Addressing exploitation of labour migrants in Southeast Asia: Beyond a counter-trafficking criminal justice response

Large numbers of young people in Southeast Asia seek work opportunities outside their country of origin, migrating both regularly and irregularly, and with little power to access or negotiate safe and fair migration and work conditions. The risk of exploitation is high.The potential for human trafficking in these situations has attracted
significant attention. Yet much of the response by regional governments and international donors has focused on identifying and prosecuting ‘traffickers’ rather than addressing the many vulnerabilities and forms of exploitation that many labour migrants experience. This thematic brief sets out a diversity of forms of exploitation that labour migrants in Southeast Asia experience, and the implications for how efforts to respond might need to adapt. This includes broadening beyond the dominant frame of criminal justice in order to address exploitation at scale and in a manner that is realistic about the prevailing political economy.

Addressing exploitation of labour migrants in Southeast Asia: Beyond a counter-trafficking criminal justice response- Australian Aid, 2023 DOWNLOAD

Australian Modern Slavery Act 2018

Legislation

This Act requires entities based, or operating, in Australia, which have an annual consolidated revenue of more than $100 million, to report annually on the risks of modern slavery in their operations and supply chains, and actions to address those ...Read More

TAGS: Oceania

Decent Work for Ugandan Domestic Workers: Findings and Recommendations for Funders

Legislation

In Uganda and Kenya, thousands of Ugandan children work as domestic workers. Despite laws prohibiting employment of children under the age of 16 in Uganda, there is little enforcement in the domestic work sector. While poverty drives children to ent...Read More

TAGS: Africa

”You Hear my Concern and Help Me Think of Solutions”

News & AnalysisGuidance

This policy brief summarises findings from the European Commission-funded project SARAH “Safe, Aware, Resilient, Able and Heard – protecting and supporting migrant women victims of gender-based violence” conducted in 2021 and 2022. The SARAH p...Read More

TAGS: Europe

Matokeo – Data Collection on ASM in eastern DRC

News & AnalysisGood Practices

‘Matokeo’ (meaning ‘impact’ in Swahili) is a data-driven platform operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with the ability to reach last mile artisanal miners, enabling them to ping the latest international price of gold. Concept...Read More

TAGS: Africa