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

New Study on Human Trafficking for Labour Exploitation in Peru’s Logging and Gold Mining Sectors.

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A new study conducted by IOM and the Catholic University of Peru sheds new light on human trafficking for labour exploitation in illegal logging and gold mining in the Madre de Dios region of the country. Peru is a country of origin, transit and de...Read More

TAGS: Sourcing or Production Extractives & Mining Latin America and the Caribbean

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TAGS: Europe

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COVID-19 resourcesNews & Analysis

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TAGS: Global

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The Free2Work App 2.0, launched by Not For Sale and the International Labor Rights Forum, empowers consumers to make ethical shopping choices by providing instant access to information on companies’ efforts to eliminate forced and child labor. Wit...Read More

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