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

Updated Modern Slavery Map

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We have updated our Interactive Map for Business of Anti-Human Trafficking Organisations (www.modernslaverymap.org). The Map currently includes 112 initiatives and organisations who are working on five human-trafficking-related issues (child labour,...Read More

TAGS: Recruitment Construction & Security Services Garments & Textiles Tourism, Hospitality & Recreational Services Financial sector Extractives & Mining Information and Communications Technology Transportation/ Logistics Agriculture, Horticulture & Landscaping Manufacturing Aquaculture & Fishing Forestry/ Reforestation, Wood & Paper Food & Beverage - Processing & Packaging Global

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

Cambodia’s trafficked brides: The escalating phenomenon of forced marriage in China

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When: May 11, 2022 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Report launch: Wednesday, 11 May 2022 16:00-17:30 ICT (Cambodia/Vietnam) | 11:00-12:30 CEST (Austria) | 10:00-11:30 BST (UK) The number of women travelling from Cambodia to China for forced or arranged marriages has surged since 2016 and experienced a further spike...

TAGS: Informal Sector Asia

Hidden, Unprotected, and Vulnerable: Supporting Informal RMG Workers in Bangladesh

News & Analysis

An analysis of Bangladesh’s existing legal standards for the apparel industry reveals significant gaps in protections for workers in the informal ready-made garment (RMG) sector. This study, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago with supp...Read More

TAGS: Due Diligence Reporting Garments & Textiles Asia