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

Code of Ethical Conduct for Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies/Licensees – Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment

Legislation

Sri Lanka’s recruitment industry plays a pivotal role in its labour migration sector. While the industry is expected to secure jobs for Sri Lankans within conditions of safety, security and dignity, the regulation of the industry is important to e...Read More

TAGS: Reporting Recruitment Asia

A Snapshot of Social Protection Measures for Undocumented Migrants by National and Local Governments

News & AnalysisPublications

Across Europe, people live and work while having irregular migration status, economically, socially and culturally enriching their communities and countries of residence. Undocumented migrants contribute directly and indirectly to social protection ...Read More

TAGS: Global

Lived Realities of Sustained Liberation for Survivors of Trafficking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

News & AnalysisPublications

Many women and girls in Ethiopia work as domestic workers in urban cities as well as abroad, particularly in the Middle East. The conditions faced by women and girls in domestic work are well documented (see Freedom Fund 2019 and Tayah & Atnafu ...Read More

TAGS: Domestic Work/ Servitude Africa

Global Tech Companies, Partners Identify Tools to Fight Human Trafficking – A Progress Report on the Tech Against Trafficking Initiative

News & Analysis

In June 2018, a coalition of global tech companies, civil society organizations, and international institutions jointly launched Tech Against Trafficking (TAT), a cooperative effort to support the eradication of human trafficking and in which the Glo...Read More

TAGS: Information and Communications Technology Global