Human trafficking thrives in times of crisis and uncertainty, when the needs of the most vulnerable among us are often overlooked. Congress recently passed the $2 trillion coronavirus relief legislation, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), H.R. 748. Lawmakers are already at work on a fourth major legislative package (“Phase Four”) to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. The CARES Act provided significant new resources for education, early care, housing, nutrition, and services; however, it fell short in some significant ways. Due to underlying vulnerabilities, those most at risk of, and victim to, human trafficking and labor exploitation will experience disproportionate impacts as a result of COVID-19 in the short, medium, and long-term. As a result, the current funds allocated for human trafficking services and prevention are insufficient to protect the marginalized from sexual abuse and severe labor exploitation. Low-wage workers, including documented and undocumented immigrants; runaway and homeless youth; those fleeing domestic violence. and sexual assault; and previously identified victims of human trafficking who need ongoing support and access to additional resources are being left behind. Notably, the legislation to date has failed to provide support to immigrant workers, including undocumented workers, many of whom are providing essential services but are at greater risk for forced labor and other forms of human trafficking during this pandemic.

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International Framework for Action: To Implement the Trafficking in Persons Protocol
GuidanceGood Practices

The Framework for Action is a technical assistance tool that aims to assist United Nations Member States in the effective implementation of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Chil...Read More

Understanding and Responding to Modern Slavery within the Homelessness Sector
GuidancePublications

Homelessness organisations and anti-slavery organisations have both been aware of links between modern slavery and homelessness, yet there has been little research into how these issues overlap and impact on one another. An initial scoping exercise ...Read More

Sustainable Finance’s Role in Reducing Modern Slavery: COVID-19’s Lessons on Protecting the Most Vulnerable
COVID-19 resourcesVideos

This virtual webinar, a side-event to the High-Level Political Forum, explored the role of sustainable finance in addressing modern slavery and human trafficking, with a particular focus on lessons learned from the COVID-19 era. Featuring keynote re...Read More

Survival at the Expense of the Weakest? Managing Modern Slavery Risks in Supply Chains During COVID-19
COVID-19 resourcesPublications

This paper reflects on the implications of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on modern slavery risks in supply chains. We first reason that the global supply and demand shock resulting from COVID-19 exacerbates workers’ vulnerability to modern s...Read More

TAGS: Global