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

The life of workers under the Coup and the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar

News & Analysis

On February 1, 2021, the military arbitrarily staged a coup in an attempt to take political power in Myanmar. Labor groups have actively participated in demonstrations against the military coup, and there has been an increasing number of arrests and...Read More

TAGS: Recruitment Sourcing or Production Asia

Child Labour Due Diligence Law [‘Wet Zorgplicht Kinderarbeid’]

Legislation

On February 7, 2017 the Child Labour Due Diligence Law [‘Wet Zorgplicht Kinderarbeid’], initiated by member Van Laar (Labour Party), was adopted by the Dutch Parliament. The law requires companies to examine whether child labour occurs in thei...Read More

TAGS: Recruitment Sourcing or Production Due Diligence Supplier Management Europe

Harmful forms of child labour in India from a time-use perspective

News & Analysis

This paper explores the prevalence of child labour and long working hours in India using 2019 data, with estimates for boys and girls that deal with age-related child development concerns related to long hours of work. We use international suggestio...Read More

TAGS: Asia

Underground Lives: Aspirational Britain: Survivors of Modern Slavery Want to Work Too

News & AnalysisPublications

Britain is in an employment crisis. Labour shortages are hitting record highs and firms are recruiting from abroad which is costly. At the same time there are currently more than 7,000 survivors of modern slavery who are being supported by the G...Read More

TAGS: Europe