notable, albeit rare, indicator of labour trafficking. Most frequently, cases of labour trafficking come to the attention of authorities when there is a connection to employment standards, occupational health and safety, and labour rights violations that are identified by NGOs. It is not common that police services or government authorities identify cases of labour trafficking directly through their dealings with migrant workers. A gender analysis of the cases indicates that the involvement of youth and females is more common in domestic care or isolated work situations where there is evidence of labour trafficking. Such cases share characteristics with cases of sex trafficking, and appear more likely to also include elements of sexual exploitation. The study also notes victims' lack of awareness of their rights and resources (including an individual's inability to understand they are a victim of human trafficking) and a marked reticence amongst victims to report exploitative work arrangements, as a key characteristic in labour trafficking cases as well as an obstacle to anti-trafficking activities. Employer violations of basic obligations, such as building codes, may not only portend greater offences occurring in the work place, such as egregious exploitation and coercive environments, but may also provide an intervention point for authorities. Federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal stakeholders could therefore benefit from greater information - and intelligence-sharing amongst regulatory and policing agencies to ensure relevant sharing and escalation of employer contraventions across jurisdictions. With potential indicators of labour trafficking identified, there is a suggestion to move toward a definition of forced labour that considers coercion not only through physical force but through several interlocking and overlapping barriers which prevent potentially trafficked individuals from leaving an exploitative workplace. A challenge for researchers and authorities is to define where the regulatory infractions of employment standards end and the criminal offence of human trafficking begin, and to revise trafficking models and anti-trafficking practices accordingly. This work could benefit from further research into existing reported cases of human trafficking and more generally into cases documenting exploitative labour practices experienced by migrant workers, Canadian citizens, and permanent residents alike. Included with the report are annexes of Canadian cases of labour trafficking of a non-sexual nature. Each incident is coded for: location; means by which the incident came to the attention of authorities; any identified law enforcement response or investigative methods; characteristics of victims; activities potentially classified as coercive or deceptive; activities potentially classified as exploitation; any prosecutorial or judicial determinations regarding the status of victims (trafficked or not trafficked); and, any non-governmental or governmental organizations involved either in identification or service provision. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2013. 111p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2016 at: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cn63310954-eng.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cn63310954-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 131164 Keywords: Forced laborHuman TraffickingLabor ExploitationLabor Trafficking |
Author: Beatson, Jesse Title: The Exploitation of Foreign Workers in Our Own Backyards: An examination of labour exploitation and labour trafficking in Canada Summary: Background - Many employers who engage in the exploitation of foreign workers have experienced impunity due to factors such as lack of interest by law enforcement agencies, ambiguous or non-existent criminal justice legislation, poor labour standards and/or untenable complaint mechanisms, and government programs for foreign workers with inadequate protections in place to safeguard human rights. - Changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) in Canada has resulted in an increase in foreign workers and many of them are quite vulnerable to actual and potential exploitation. - A lot of reports and advocacy efforts focus on trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation so the picture many people have of the nature and scope of trafficking in Canada may be skewed. More research is needed on labour-related abuses, both to better understand this phenomenon and also to assess the merits of the "trafficking" framework - The current legal definition of labour trafficking has some limitations and may need to be improved so that better protection and justice for victimized foreign workers in Canada can be provided. Countless numbers of men, women, and children are exploited around the world by unscrupulous employers. Impunity is all too commonly experienced by these employers, regardless of whether they operate in developing or developed world contexts. This impunity is due to a combination of possible factors such as lack of interest or effort by law enforcement agencies, ambiguous or non-existent criminal justice legislation, poor labour standards and/or untenable complaint mechanisms, and government foreign labour programs designed without adequate worker protections. This report was prepared for CATHII (Comite D'Action Contre La Traite Humaine Interne Et Internationale) during the spring and summer of 2015 to investigate labour exploitation and labour trafficking in the Canadian context. Recent changes to Canadian immigration programs, specifically the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP), has resulted in a comparatively greater increase in non-nationals entering the country versus permanent immigrants (Thomas 2010). The potentially mutually beneficial and positive aspects of the TFWP notwithstanding; in practice, these foreign workers lack access to the same rights and privileges as Canadian citizens or permanent residents and this makes them vulnerable (Macovei 2012). Canadian employers who engage in exploitative practices of foreign workers may be the most immediate and easily identifiable cause of these labour abuses, but the policy context should be considered a structural factor that influences how easy it is to carry these abuses out. According to a government issued pamphlet "Canadian law protects all workers in Canada, including temporary foreign workers... The exploitation of a foreign national may violate Canadian law and human rights" (Temporary Foreign Workers). Nevertheless, Fudge and MacPhail (2009) have argued that the mechanisms designed to monitor and protect the rights of foreign workers are in fact not well developed or monitored and that the actual and potential exploitation of foreign workers "undermines the legitimacy of the program (TFWP) both within and outside of Canada" (p. 43). Thus, one of the objectives of this report - through compiling several documented cases where foreign workers have been exploited - is to shed light on patterns and trends that might point towards problems with the current TFWP system. Case summaries provide vivid testimonies that changes may need to be made to immigration policy to ensure more robust protections of human rights. A second objective of this report is to join others who are beginning to address a disparity in trafficking research and advocacy work in Canada. Within the community of NGOs in Canada dedicated to issues of human trafficking, the heaviest emphasis of research and advocacy efforts tends to be placed on trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Consequently, the victims of trafficking practices are thought primarily to be young women forced into the sex trade, brought into Canada from foreign countries under false pretences. While efforts made on behalf of individuals fitting this general description are laudable and ideally will continue to be strengthened in coming years, an unfortunate side effect of the intense focus on this particular trafficking narrative is that it gives a misleading impression about the nature and scope of trafficking-related abuses in Canada. By expanding the focus of research and advocacy around trafficking issues to include labour exploitation, victims of these activities, increasingly being accepted as the most common form of trafficking globally, will have a better chance at justice and protection. Potential future victims will also hopefully receive better safeguarding of their human rights. Details: Montreal: CATHII (Comite D'Action Contre La Traite Humaine Interne Et Internationale), 2015. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2016 at: http://www.cathii.org/sites/www.cathii.org/files/The%20Exploitation%20of%20Foreign%20Workers%20Report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Canada URL: http://www.cathii.org/sites/www.cathii.org/files/The%20Exploitation%20of%20Foreign%20Workers%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 140275 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingImmigrantsLabor ExploitationLabor TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Bergbom, Katie Title: Trapped in the Kitchen of the World: The situation for migrant workers in Thailand's poultry industry Summary: Thailand is a prominent world supplier of poultry meat products. During the last couple of decades the nation's domestic production has experienced several booms, as the poultry industry has evolved into a main ingredient of Thailand's objective of becoming "the kitchen of the world". The EU has become its biggest market for export. About 270 000 tonnes of poultry meat products were shipped from Thailand to the EU in 2014. Sweden has imported poultry products from Thailand since at least the late 1990s. In 2014 Thailand was Sweden's second largest supplier of processed poultry products, after Denmark. Recently Sweden launched a National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights with the explicit expectation that all Swedish companies shall respect human rights, as specified in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP). With this report Swedwatch aims to investigate the levels of social responsibility taken by Swedish stakeholders in their trade with Thai suppliers, from the perspective of the above mentioned standards. Thai industries are grappling with a shortage of domestic labour. Like many of Thailand's labour intensive sectors the poultry industry too has found a remedy across the borders, in the neighboring countries. In search for better salaries and the possibility to send money back home, millions of migrant workers from mainly Cambodia and Myanmar have formed the lowest level of Thailand's labour pyramid. Many of these people have also become victims of unscrupulous employers and recruiters as well as corrupt officials. This report indicates that violations of migrant workers' rights occur in Thailand's poultry industry, in resemblance to other Thai sectors that have been exposed by the media during the latest years. According to the global labour rights organization Solidarity Center, migrant workers in Thailand experience some of the worst abuse in the world. Interviews with 98 migrant workers employed by four different Thai poultry producers, that all have exported to Sweden during the last three years, show an extensive variation of violations. In total, six factories were included in the field study. Based on the interviews, four of the factories were found to act in breach of many or all of Thailand's main labour and social protection laws as well as international laws and standards formulated by the UN, ILO and others, at the time of the field study. Migrant workers at all factories included in the study state that personal documents such as passports or work permits have been confiscated by their employers or recruitment agencies. The interviews reveal that workers are in different levels of debt bondage due to excessive recruitment fees and other costs at all selected factories. Interviewees at all factories stated that they had not received health insurance though fees were deducted from their salaries. These practices are only a few examples revealed by the field study. All are indicators of trafficking of adults for labour exploitation, according to the International Labour Organization, ILO. Workers at four of the six factories said there was child labour, at three of the factories with workers as young as 14 years old. Employing youth under 15 years of age is in breach of Thailand's Labour Protection Act of 1998. Thai poultry meat products follow a complex supply chain before they reach the consumer in private restaurants and cafs, public hospitals and schools or at family dinner tables in Sweden. The EU legislation regarding indication of origin on processed food means that products labelled as having an EU country as origin, actually may come from third countries such as Thailand. This makes it near impossible to estimate the total volume of Thai poultry imported to the Swedish market annually. According to one of the Swedish importers, at least half of all the Thai poultry meat that is consumed in Sweden is not included in the official statistics of import. Swedwatch's survey of Swedish stakeholders involved in the import of poultry products from Thailand shows that this decades long business relation was initiated with a focus on animal welfare and product quality, and with no meaningful due diligence performed on potential adverse human rights impacts in the industry. Of the stakeholders interviewed for this report only Axfood, a wholesaler, has started to perform due diligence on adverse human rights impacts in Thailand's poultry industry. Other than that, the UNGP and the Swedish government's National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights are still unknown to many actors in Sweden's food sector. This report further reveals extensive shortcomings of social responsibility in Swedish public procurement of food. Public procurers at county councils and municipalities do not have the routines to set social criteria in their procurement of food. Audits to ensure that their codes of conduct are fulfilled throughout their supply chains are generally not performed due to lack of resources. This means that children and adults in Sweden's public institutions such as schools, retirement homes and hospitals may be served poultry products produced by exploited migrant workers. For this report Swedwatch has also conducted a survey of supermarket chains on the Swedish market. The focus was on house brands containing poultry products. The results show that one out of five food companies included in the survey use Thai poultry in their house brands. This report makes several recommendations. Thai companies should ensure that all forms of unlawful recruitment fees are stopped and ensure that brokers are not charging migrant workers costs leading to debt bondage. As a minimum all the companies should comply with Thai labour legislation. Stakeholders at the Swedish food market that are linked to the import of Thai poultry products should assure that their suppliers follow international labour right standards as expressed in the ILO core conventions. Importers and wholesalers should conduct due diligence on adverse human rights impacts and show with commitment and transparency how potential risks are identified and mitigated, in accordance with the guidelines of the UNGP. Food should be identified as a risk category in trade, not only when it comes to animal welfare and product quality. Details: Stockholm: SwedWatch, 2015. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Report #76: Accessed October 15, 2016 at: http://www.swedwatch.org/sites/default/files/tmp/76_thaikyckling_151123_ab.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Thailand URL: Shelf Number: 144878 Keywords: Child LaborDebt BondageHuman Rights AbusesHuman TraffickingLabor ExploitationMigrant Workers |
Author: Muskat-Gorska, Zuzanna Title: The Role of the Internet in Trafficking for Labour Exploitation Summary: The report examines what role the internet plays in trafficking in human beings for labour exploitation. It considers in particular methods of online job recruitment and looks at cases studies from several EU Member States – Czech Republic, UK, Ireland, and Romania – and discusses to what extent the internet plays a role and if so, how significant the role of the internet is in facilitating human trafficking. The report provides examples of potential solutions. Details: Brussels: International Trade Union Confederation, 2015. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2016 at: https://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/internet_and_labour_trafficking.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Europe URL: https://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/internet_and_labour_trafficking.pdf Shelf Number: 147309 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingInternet CrimesLabor Exploitation |
Author: McAdam, Marika Title: Needs Assessment: Counter-trafficking response in Georgia Summary: This research was commissioned by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and funded by the Member States through IOM’s internal funding mechanism, the IOM Development Fund. The purpose of the study was to: ● collect and synthesize stakeholder views of the current human trafficking landscape and responses thereto in the country/region; ● identify stakeholders’ perspectives on the trafficking situation and trends, as well as the gaps in relation to identification and referral, assistance and protection, and prevention and cooperation; and ● arrive at key conclusions and offer recommendations on how to strengthen existing responses, correct inappropriate processes, and address gaps at the domestic and, to the extent possible, regional levels. The secondary purpose of the study was to develop a rapid needs assessment tool (Counter-trafficking Needs Assessment Tool (CT-NAT)) that can be adapted to different countries and regions, and revise the tool on the basis of the experience using it in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. 1.2. Research methodology The needs assessment involved six key steps: 1) a desk review of key materials for the three countries; 2) development of the needs assessment tool; 3) incountry interviews; 4) dissemination of electronic surveys; 5) data entry, analysis of findings and drafting of the assessment report; and 6) validation of the assessment findings and recommendations at a series of three national workshops held in the study countries Details: Tbilisi, Georgia: International Organization for migration, 2016. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 1, 2017 at: https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/counter_trafficking_georgia_en.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Georgia URL: https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/counter_trafficking_georgia_en.pdf Shelf Number: 140784 Keywords: Child Trafficking Counter-trafficking Forced Labor Human Trafficking Labor Exploitation |
Author: Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX) Title: Improving the Identification and Support of Victims of Trafficking for Labour Exploitation in the EU Summary: Human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation is a serious crime and a human rights violation. Despite its pervasiveness across Europe and its harmful effects on victims, limited attention has been paid to the identification and support of victims of trafficking for labour exploitation. The ProAct project (Pro-active Identification and Support of Victims of Trafficking for Labour Exploitation in the EU) seeks to address this by improving responses to trafficking for labour exploitation throughout the European Union. The conclusions and recommendations presented in this briefing are the result of a 2-year project combining both extensive research and practical experience components. This policy brief presents three key issues identified through the project: 1. the need for sustainable support and access to accommodation for victims of trafficking for labour exploitation; 2. the increasing conflation of labour inspection and immigration control and the need for more proactive and victim-centred identification efforts; 3. the lack of access to legal remedies for victims of trafficking for labour exploitation. This paper highlights the concerning position that, in many European countries current responses to trafficking fall short of international and European obligations, and that more needs to be done both to effectively prevent trafficking for labour exploitation, and to support and protect its victims from further victimization. It proposes a set of recommendations in order to ensure a sustainable and comprehensive approach to human trafficking for labour exploitation in the EU. It calls for the effective and full implementation of European obligations by Member States, and seeks to provide input to the post-2016 EU strategy on Trafficking in Human Beings. Details: London: FLEX, 2016. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: PRO-ACT Policy Paper: Accessed March 21, 2017 at: http://www.labourexploitation.org/sites/default/files/publications/PROACT%20Policy%20Paper.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Europe URL: http://www.labourexploitation.org/sites/default/files/publications/PROACT%20Policy%20Paper.pdf Shelf Number: 144523 Keywords: Forced laborHuman TraffickingLabor ExploitationTrafficking for Labor Exploitation |
Author: Bachinger, Almut Title: The Role of Labour Inspection in Addressing Demand in the Context of Trafficking in Human Beings for Labour Exploitation Summary: The present working paper examines law enforcement in labour markets with regards to reducing demand in the context of trafficking in human beings for labour exploitation in five EU member-states. Four case studies in Austria, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the UK and a less-intensive case study in Germany were conducted between June 2015 and May 2016. In all the countries we investigated bodies tasked to monitor labour conditions and compliance with labour standards and to enforce the relevant labour, social security and other laws, labour inspection services - in principle - have an important role in addressing trafficking for labour exploitation. Although labour inspectorates do not operate explicitly according to a concept of demand, there is consensus among the actors involved that the authorities tasked with the monitoring of labour standards and conditions influence employers' behaviour with regards to trafficking for labour exploitation and thus address employer demand. Stakeholders view labour inspectors' as an effective measure through which to tackle trafficking for labour exploitation. At the same time, monitoring of labour conditions and of breaches of labour standards as well as trafficking is constrained due to limited resources and, simultaneously, an increase in the tasks which labour inspectorates have to fulfil and the growing complexity of labour relations and conditions. Details: Vienna: Demand-Side Measures Against Trafficking, 2017. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: DemandAT Working Paper no. 12: Accessed November 29, 2017 at: http://demandat.eu/sites/default/files/WP11_WorkingPaper12_Labour%20Inspection_FINAL_0.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Europe URL: http://demandat.eu/sites/default/files/WP11_WorkingPaper12_Labour%20Inspection_FINAL_0.pdf Shelf Number: 148527 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingLabor Exploitation |
Author: Rogoz, Madalina Title: Demand Arguments in Different Fields of Trafficking in Human Beings Summary: The present paper aims to critically engage with the explanatory framework of demand as it is employed in various debates and to shed light on main demand-side arguments put forward in the context of various forms of trafficking in human beings. This paper delivers mainly a positive analysis, in the sense that it seeks to clarify 'what is there' - which arguments are used in which debates -, rather than to identify what action should be taken - which would subscribe to a normative analysis (Robert & Zeckhauser 2011). It is a stocktacking exercise of main demand-side arguments in debates on various types of trafficking in human beings. The paper critically engages with the normative side of demand-side arguments only in as much as this is required to reconstruct the arguments for a better understanding of policy measures proposed. The general argument identified in debates is that there is a demand that fosters exploitation related to trafficking in human beings. The paper aims to retrace the arguments used in debates on demand in particular areas of trafficking in human beings - for sexual exploitation, for labour exploitation, for the exploitation of begging, for illegal adoption, trafficking for forced and servile marriages and trafficking for the removal of organs - in order to better understand the assumptions behind demand-side arguments, the way demand is understood and contextualised and how it is considered relevant in addressing various types of trafficking in human beings. One of the main findings is that although 'demand' is mostly referred to in its economic understanding - the willingness and ability to purchase a good or a service - the way in which the notion of demand is being employed varies and is often inconsistent. Details: Vienna: Demand-Side Measures Against Trafficking, 2017. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: DemandAT Working Paper No. 13: Accessed November 29, 2017 at: http://demandat.eu/sites/default/files/WP6_WorkingPaper13_Demand_Arguments_in_Different_THB_Fields_FINAL.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Europe URL: http://demandat.eu/sites/default/files/WP6_WorkingPaper13_Demand_Arguments_in_Different_THB_Fields_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 148528 Keywords: Forced Labor Human Trafficking Labor ExploitationSex Trafficking Sexual Exploitation |
Author: GRETA (Group of Experts on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings Title: 7th General Report on GRETA's Activities Covering the period from 1 January 20 31 December 2017 Summary: I am pleased to introduce the Seventh General Report on GRETA's activities and to highlight the on-going work of the Council of Europe in combating trafficking in human beings and vindicating the rights of victims of trafficking. The human rights-based approach to combating human trafficking is critical to all aspects of GRETA's work, recognising as it does that trafficking in human beings is a serious human rights violation, one that, as the European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly noted, treats human beings as commodities to be bought and sold. This General Report covers the activities of GRETA from 1 January to 31 December 2017. The year 2017 marked further progress in the application of the Convention across Europe, with the ratification by the Czech Republic on 29 March 2017. All member States of the Council of Europe, with the exception of the Russian Federation, have now ratified the Convention, and Belarus is also a State Party. While the expansion in ratifications of the Convention is significant to ensure greater reach in our work, more effective implementation by States Parties of the Convention standards remains critical. Against a backdrop of millions of people forcibly displaced worldwide, and hundreds of thousands of people on the move in Europe, the risks of exploitation are great. Of particular concern are the risks faced by victims of trafficking on arrival in Europe, with many barriers in place to accessing protection and heightened risks of re-trafficking within Europe. The gender dimension of human trafficking, and gender inequality as both a cause and a driver of exploitation, is central to many of GRETA's country reports. The risks faced by children and young people remain of particular concern, as weaknesses in child protection systems in many countries lead to failings in ensuring timely responses to the rights and needs of migrant and asylum-seeking children at risk. Strengthening the impact of GRETA's work in combating human trafficking is critical and the report highlights examples of where implementation of Convention standards is securing incremental change. Legislative changes continue, as well as policy and practical measures to improve early identification of child victims, steps to provide assistance to male victims of trafficking, and more proactive approaches to ensure access to compensation and legal redress. In this Seventh General Report, GRETA highlights the particular challenges of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation. Labour exploitation was chosen as one of the thematic focuses of the second evaluation round of the Convention because of GRETA's concern that Convention obligations were not being met, and that many victims of labour trafficking were not being identified as such nor granted access to assistance and protection. 2017 saw the adoption of the landmark judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Chowdury and Others v Greece, in which the Convention and its Explanatory Report, together with GRETA's reports on Italy and Spain, were widely cited. The judgment is an important contribution to European human rights law in recognising the complex and subtle forms of coercion that underpin trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation. The judgment is significant given GRETA's findings that many domestic courts fail to fully understand the gravity of labour exploitation or the nexus with human trafficking. As of the end of 2017, GRETA had adopted 42 country reports under the first evaluation round and 25 country reports under the second evaluation round. These reports highlight that in many States Parties, trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is the predominant form of human trafficking identified. There is, however, an increase in the number of identified victims of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, and in several countries, labour trafficking has emerged as the predominant form of trafficking. While there are considerable variations in the number and proportion of labour trafficking victims among countries, all countries indicate an upward trend of labour exploitation. hese trends are of great concern to GRETA and highlight the urgent need for closer co-operation between States, civil society, trade unions and the private sector. GRETA has repeatedly stressed the need for comprehensive legislation on trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, including recognition of the irrelevance of the victim's consent to the intended exploitation, and the need for heightened attention to the abuse of a position of vulnerability. Trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation occurs in the formal and informal economies, with migrant workers particularly at risk. Men constitute most of the identified victims of labour trafficking, in sectors as diverse as agriculture, construction, hospitality and fisheries. Women are also victims of trafficking for labour exploitation, often in the more isolated setting of domestic and care work. The possibility of trafficking occurring in diplomatic households is now well recognised, and GRETA's country reports highlight examples of good practice in prevention of such exploitation and in overcoming the barriers presented by state and diplomatic immunity claims. Poverty and discrimination on grounds of 'race' or ethnicity, as well as migration status, continue to contribute to the risks faced by minority communities, including risks of labour exploitation. The increasing precariousness of work, and the risks encountered by seasonal and migrant workers in particular, are documented in several of GRETA's country reports. The fisheries industry is recognised as posing particular challenges to the resourcing and functioning of inspectorates and other oversight bodies. GRETA's reports highlight steps being taken to strengthen preventive measures, yet the limited oversight of agricultural and other sectors contributes to difficulties in outreach to those often most at risk of exploitation. Limited resources for labour inspectorates, restrictions on collective bargaining and restricted access to channels for legal migration all contribute to labour trafficking. Access to information and to legal assistance remains a challenge for many victims of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, and GRETA highlights the importance of ensuring that victims are not criminalised, and can secure access to compensation and effective legal redress. The move towards greater transparency in supply chains, with significant legislative developments as well as policy initiatives, is highlighted as a potentially useful tool to combat human trafficking. In 2017, GRETA again invoked its urgent procedure mechanism, undertaking a short country visit to Hungary, in response to concerns raised in relation to the identification and access to assistance and protection of victims of trafficking. The use of the urgent procedure ensures a more timely response to potentially serious violations of human rights. Combined with the one-year follow-up reporting by States Parties now adopted, GRETA's monitoring work is developing to be more responsive, timely and effective. Complementing GRETA's monitoring work is the continued expansion of the Council GRETA's recommendations. GRETA is also working with other Council of Europe bodies to strengthen the impact of its work, including with MONEYVAL to highlight the importance of financial investigations in disrupting trafficking networks, as well as with other international organisations and civil society to assist in the identification of victims of trafficking among asylum seekers and migrants. 2017 came to an end with images of human trafficking in Libya and concerns at labour exploitation of many migrants travelling en route to Europe. This highlights the urgent need for strengthened co-operation between states and prevention measures to combat exploitation and abuse. Details: Strasbourg, France: Council of Europe, 2018. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 9, 2018 at: https://rm.coe.int/greta-2018-1-7gr-en/16807af20e Year: 2018 Country: Europe URL: https://rm.coe.int/greta-2018-1-7gr-en/16807af20e Shelf Number: 149745 Keywords: Asylum SeekersForced LaborHuman TraffickingLabor ExploitationLabor TraffickingMigrantsSexual ExploitationTrafficking for Labor |
Author: LeBaron, Genevieve Title: The Global Business of Forced Labour: Report of Findings Summary: The era of globalisation has been characterised by a growth of the world's biggest retail and brand companies, coupled with a deepened concern regarding the presence of forced labour in global supply chains. Indeed, one of the gravest and growing risks that brand companies face is the use of forced labour, human trafficking, or other illegal labour practices within their supply chain. Research on this topic has focused almost entirely on the big brand businesses at the top of the supply chain, rather than the worksites that actually deploy and manage forced labour and exploitation, which usually involve much smaller and more informal business actors. However, the overwhelming and singular focus on multi-national corporations (MNCs) at the top of supply chains has hindered our understanding of some of the broader patterns surrounding the business dynamics of forced labour in the global economy. Designed to address this gap, the Global Business of Forced Labour project is a first-of-its kind international research study investigating the business models of forced labour in global agricultural supply chains. The project has systematically mapped the business of forced labour, focusing on case studies of cocoa and tea supply chains. Through extensive primary research in the cocoa industry in Ghana and the tea industry in India and with domestic and international business actors, the project generated an original dataset that sheds light on the drivers and patterns of forced labour in agricultural supply chains feeding UK markets. This dataset includes in-depth interviews with over 120 tea and cocoa workers, a survey of over 1000 tea and cocoa workers, and over 100 interviews with business and government actors. Summary of Findings Business of Forced Labour There is a coherent pattern of labour exploitation including forced labour at the base of global tea and cocoa supply chains. Tea and cocoa businesses profit from forced labour and exploitation in two main ways: Employers use forced labour to reduce their costs of doing business. Our research uncovers that employers systematically under-pay wages and under-provide legally-mandated essential services for workers. Employers are legally required to provide basic services for tea workers on permanent contracts and their families. However, our study found that 47% of tea workers do not have access to potable water and 26% do not have access to a toilet. Workers also reported being charged by employers for services like electricity but not receiving these. In the cocoa industry, employers seek to cut costs through a complex system of financial calculations, including fines (e.g. for failing to carry out mandatory unpaid labour), fees (e.g. for obtaining a job on a cocoa farm), and deductions (e.g. for costs of inputs like pesticides and safety equipment) to systematically under-pay workers and create situations of debt bondage. In both industries, these widespread forms of exploitation are also sometimes accompanied by physical violence, threats, verbal abuse, and/or sexual violence. Employers use forced labour to generate revenue. In the tea industry, employers seek to generate revenue by lending money or providing services to workers and charging high interest on debts, thus engendering situations of debt bondage. Situations of debt bondage are closely linked to the under-provision of services; most tea workers reported borrowing money to pay for food or medical care (which employers are legally required to provide). In the cocoa industry, employers seek to profit by forcing workers to carry out additional labour beyond the agreed terms and conditions of the work, such as working for free on the employer's other farmlands for periods as long as three months. Failure to perform this involuntary labour results in deductions from the worker's wages, fines, threats, or even dismissal. In both industries, these widespread forms of exploitation are also sometimes accompanied by physical violence, threats, verbal abuse, and/or sexual violence. Workers face severe constraints on their ability to exit exploitative tea plantations and cocoa farms. Although chocolate and tea companies are highly profitable, the tea and cocoa workers at the base of their supply chains are living far below the poverty line and are routinely subjected to abuse. According to the World Bank, the poverty line for lower middle-income countries such as Ghana and India is $3.20 (L2.35) per day. Tea workers' wages in India are as low as 25% of the poverty line amount and cocoa workers' wages are around 30% of the poverty line amount. Producers - tea plantation owners and cocoa farmers - claim they do not receive enough payment for their products to obey labour laws and pay the minimum wage. Details: Sheffield, UK: University of Sheffield, Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute, 2018. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 25, 2018 at: http://globalbusinessofforcedlabour.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Report-of-Findings-Global-Business-of-Forced-Labour.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: http://globalbusinessofforcedlabour.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Report-of-Findings-Global-Business-of-Forced-Labour.pdf Shelf Number: 150650 Keywords: AgricultureBonded LaborDebt BondageForced LaborHuman Rights AbusesLabor ExploitationModern Slavery |
Author: Galos, Eliza Title: Migrant Vulnerability to Human Trafficking and Exploitation: Evidence from the Central and Eastern Mediterranean Migration Routes. Summary: Over the past years, public attention has gradually turned to the experiences of migrants along the precarious Mediterranean routes to Europe. A large number of migrants continue to risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean Sea on the way to Europe, often enduring long and perilous journeys. In 2015 and 2016, there was a large increase in arrivals of migrants and refugees fleeing protracted conflict, poverty and persecution, and seeking security and economic opportunities in Europe. The largest number of recorded migrant arrivals to Europe in 2015 occurred on the Eastern Mediterranean route. Also, the largest number of recorded migrant arrivals on the Central Mediterranean route occurred in 2016, which was also considered the deadliest and most dangerous year on record for sea crossings to Europe. A growing body of evidence is beginning to highlight the scale and scope of exploitation experienced by migrants along these routes, including human trafficking. In particular, the abuses endured by migrants in Libya - the main departure point for sea crossings to Europe - have been well documented. This report examines migrants' vulnerability to human trafficking and exploitation by exploring risk and protective factors associated with unsafe migration, through the systematic evidence collected by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix operations in 2016. It presents the results from the largest existing set of survey data on the vulnerability of migrants to abuse, exploitation and human trafficking on the Mediterranean routes to Europe. Data derive from interviews conducted over a one-year period with more than 16,000 migrants in seven countries, namely, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In the context of the analysis, migrants' vulnerability to human trafficking and exploitation is operationalized as the positive response to at least one of the five key questions included in the survey that refer to an individual experience during the journey. The key questions are related to potential human trafficking for labour exploitation, forced marriage and other experiences that could signal coercion (such as being held against one's will) in a possible human trafficking scenario. The survey did not collect information on potential human trafficking for sexual exploitation or on other forms of gender-based violence. More information on the choice and implications of the questions included in the survey can be found in the Methodology (Chapter 2). Definitions related to key terms, such as vulnerability and human trafficking, can be found in the Methodology and Appendix 1. The analysis of the IOM survey data shows that more than one third (37%) of all interviewed migrants had a personal experience that indicated the presence of human trafficking or other exploitative practices along the route. Seventy-three per cent of migrants interviewed along the Central Mediterranean route presented at least one indicator of exploitation, along with 14 per cent of migrants interviewed along the Eastern Mediterranean route. Details: Geneva, SWIT: International Organization for Migration, 2017. 94p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 4, 2019 at: http://migration.iom.int/docs/migrant_vulnerability_to_human_trafficking_and_exploitation_November_2017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Europe URL: http://migration.iom.int/docs/migrant_vulnerability_to_human_trafficking_and_exploitation_November_2017.pdf Shelf Number: 154484 Keywords: Force LaborHuman TraffickingLabor ExploitationMigrants |
Author: Advocates for Human Rights Title: Asking the Right Questions: A Human Rights Approach to Ending Trafficking and Exploitation in the Workplace Summary: This report documents the problems of labor trafficking and labor exploitation in Minnesota. The Advocates for Human Rights used its human rights monitoring methodology to define the dynamics of these human rights violations and identify the breakdowns in law, policy, and practice that allow them to occur. The report provides a series of recommendations to improve human rights conditions for workers in Minnesota and bring Minnesota into closer compliance with international human rights standards for worker protections. Labor trafficking and labor exploitation are closely related. Trafficking victims are frequently victims of labor exploitation and other forms of abuse, including unpaid wages. Labor trafficking is a crime; labor exploitation is handled by administrative enforcement agencies. Protecting victims and preventing abuses depends on correctly identifying when trafficking and exploitation have occurred. Victims, service providers, and government agencies, however, all struggle with identification. Even when victims are identified, the help available to them falls short. This lack of identification and protection hampers prosecution of traffickers. Meanwhile, enforcement of laws against labor exploitation is limited by a lack of resources and a confusing system that workers have difficulty navigating. Details: Minneapolis: Author, 2016. 105p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2019 at: http://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/uploads/asking_the_right_questions_2.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/uploads/asking_the_right_questions_2.pdf Shelf Number: 155695 Keywords: Forced Labor Human Rights Abuses Human Trafficking Labor ExploitationLabor Trafficking |
Author: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Oregon Advisory Committee Title: Human Trafficking in Oregon: A Report of the Oregon Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Summary: The Oregon Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Committee) submits this report on human trafficking in Oregon and its impact on communities targeted because of their race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, or disability. The Committee submits this report as part of its responsibility to study and report on civil rights issues in the state of Oregon. The contents of this report are primarily based on testimony heard during four public meetings via webinar on April 3 and April 17, 2018; in Portland, Oregon on May 1, 2018; and in Woodburn, Oregon on May 2, 2018. In examining sex trafficking and labor trafficking in the agriculture and forestry industries, the Committee identified the following concerns: human trafficking is a form of gender-based discrimination; there is a lack of culturally-specific and gender appropriate services to assist human trafficking victims; government agencies responsible for investigating and prosecuting potential human trafficking cases need effective methods of communication; the H-2A and H-2B visa programs are problematic and characterized by rampant exploitation of foreign-born workers; data collection on human trafficking-related activities is limited; and there is a need for training on how to identify victims and address human trafficking. From these findings, the Committee offers to the Commission recommendations for addressing this problem of national importance. Details: Washington, DC: Author, 2018. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 15, 2019 at: https://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2019/02-11-Human-Trafficking-Oregon.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2019/02-11-Human-Trafficking-Oregon.pdf Shelf Number: 155848 Keywords: Forced Labor Human Trafficking Labor ExploitationLabor Trafficking Sex Trafficking |