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

Legislative Scrutiny: Bill of Rights Bill: Ninth Report of Session 2022–23

News & Analysis

The Bill of Rights Bill repeals and replaces the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA). It is a major reform of the human rights framework. The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP, has described the Bill as “the next c...Read More

TAGS: Europe

Corporate Human Rights Benchmark 2022: Insights Report

News & AnalysisGuidanceStandards & Codes of Conduct

The Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB) assessed three sectors in 2022: food and agricultural products (57 companies), ICT manufacturing (43 companies) and automotive manufacturing (29 companies). The revised CHRB methodology devotes more at...Read More

TAGS: Global

Nationality and Borders Bill: Immigration Outcomes for Child Victims of Trafficking

News & Analysis

The Nationality and Borders Bill1 includes damaging proposals which will impact all child victims of trafficking, including those subject to immigration control. The government’s stated intention is to improve support for child victims, but this i...Read More

TAGS: Europe

Purchasing practices and factory-level noncompliances: How the available research can inform supply chain due diligence

News & Analysis

The report provides insight into how current research on purchasing practices and factory-level noncompliance can inform supply chain due diligence. Buyer purchasing practices most strongly impact working time, contracts, HR and compensation, with s...Read More

TAGS: Global