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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 12:41 am
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Results for migrant workers
26 results foundAuthor: Robertson, Phil Title: From the Tiger to the Crocodile: Abuse of Migrant Workers in Thailand Summary: The thousand of migrant workers from Burma, Cambodia, and Laos who yearly cross pourous borders in Thailand experience daily situations straight out of a Thai proverb -- excaping from the tiger, but then meeting the crocodile -- that describes fleeing from one difficult or deadly situation into another that is just as bad. This report finds a litany of labor rights violations against migrants, including denying the right to organize and collectively bargain, and retaliating with intimidation, violence and firings. Forced labor and human trafficking continue to be the other major risks faced by migrant workers in Thailand. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2010. 119p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 17, 2018 at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4b84ec212.html Year: 2010 Country: Thailand URL: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4b84ec212.html Shelf Number: 117117 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman RightsHuman TraffickingMigrant Workers |
Author: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Title: A Summary of Challenges on Addressing Human Trafficking for Labour Exploitation in the Agricultural Sector in the OSCE Region Summary: This report provides an analysis of the current challenges within the agricultural sector, aiming to assist to identify the structural issues and deficits of this sector that case or exacerbates a worker's vulnerability. The research found that agricultural workers are especially vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. This overview analyses the international legal framework, the anti-trafficking standards of labour and in particular of migrant workers. Details: Vienna: OSCE, 2009. 62p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: Europe URL: Shelf Number: 119252 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingMigrant Workers |
Author: Garcia, Ana Isabel Title: Costa Rica: Female Labour Migrants and Trafficking in Women and Children Summary: This paper presents an overview of the situation of female migrant labourers and reviews the legislative framework, government policy and private initiatives to protect their rights in Costa Rica. The paper aims at assisting and enhancing the efforts of government agencies, workers’ and employers’ organizations, non-governmental organizations and civil society groups in sending, transit and destination countries to protect the human rights of women migrant workers in the different stages of the migration process. The focus is on the situation of the women migrant workers in their families, workplaces, communities and societies in sending and receiving countries and also on the initiatives, policies and programmes, “good” and “bad” practices implemented by government, private recruitment and employment agencies and a wide range of social actors to assist and protect women migrants against exploitation and abuse and to prevent them from being trafficked. Details: Geneva: Gender Promotion Programme, International Labour Office, 2002. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: GENPROM Working Paper No. 2: Accessed April 11, 2011 at: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_117928.pdf Year: 2002 Country: Costa Rica URL: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_117928.pdf Shelf Number: 121299 Keywords: Child Labor (Costa Rica)Child TraffickingHuman TraffickingMigrant Workers |
Author: D'Angelo, Almachiara Title: Nicaragua: Protecting Female Labour Migrants from Exploitative Working Conditions and Trafficking Summary: Changing labour markets with globalization have increased both opportunities and pressures for women to migrate. The migration process and employment in a country of which they are not nationals can enhance women’s earning opportunities, autonomy and empowerment, and thereby change gender roles and responsibilities and contribute to gender equality. But they also expose women to serious violation of their human rights. Whether in the recruitment stage, the journey or living and working in another country, women migrant workers, especially those in irregular situations, are vulnerable to harassment, intimidation or threats to themselves and their families, economic and sexual exploitation, racial discrimination and xenophobia, poor working conditions, increased health risks and other forms of abuse, including trafficking into forced labour, debt bondage, involuntary servitude and situations of captivity. Women migrant workers, whether documented or undocumented, are much more vulnerable to discrimination, exploitation and abuse – relative not only to male migrants but also to native-born women. Gender-based discrimination intersects with discrimination based on other forms of “otherness” – such as non-national status, race, ethnicity, religion, economic status – placing women migrants in situations of double, triple or even fourfold discrimination, disadvantage or vulnerability to exploitation and abuse. To enhance the knowledge base and to develop practical tools for protecting and promoting the rights of female migrant workers, a series of case studies were commissioned. These studies were intended to provide background materials for an Information Guide on Preventing Discrimination, Exploitation and Abuse of Women Migrant Workers. The Guide aims at assisting and enhancing the efforts of government agencies, workers’ and employers’ organizations, non-governmental organizations and civil society groups in sending, transit and destination countries to protect the human rights of women migrant workers in the different stages of the migration process. This working paper is based on one of case study - Nicaragua. The focus is on the situation of the women migrant workers in their families, workplaces, communities and societies in sending and receiving countries and also on the initiatives, policies and programmes, “good” and “bad” practices implemented by government, private recruitment and employment agencies and a wide range of social actors to assist and protect women migrants against exploitation and abuse and to prevent them from being trafficked. Details: Geneva: Gender Promotion Programme, International Labour Office, 2001?. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: GENPROM Working Paper No. 6A; Accessed April 11, 2011 at: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_117951.pdf Year: 2001 Country: Nicaragua URL: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_117951.pdf Shelf Number: 121310 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman Trafficking (Nicaragua)Migrant Workers |
Author: Lalani, Mumtaz Title: Ending the Abuse: Policies That Work to Protect Migrant Domestic Workers Summary: From June 2010 to January 2011 the London-based charity Kalayaan conducted research on the ‘Overseas Domestic Worker’ (ODW) visa system in the UK. Drawing on a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, the research identifies the importance of a legal channel of migration for migrant domestic workers (MDWs) to the UK and confirms that the ODW visa route is working as intended and as such has a negligible impact on net migration to the UK. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of the ODW visa in protecting the rights of MDWs and emphasises the need for similar protections to diplomatic domestic workers. Finally, the research findings indicate that the measures in place to identify and assist trafficked domestic workers in the UK could in no way act as an alternative system of protection to the protections currently afforded to MDWs through the visa. Home Office data for the period from January 2003 to August 2010 shows that 41 per cent of MDWs cited types of abuse or exploitation as their reason for changing employer. The right to change employer thus enables MDWs to escape from abusive employers. Interviews conducted by Kalayaan indicate that this right facilitates workers to negotiate fairer terms and conditions in their future employment, remaining visible in the UK whilst continuing to support their families by sending remittances home. The visa’s portability provision also plays a crucial role in facilitating domestic workers to pursue legal remedies against their employers. Indeed, between May 2009 and December 2010, 53 domestic workers brought employment tribunal cases against their employers; 34 of these cases had been concluded by December 2010. Taking such action would be unthinkable if the worker had to continue working for their employer and residing in their household and would be impossible if workers lost their right to remain in the UK when they fled from an abusive employer. Further, the protections afforded to MDWs under UK employment law, and in particular, the right to legal remedy, arguably help to reduce the incidence of trafficking and forced labour among MDWs. Indeed, in 2009 the Home The overwhelming majority of MDWs accompany their foreign employers to the UK for a finite period of time. Estimates using United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) figures show that less than 5 per cent of domestic workers who enter the UK on an ODW visa go on to settle. In 2009, MDWs accounted for a mere 0.5 per cent of the individuals who were awarded settlement in the UK, thus showing that this immigration route has a negligible impact on net migration to the UK. For the few domestic workers who remain in the UK, the route to settlement rids them of their underlying vulnerability by removing their dependency on employers to maintain their immigration status and facilitates their integration into UK society. Details: London: Kalayaan, 2011. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 19, 2011 at: http://www.kalayaan.org.uk/documents/Kalayaan%20Report%20final.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.kalayaan.org.uk/documents/Kalayaan%20Report%20final.pdf Shelf Number: 121759 Keywords: Domestic Workers (U.K.)Forced LaborHuman TraffickingImmigrantsImmigrationMigrant Workers |
Author: Verité Title: Hidden Costs inthe Global Economy: Human Trafficking of Philippine Males in Maritime, Construction and Agriculture Summary: workers for almost all parts of the world, particularly the Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, North America, and Europe. However, certain workforce mechanisms and policies in these developed countries exploit the vulnerabilities of male Filipino workers (OFWs) overseas. The working conditions in these developed countries, combined with the Filipino workers’ significant lack of education on relevant topics, results in migrant workers falling prey to unscrupulous employers and human traffickers. Many of these OFWs are promised jobs that often entail exploitation, violence, poor working conditions, and offer little hope for improvement. Little is known about the trafficking of Filipino men. In the Philippines, as in other countries, the focus of anti-trafficking policy, research, and law enforcement has been almost exclusively on women and children victims, and consequently, more information is known on the industries and destinations into which women and children are often trafficked. Notably, in the last five years, Philippine media organizations have consistently carried reports of male overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) subjected to various exploitative and distressed situations. However, only recently have these situations been explicitly labeled as cases of trafficking. Despite the media mileage and the growing awareness and activism on human trafficking here and abroad, there remains a deep deficit of understanding with respect to male victims of human trafficking; the circumstances that lead to their being trafficked; and the places, sectors, or industries where the exploitation takes place. This discrepancy with respect to attention on male victims of human trafficking has begun to be recognized by policymakers and researchers. At the same time, the operational definition of human trafficking is being slowly expanded to encompass various modes of exploitation of migrant workers, including the exploitation of workers migrating legally under their own will for legitimate forms of employment. Several international organizations have published reports exploring the issue of male human trafficking, in response to the dearth of available studies. Some of these reports show that men are vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitation in ways distinct from women, and that men may be less likely to report and talk openly about experiences of exploitation. Although Philippine anti-trafficking laws are constructed in a way that recognizes women, children and men as victims, available government databases reveal that very few cases involving male victims of labor trafficking are ever formally filed for litigation in court. Of the 12 convictions in 2006, when this research project was being conceptualized, none of these cases involved trafficking of men. Moreover, according to the 2009 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, there have been no reported labor trafficking convictions, despite extensive reports on Filipinos trafficked for forced labor domestically and across borders. Both the large numbers of Philippine males employed abroad, and the known labor violations among migrant workers employed in various types of work that are characteristically male, make the plight of male Philippine trafficking victims ripe for exploration. The short-term goal of this project was to build understanding and awareness of human trafficking of Philippine males by expanding the breadth and depth of knowledge surrounding male trafficking. The long-term goal is to make this increased body of knowledge available to governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), corporations, unions and other stakeholders who, through their policy and programmatic initiatives and services, will be able to reduce, via targeted prevention and victim assistance programs, the incidence of male trafficking and mitigate the subsequent devastating impact on victims. Details: Amherst, MA: Verité, Undated. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 25, 2012 at http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Verit%C3%A9%20TIP%20Report%20Male%20Trafficking.pdf Year: 0 Country: Philippines URL: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Verit%C3%A9%20TIP%20Report%20Male%20Trafficking.pdf Shelf Number: 124748 Keywords: Human TraffickingMales, FilipinoMigrant WorkersViolence |
Author: Verité Title: Vulnerability to Broker-Related Forced Labor among Migrant Workers in Information Technology Manufacturing in Taiwan and Malaysia Summary: The phenomenon of trafficking for labor exploitation is importantly played out in the Philippines, which has the second highest rate of employment of its citizens abroad in the world. With some 2,700 Philippine workers leaving daily for jobs abroad and approximately eight million citizens stationed overseas, some have estimated that one in three households in the Philippines has or had a member employed abroad.1 Malaysia and Taiwan, the two “receiving” countries of Philippine workers of focus for this study, both host substantial numbers of Philippine workers each year. In 2008 there were approximately 200,000 Philippine workers employed in Malaysia;2 and 90,000, in Taiwan.3 The conditions of these Philippine workers while abroad are troublesome – one NGO has estimated that one overseas Philippine worker is killed at work each day; while 21 return home in various forms of distress, including having suffered non-payment of wages, or emotional or physical abuse.4 Verité’s own work has found all the hallmarks of debt bondage among overseas Philippine workers, including highly leveraged debt in order to finance usurious recruitment fees; deception on the part of labor brokers as to salary and job type; and, while on the job, illegal salary withholdings, compromised freedom of movement, and compulsory overtime. To illuminate the special situation of foreign contract workers and identify appropriate policy responses, Verité undertook in 2004 and 2005 a project to study both legal protective regimes and on-the-ground practices in seven countries in Asia and the Middle East.5 Verité’s findings provided important original research on the practices and processes of labor broker arrangements in particular – including fees charged by brokers and employers and financing schemes entered into to fund the fees – and the ways in which these broker arrangements affected the conditions workers faced upon arrival in a destination country. The findings from Verité’s 2005 report have been amply bolstered by more current news reports on the plight of Philippine contract workers in Malaysia and Taiwan;6 as well as by ongoing Verité audits of IT and other manufacturing facilities in those two countries and elsewhere in the region. Issues related to exploitative labor brokerage practices have consistently been referenced in US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report for Taiwan. The TIP Report for 2009 which places Taiwan at a Tier 2, cites it as primarily a destination for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. The report also noted that “trafficking victims are usually workers from rural areas of Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, brought into Taiwan for employment in low-skilled work through various intermediaries – recruitment agencies and brokers.” The Report cites further that, “Many migrant workers are charged job placement and service fees up to the equivalent of USD 14,000, some of which are unlawful, resulting in substantial debt that unscrupulous labor brokers or employers may use as a coercive tool to subject the workers to involuntary servitude… Labor brokers often help employers forcibly deport “problematic” employees, thus allowing the broker to fill the empty quota with a new foreign worker who must pay placement and brokerage fees that may be used to subject them to involuntary servitude.”7 This current report builds Verité’s prior work, as well as the work of others. In the pages below, Verité will explore these and other factors related to labor brokers and forced labor in our research. Details: Amherst, MA: Verité, 2010. 101p. Source: Help Wanted Hiring, Human Trafficking And Modern-Day Slavery in The Global Economy Regional Report: Internet Resource: Accessed March 25, 2012 at http://www.verite.org/system/files/images/HELP%20WANTED_A%20Verite%CC%81%20Report_Migrant%20Workers%20in%20Taiwan%20%2526%20Malaysia.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Asia URL: http://www.verite.org/system/files/images/HELP%20WANTED_A%20Verite%CC%81%20Report_Migrant%20Workers%20in%20Taiwan%20%2526%20Malaysia.pdf Shelf Number: 124749 Keywords: Forced Labor (Taiwan) (Malaysia)Human TraffickingInformation TechnologyMigrant Workers |
Author: Verité Title: Help Wanted: Hiring, Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery in the Global Economy Summary: Verité’s HELP WANTED initiative – a research and advocacy effort described in this report – aims to clarify and publicize the ways in which current labor broker practices can create hiring traps; and to provide concrete approaches by which private sector, civil society, and governmental institutions can address this key point of leverage to reduce the risk of a worker ending up a victim of modern-day slavery. Labor brokers – middlemen in the recruitment, hiring and/or management of laborers – operate at the core of the global economy. Complex supply chains necessitate levels of coordination and expertise that are not easily found within a given company because the challenges are spread out over multiple countries and time zones, and workforces are in many instances comprised of workers from far-flung lands. Companies turn to labor brokers to manage many of these challenges, but the increasing use of labor brokers brings with it troubling issues of fragmented and opaque social accountability. For workers, labor brokerage increases migration and job acquisition costs and the risk of serious exploitation, including slavery. Verité is a global advocate for workers. Through our understanding of the perspectives of workers, we find solutions to human rights violations in good business practices. We work to remove dangers and abuses in workplaces around the world by providing knowledge, skills Workers are at heightened vulnerability to modern-day slavery when they have been brought to work away from their homes. This vulnerability is generated or exacerbated by the involvement of labor brokers. Labor brokers act as the middlemen, facilitating a connection between potential workers and their eventual employers. The system of labor brokerage is widespread, opaque, sometimes corrupt, and largely lacking in accountability. In some cases brokerages are substantial, well-organized companies. In others they are informal in their structure and outreach. In all cases their presence in the recruitment and hiring “supply chain” increases the vulnerability of migrant workers to various forms of forced labor once on-the-job. The debt that is often necessary for migrant workers to undertake in order to pay recruitment fees, when combined with the deception that is visited upon them by brokers about job types and salaries, can lead to a situation of debt-bondage – which, according to Anti-Slavery International, is “probably the least known form of slavery today, and yet it is the most widely used method of enslaving people.”1 When a migrant worker finds herself in a foreign country, with formidable recruitment debt and possibly even ancestral family land hanging in the balance, on a work visa that ties her to one employer and a job that doesn’t remotely resemble the salary and conditions that were promised to her by her labor broker, she has fallen into what Verité calls a HIRING TRAP. There are few global workplace problems in more urgent need of attention. This report begins by offering key findings from recent Verité research on the intersection of brokers, migrant workers and slavery. This research was performed in a variety of sectors and locales across the globe, including: the migration of adults from India to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States of the Middle East for work in construction, infrastructure and the service sector; the migration of children and juveniles from the Indian interior to domestic apparel production hubs; the migration of adults from Guatemala, Mexico and Thailand to work in U.S. agriculture; and the migration of adults from the Philippines, Indonesia and Nepal to the Information Technology sector in Malaysia and Taiwan. This report then presents the factors that, in Verité’s view, constitute the major red flags for vulnerability of migrant workers to broker-induced forced labor. These red flags were present individually or in various combinations across all the sectors and locales of Verité’s research. A set of concrete activities and engagements to promote the fair hiring of migrant workers is offered at the close of the report. Details: Amherst, MA: Verité, Undated. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 25, 2012 at http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2135&context=globaldocs Year: 0 Country: International URL: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2135&context=globaldocs Shelf Number: 124750 Keywords: Adult VictimsForced LaborHuman TraffickingJuvenile VictimsMigrant WorkersSlavery |
Author: LeVoy, Michele Title: Ten Ways to Protect Undocumented Migrant Workers Summary: Every day hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers labor in different sectors of the economy in Europe. Undocumented workers often work and live in inhumane conditions, earning very little or no pay at all, and are insufficiently protected by legislation. Facing exploitation and abuse, many undocumented workers believe that they have no other option than to accept this situation. Fearing that they may be deported if they speak out, an overwhelming number suffer in silence. Meanwhile some economic sectors in the European Union are to a considerable extent dependent upon undocumented workers, who make up a substantial part of their workforce. This dependence may be hidden, not just by migrants’ silence, but by sub-contracting chains and employers’ complicity. PICUM, the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, has collected detailed information obtained from NGOs, trade unions and other actors working with and advocating for undocumented workers, both in Europe and in the United States. The first section of this paper presents a summary of ten actions that contribute to the aim of respecting the dignity of undocumented migrants as humans and as workers. The second section of this paper presents ten policy recommendations that should be taken into account by policy makers. The employment and the exploitation of thousands of undocumented migrant workers in Europe is a symptom of the shortcomings of social, employment and migration policies. Tackling the roots of the problem of the exploitation of undocumented workers therefore constitutes a major challenge, requiring concerted efforts in all of these fields. Details: Brussels: PICUM, 2005. 119p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 23, 2012 at: http://picum.org/picum.org/uploads/publication/Ten%20Ways%20to%20Protect%20Undocumented%20Migrant%20Workers%20EN.pdf Year: 2005 Country: International URL: http://picum.org/picum.org/uploads/publication/Ten%20Ways%20to%20Protect%20Undocumented%20Migrant%20Workers%20EN.pdf Shelf Number: 151470 Keywords: Illegal AliensIllegal ImmigrantsImmigrantsMigrant WorkersUndocumented Workers |
Author: Verite Title: Labor Brokerage and Trafficking of Nepali Migrant Workers Summary: This report describes research conducted on the relationship between labor brokerage and the risk of forced labor among Nepali migrant workers employed abroad. The research examines forced-labor triggers in Nepal and India and receiving-country mechanisms that encourage forced labor in Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), and Israel. The role of Guatemala and Mexico as transit countries for Nepali workers traveling illegally to the U.S. is also explored. Study Objectives Verite conducted research to determine the different types of labor-brokerage networks that exploit both documented and undocumented Nepali migrant workers; to find the points in the employment life cycle at which exploitation occurs; to identify the factors that increase migrant workers' vulnerability to exploitation; and to identify viable policy options to reduce Nepali migrant workers' vulnerability to exploitation. Verite conducted research in Nepal and in receiving countries, including Malaysia and the U.A.E., with case studies on Nepali workers in Israel and Guatemala. Verite researchers reviewed relevant literature, followed by contextual analysis of relevant audit findings, social-institutional mapping, and extensive interviews (one-on-one and group) with workers, NGOs, government officials, labor advocates, and unions in Malaysia, the U.A.E., Guatemala, and Israel. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2013. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2014: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Humanity%20United-Nepal%20Trafficking%20Report-Final_1.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Humanity%20United-Nepal%20Trafficking%20Report-Final_1.pdf Shelf Number: 131958 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingIllegal MigrantsMigrant Workers |
Author: Andrevski, Hannah Title: Experiences of exploitation and human trafficking among a sample of Indonesian migrant domestic workers Summary: Indonesia has one of the highest rates of workers seeking employment abroad, with the majority of these workers being females employed in domestic service. Due to the nature of recruitment, the process of migration and the location and characteristics of the work, Indonesian migrant domestic workers may in some instances be at risk of abuse, exploitation and human trafficking. Drawing on data contained in the International Organization for Migration's Counter Trafficking Module, the experiences of Indonesian victims of human trafficking who were exploited as domestic workers in Malaysia are examined, as well as the risk factors that may have contributed to their exploitation. Understanding the nature of human trafficking and the risk factors for exploitation is crucial for developing domestic and regional responses that can effectively contribute to anti-human trafficking strategies in the southeast Asia region. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2014. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No. 471: Accessed March 21, 2014 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi471.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Indonesia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi471.pdf Shelf Number: 104858 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingMigrant WorkersMigration |
Author: Harroff-Tavel, Helene Title: Tricked and Trapped: Human Trafficking in the Middle East Summary: This study sheds light on the situation of trafficked adult workers in the Middle East, both women and men. It analyses the complex processes by which vulnerable migrant workers are tricked and trapped into forced labour in various types of work in the region, and the constraints that prevent them from leaving. The study aims to provide policy-makers and service providers with deeper insight into the nature of forced labour and trafficking in this region. Armed with this knowledge, action to combat trafficking in the region will become more effective, finally bringing an end to this unacceptable form of human exploitation. It also examines the responses to human trafficking put in place by national governments, employers' and workers' organizations, and other key stakeholders, and makes tentative suggestions as to how the effectiveness of their actions might be enhanced in the future. Details: Beirut: International Labour Organization, 2013. 178p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 11, 2014 at: http://www.ilo.org/beirut/publications/WCMS_211214/lang--en/index.htm Year: 2013 Country: Saudi Arabia URL: http://www.ilo.org/beirut/publications/WCMS_211214/lang--en/index.htm Shelf Number: 132961 Keywords: Domestic WorkersForced LaborHuman Trafficking (Middle East)Migrant Workers |
Author: United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking Title: Estimating Labor Trafficking: A Study of Burmese Migrant Workers in Samut Sakhon, Thailand Summary: The report is designed to address the challenges of estimating prevalence of labor trafficking in Samut Sakhon. The population of interest for estimation purposes was Burmese migrant workers, who may be victims of trafficking for labor exploitation. The study design employed a mixed methods approach, combining review of existing literature and data; ethnographic interviews; and a population survey. Details: Bangkok: UNIAP Regional Management Office, 2011. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 21, 2014 at: http://www.no-trafficking.org/reports_docs/estimates/uniap_estimating_labor_trafficking_report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Thailand URL: http://www.no-trafficking.org/reports_docs/estimates/uniap_estimating_labor_trafficking_report.pdf Shelf Number: 124550 Keywords: Fishing Industry Forced Labor (Thailand) Human Trafficking Migrant Workers |
Author: Verite Title: An Exploratory Study on the Role of Corruption in International Labor Migration Summary: In the 2013 white paper, "Corruption and Labor Trafficking in Global Supply Chains," Verite detailed how fraud, corruption, bribery, and other illegal practices are common features of the international recruitment of migrant workers. The myriad official approvals, documents, and associated fees - foreign worker quotas, job order attestations, exit and guest worker visas, medical certifications, police clearances, work permits etc. - required to deploy a migrant worker from one country to another mean the opportunities and incentives for employers and their recruitment agents to bribe civil servants have become a structural feature of the international labor migration process. Since recruitment agents and employers ultimately transfer most, if not all, of the upfront costs of employment to foreign migrant workers, both of these forms of recruitment-related corruption directly contribute to the excessive and illegal fee burdens frequently faced by migrant workers. In this way corruption is a significant contributing element to migrant worker vulnerability to debt bondage, human trafficking, and forced labor. Further, Verite and others have pointed out that the corrupt activities all too common in migrant worker recruitment also create potential legal risk for companies under origin and destination country laws as well as extraterritorial anti-corruption statutes such as the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the UK Bribery Act (UKBA). Because multinationals can be liable for the acts of their foreign subsidiaries, franchisees, joint venture entities, and even suppliers that use third party employment agencies under a number of legal theories including traditional agency principles, the risk arises where corrupt payments result in a direct or indirect benefit to an employer - an improper advantage - through cheap migrant labor or the avoidance of the upfront costs of employment. Ironically, these many procedures and requirements that are so vulnerable to corruption were often put in place to protect workers and ensure regular process in the highly complex governance of international migration. The governments' responsibilities to protect the labor and human rights for migrants and to regulate a growing, dynamic private recruitment sector are not in question. Nor is the fact that legitimate private labor recruiters can play an important role in connecting workers with much-needed jobs; indeed, good recruiters are seeking to reform and reinvent the system. There is a flurry of efforts underway by governments, unions, civil society organizations, recruiters, employers, and international institutions like the ILO and IOM to reform the systems in place. Yet, even as reform efforts proceed apace, as this report outlines, "pay-to-play" kickback commissions and other corruption payments are all too common in the migration process; understanding the nature and extent of those payments is vital to reforming the process. Indeed, the lack of deep knowledge of the role of corruption in the process is a very real threat to the success of reform efforts. With new policies and procedures being proposed or enacted every month in countries around the world, it is vital that deeper understanding is achieved of the nature and extent of corruption. Corruption occurs for many reasons and eliminating controls and processes because corruption is attached to them is by no means the proper approach. Reform efforts themselves will generate unintended consequences in terms of corruption risk and new costs and threats to migrants. Hence, much humility and patience are called for as a wide range of institutions globally promote new models to protect workers. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2016. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 8, 2016 at: https://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Verite-Report-Intl-Labour-Recruitment_0.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: https://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Verite-Report-Intl-Labour-Recruitment_0.pdf Shelf Number: 138606 Keywords: BriberyCorruptionDebt BondageForced LaborHuman TraffickingMigrant WorkersMigrants |
Author: Canadian Council for Refugees Title: Migrant Workers: Precarious and unsupported. A Canada-wide Study on Access to Services for Migrant Workers Summary: The report, "Migrant Workers: Precarious and Unsupported", released today by Canada's nine national, regional and provincial umbrellas of organizations serving newcomers, compiles the responses from 167 organizations on the needs and realities of migrant workers, by province and region.. In the first research of its kind, the Canada-wide study on access to services for migrant workers confirms that lack of access to information, language barriers, isolation and precarious status make these workers vulnerable to abuse and exploitation by those who seek to take advantage of their vulnerability, including some employers and recruiters. Details: Montreal: Canadian Council for Refugees, 2016. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 13, 2016 at: http://ccrweb.ca/sites/ccrweb.ca/files/migrant-workers-2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Canada URL: http://ccrweb.ca/sites/ccrweb.ca/files/migrant-workers-2016.pdf Shelf Number: 138657 Keywords: Forced LaborMigrant WorkersRefugees |
Author: Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants Title: Prisoners in a Foreign Land: Migrant Workers in Jail Summary: PRISONERS IN A FOREIGN LAND: Migrant Workers in Jail is an exploration of the vulnerability of migrant workers to imprisonment and detention on the context of existing policies and practices both in the host and sending countries; the condition of migrant workers in jail and in detention centers; and the response of grassroots migrant organizations, various civil society organizations (CSOs), and the governments of sending and receiving countries. Through a study of the human rights concerns of migrants in jail and in detention in major migrant destination countries in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East regions - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea - the research shows that human rights of migrants in jail and detention centers are routinely violated. The crisis situation of migrants serves as the context that put them in a condition where their rights are violated even before their deployment overseas and during the period of their employment. While the research focuses on host countries, it also expounds on the response, or the lack thereof, of sending governments to the plight of their nationals in jails and in detention. It also explores the actual experiences of migrant workers organizations and advocates in addressing the concerns of migrants in jail and in detention. To make more concrete the issue tackled by the research, various case studies of migrants who have been or are currently in detention and jail are presented. Through this research, the APMM hopes to shed more light on the conditions of migrants in jail and help in addressing and resolving their concerns. Details: Hong Kong SAR: APMM, 2012. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 14, 2016 at: http://www.apmigrants.org/articles/researches/MIJ%20Research.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Asia URL: http://www.apmigrants.org/articles/researches/MIJ%20Research.pdf Shelf Number: 138681 Keywords: Human Rights AbusesImmigrant DetentionMigrant WorkersMigration PolicyUndocumented Migrants |
Author: Polaris Project Title: Labor Trafficking in the U.S.: A Closer Look at Temporary Work Visas Summary: Since December 2007, Polaris has identified nearly 30,000 human trafficking and labor exploitation cases in the United States through operating the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline and BeFree Textline. In approximately 18% of these cases, at least one victim of the situation had a temporary visa. Labor Trafficking in the U.S.: A Closer Look at Temporary Work Visas, provides crucial insight into the experiences of these temporary workers in the U.S., the visas most frequently associated with trafficking and exploitation, and the barriers victims face in accessing help. Temporary visa holders often pay large recruitment and travel fees for the opportunity to work in the United States -- and the debts they incur leave them particularly vulnerable to being victimized. Traffickers can control and manipulate these individuals who have few options, lack familiarity with U.S. laws and rights, and face significant language and cultural barriers. The visa rules also frequently restrict their ability to change employers. But there are solutions, including: prohibiting recruitment fees, requiring accurate contracts, modifying data reporting requirements, registration of foreign labor recruiters, and more. Details: Washington, DC: Polaris, 2015. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 5, 2016 at: http://polarisproject.org/sites/default/files/Temp%20Visa_v5%20%281%29.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://polarisproject.org/sites/default/files/Temp%20Visa_v5%20%281%29.pdf Shelf Number: 138931 Keywords: Human Trafficking Labor Exploitation Labor Trafficking Migrant Workers |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "I Was Sold": Abuse and Exploitation of Migrant Domestic Workers in Oman Summary: More than 130,000 migrant women work in households in Oman. Most come from the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia. They cook, clean, and care for children and the elderly. While some earn decent salaries and work in good conditions, others find themselves trapped in abusive situations, their plight hidden behind closed doors. Based on interviews with 59 female domestic workers, lawyers, embassy officials, and others, "I Was Sold": Abuse and Exploitation of Migrant Domestic Workers in Oman documents how Oman's laws and policies fail to provide for migrant domestic workers' rights or safety and enable employers to retaliate against workers who flee abuse. Domestic workers described a wide range of abuses, such as employers confiscating their passports, not paying their full salaries, forcing them to work excessive hours without breaks or days off, or denying them adequate food and living conditions. Some said their employers physically abused them; a few described sexual abuse. In some cases, workers described abuses amounting to forced labor or trafficking. In the face of these abuses, migrant domestic workers have little recourse. Like its Gulf neighbors, Oman maintains an immigrant labor system (known as kafala) that punishes workers who leave their employers or change jobs without their employers' consent. In addition, the country's labor law excludes domestic workers from its protections. Human Rights Watch calls on Oman to reform these laws and policies in order to afford all migrant domestic workers protections in line with international standards. The government should also thoroughly investigate abuses against domestic workers and prosecute those responsible. Details: New York: HRW, 2016. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 25, 2016 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/oman0716web.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Asia URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/oman0716web.pdf Shelf Number: 139839 Keywords: Domestic Workers (Oman)Human Rights AbusesMigrant WorkersViolence Against Women |
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: 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: Crates, Emma Title: Building a Fairer System: Tackling Modern Slavery in Construction Supply Chains Summary: The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is calling for greater industry collaboration to eradicate unfair labour practices. Clients and tier one organisations need to take greater responsibility for their supply chains. Priority should be given to tackling illegal recruitment fees, according to a new report Building a fairer system: tackling modern slavery in construction supply chains, launched today (Wednesday 13 July). The report, produced in consultation with a number of businesses and NGOs, including Amnesty International, Verite, Engineers Against Poverty and the Institute for Human Rights and Business, examines the root causes of slavery, and sets out priority actions for moving the industry towards greater transparency. Slavery remains a problem hidden in many sectors. The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 21 million people in forced labour around the world, generating profits in the private economy of $150 billion. Interpol estimates that only 5 to 10 per cent of cases are ever reported. With its fragmented supply chains, opaque procurement processes and high demand for migrant labour, the construction sector faces a unique set of challenges in tackling human rights abuses. It is a priority area for the UK's first Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, who writes a foreword for the report. Building a fairer system examines how workers from developing countries become tricked or coerced into paying illegal and extortionate recruitment fees, and, once in debt, become vulnerable to exploitation in their place of work. Abuses range from forced or bonded labour, late payment, unsanitary living conditions, unfair deductions from wages, withheld passports and loss of freedom of movement, lack of representation, violence, intimidation and physical abuse. The report also examines how faults in the procurement process allow exploitative practices to remain hidden in building materials supply chains. It includes a series of case studies and recommendations from organisations that are working to shift cultural practices and norms: How ethical recruitment firm FSI Worldwide‘s integrated cross-border operations are eradicating illegal recruitment fees The steps that CH2M has taken to implement a new global worker welfare policy Hewlett Packard’s move to direct labour Qatar Rail’s worker welfare strategy Marshalls’ ten-year initiative to protect vulnerable children and migrant workers in stone quarrying communities Bechtel’s "bottom up" approach to tackle exploitation in metal mining. Details: Bracknell, UK:Chartered Institute of Building, 2016. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 10, 2016 at: https://policy.ciob.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CIOB_Modern_Day_Slavery_WEB.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://policy.ciob.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CIOB_Modern_Day_Slavery_WEB.pdf Shelf Number: 146971 Keywords: Construction IndustryIllegal PracticesLabor PracticesMigrant WorkersModern SlaverySupply Chains |
Author: Amnesty International Title: Turning People into Profits: Abusive Recruitment, Trafficking and Forced Labour of Nepali Migrant Workers Summary: In the absence of decent work opportunities at home, millions of Nepali citizens have turned to the global economy for employment. With more than 400,000 people leaving every year for jobs abroad, migration is a key source of income for the country. But although wages sent home by Nepali migrant workers make up almost a third of the country's GDP, a shockingly low proportion of the Nepal government's budget - less than one percent - is allocated annually to government departments mandated to protect the rights of labour migrants. Poor government oversight over the recruitment of Nepali workers for foreign employment have opened up countless possibilities for fraud, extortion, trafficking, and exploitation of people desperate for work. This report provides fresh evidence that despite recently-introduced government reforms, entrenched patterns of abuse of Nepali migrant workers remain unaddressed. During recruitment processes, local agents and recruitment agents in Nepal are still able to deceive and exploit migrants without significant fear of being caught or punished. New government policies meant to improve the protection of migrant workers' rights, and drastically reduce what recruitment businesses can charge workers, have not been adequately resourced, monitored, or enforced. Migrants remain at risk of crippling indebtedness, forced labour, and various forms of exploitation throughout the migration process. The report makes recommendations for the Government of Nepal, governments of destination countries and businesses to ensure that migrant workers are treated with respect and dignity, and that their migration experiences are not marked by deception, indebtedness and coercion. Details: London; AI, 2017. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 6, 2017 at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa31/6206/2017/ne/ Year: 2017 Country: Nepal URL: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa31/6206/2017/ne/ Shelf Number: 145935 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman Rights AbusesHuman TraffickingMigrant WorkersMigration |
Author: KnowTheChain Title: Apparel and Footwear Benchmark Findings Report: How are 20 of the largest companies addressing forced labor in their supply chains? Summary: According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), an estimated 21 million people are victims of forced labor around the world. As defined by the ILO, forced labor refers to "situations in which persons are coerced to work through the use of violence or intimidation, or by subtler means such as accumulated debt, retention of identity papers or threats of denunciation to immigration authorities." The apparel & footwear industry is an at-risk sector. Forced labor occurs both in the production of raw materials and during the manufacturing stages of apparel and footwear companies' supply chains, especially at lower tier suppliers and in home-based or informal manufacturing. Most nations in the world participate to some degree in the textile and apparel sector. And, the textiles, clothing, and footwear industry is a rapidly growing field of employment: While in 2000 the global garment industry employed about 20 million workers, this number has at least tripled to 60-75 million workers in 2014, three quarters of whom are women. Following incidents of child labor and reports about sweatshop conditions since the 1990s, companies have taken action, and associations such as the Ethical Trading Initiative, the Fair Labor Association, and the Better Work Initiative, a partnership between the ILO and the International Finance Corporation, have helped companies to work towards improving conditions in apparel supply chains. Today, companies acknowledge responsibility for working conditions in their supply chains, and traceability and transparency are higher than in other sectors. The majority of large apparel and footwear companies have in place supplier monitoring systems, and, through initiatives such as ACT (Action, Collaboration, Transformation), apparel brands, retailers, manufacturers, and trade unions are collaborating to implement living wages. Why does forced labor in the sector persist? While progress has been made, forced labor persists in the sector. The tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh has proven that auditing systems can easily fall short: two factories in the building had been audited for social compliance and several brands were unaware that their clothes were being made there. Where audits are announced, some employers ask undocumented workers or child workers to hide. In other instances, the work is subcontracted, and poor working conditions move to a deeper, less visible part of the supply chain.4 "Fast fashion" models can exacerbate the risk of forced labor, with pressure on lead times and pricing leading suppliers to outsource production. Details: San Francisco: KnowTheChain, 2016. 36p. Source: Internet Resources: Accessed April 6, 2018 at: https://knowthechain.org/wp-content/plugins/ktc-benchmark/app/public/images/benchmark_reports/KTC_A&F_ExternalReport_Final.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: https://knowthechain.org/wp-content/plugins/ktc-benchmark/app/public/images/benchmark_reports/KTC_A&F_ExternalReport_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 149720 Keywords: Consumer ProductsForced LaborHuman Rights AbusesHuman TraffickingMigrant WorkersModern SlaveryRetail IndustrySupply Chains |
Author: East, Chloe N. Title: The Labor Market Effects of Immigration Enforcement Summary: This paper examines the effects of reducing the supply of low-skilled immigrant workers on the labor market outcomes of domestic workers. We use temporal and geographic variation in the introduction of Secure Communities (SC), a county-based immigration enforcement policy, combined with data over 2005-2014 from the American Community Survey to estimate a difference-in-difference model with geographic and time fixed effects. We find evidence that SC had a negative impact on the employment of low-skilled noncitizen workers, who are likely to be directly affected by the policy. Importantly, we also find that SC negatively impacted the employment of citizens working in middle to high-skill occupations. This is the first paper to provide quasi- experimental evidence on the labor market effects of immigration enforcement policies on citizens across the occupational skill distribution, which is of paramount importance given the current immigration policy debates. Details: Bonn: Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), 2018. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: IZA Discussion Paper No. 11486: Accessed May 16, 2018 at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp11486.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: http://ftp.iza.org/dp11486.pdf Shelf Number: 150195 Keywords: Immigrants Immigration Enforcement Migrant WorkersMigration |
Author: Verite Title: Forced Labor Risk in Japan's Technical Intern Training Program: Exploration of Indicators among Chinese Trainees Seeking Remedy Summary: Japan's Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) attracts hundreds of thousands of workers each year, primarily from other Asian countries. In 2017, the top five sending countries for TITP trainees were Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. Past research and reporting has indicated the presence of many intermediaries that a trainee must engage with in order to secure a position in the TITP program, and that trainees are often subjected to a combination of high recruitment fees resulting in debt and a lack of transparency regarding working and living conditions. In general, as has been widely documented by Verite and others, the process of international labor recruitment via the use of third party intermediaries can heighten migrant worker vulnerability to forced labor and human trafficking. Stakeholders focusing on mega-sporting events in particular have noted that the increased attention on Japan leading up to and during the 2020 Olympics presents an opportunity to highlight the role that TITP trainees play in the Japanese labor economy and to reflect on the widely reported experiences of exploitation for foreign workers associated with the program. From 2015 to 2017 Verite had the opportunity to collect and analyze testimonies of Chinese trainees in the TITP program who had submitted complaints to a local migrant advocacy organization. The respondents were primarily women employed at small and medium enterprises, and all had reported experiencing some degree of exploitation during their time in the TITP program. This exploration of previously documented labor violations among Chinese trainees was designed to provide an in-depth look at the experiences of trainees self-reporting problems in the program, as well as an analysis of potential vulnerability to specific indicators of forced labor. The findings herein are offered as a contribution to the understanding of the nature of exploitation in the TITP program where it occurs; and to help inform targeted interventions by government, business, and civil society in seeking to remedy exploitation experienced by trainees and prevent further abuse. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2018. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 24, 2018 at: https://www.verite.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Forced-Labor-Risk-in-Japans-TITP.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Japan URL: https://www.verite.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Forced-Labor-Risk-in-Japans-TITP.pdf Shelf Number: 151255 Keywords: Forced Labor Human Rights Abuses Labor Exploitation Migrant Workers |
Author: KnowTheChain Title: Apparel and Footwear Benchmark Findings Report: 2018 Summary: Today, it is estimated that 60-75 million people are employed in the textile, clothing, and footwear sector around the world, more than two-thirds of whom are women. A US$3 trillion industry, the apparel and footwear sector is characterized by globally complex and opaque supply chains and competition for low prices and quick turnarounds. As precarious employment increases, vulnerable workers, including women and migrant workers, are hit the hardest. Workers in the sector are likely to become even more vulnerable as migration flows continue to grow rapidly. The apparel and footwear sector is increasingly reliant on migrant workers. As such, it is crucial that companies have the right policies and processes in place to address the dynamic nature of forced labor risks in their supply chains, including the risks to migrant workers. In this follow-up to its 2016 benchmark, KnowTheChain assessed 43 of the largest global apparel and footwear companies on their efforts, finding that: - The average score overall remains low, at 37 out of 100. Company scores range from 0/100 to 92/100; however, less than a third of the companies (15 out of 43) score over 50/100, and policies and practices are lacking on the theme of recruitment-the area with the most direct impact on workers' lives. - Adidas (92/100) remains the top-scoring company in the benchmark, while Lululemon (89/100) overtook Gap Inc. (75/100) to secure second place. Adidas and Lululemon achieve a significantly higher score than their peers due to their strong approaches to addressing risks associated with recruitment and migrant workers as well as risks in lower tiers of their supply chains. They are the only companies to disclose evidence that workers below the first tier of their supply chains have access to and have used their grievance mechanisms. - Those scoring below 15/100 include companies across subsectors and regions, including Asian retailers such as Zhejiang Semir Garment (0/100), the owner of China's largest specialty children's apparel brand, and Shimamura (0/100), the second-largest apparel retailer in Japan; US footwear companies such as Foot Locker (12/100) and Skechers (7/100); and European luxury brands such as LVMH (14/100) and Prada (5/100). - Despite disclosure of some leading practices, recruitment remains the lowest scoring theme, at 18/100. Only four companies provide evidence that they have reimbursed recruitment fees to workers in their supply chains (Adidas, Lululemon, Primark, and Ralph Lauren), and only seven companies provide evidence of how they support ethical recruitment in their supply chains. Eighteen out of the 43 companies in the benchmark received a score of zero for their lack of action on recruitment. Inaction on tackling recruitment practices that render migrant workers at risk of exploitation shows that companies are not paying adequate attention to one of the most vulnerable groups of workers in the sector. - On the other hand, the subset of 19 companies that were benchmarked in both 2016 and 2018 show significant improvements. The average score of companies benchmarked in both years increased from 49/100 to 56/100. While all of the 19 companies benchmarked in both years improved, notably, eight companies (Adidas, Hugo Boss, Kering, Lululemon, Nike, PVH, Ralph Lauren, and VF) increased their scores by more than 10 points. Details: San Francisco: Author, 2018. 79p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 27, 2019 at: http://ktcdevlab2.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/KTC_AF_2018_.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: http://ktcdevlab2.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/KTC_AF_2018_.pdf Shelf Number: 154771 Keywords: Consumer Products Forced Labor Human Rights Abuses Human Trafficking Migrant WorkersModern Slavery Retail Industry Supply Chains |