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.

post

page

attachment

revision

nav_menu_item

custom_css

customize_changeset

oembed_cache

user_request

wp_block

wp_template

wp_template_part

wp_global_styles

wp_navigation

wp_font_family

wp_font_face

acf-taxonomy

acf-post-type

acf-field-group

acf-field

ai1ec_event

exactmetrics_note

Assessment of Forced Labor Risk in the Cocoa Sector of Côte d’Ivoire
Guidance

This Verité study consists of desk research (including academic literature, government reports, civil society reports, statistical analysis of previous studies, and a legal review) and two weeks of field research in Côte d’Ivoire in November –...Read More

Guidelines of Good Practice on Hiring, Termination, Discipline and Grievances
Guidance

These guidelines are part of Fair Labor Associations's (FLA) Central America Project. The Central America Project was launched in collaboration with FLA Participating Companies- including Adidas Group, Nike, Inc., Gildan, Liz Claiborne, and PVH Corp...Read More

Case Studies of Human Rights Abuses and Environmental Harm linked to EU Companies and how EU due diligence laws could help protect people and the planet
GuidanceStandards & Codes of ConductGood Practices

Over the past few decades, some of the EU’s largest and most well-known companies have been involved in appalling human rights abuses and environmental harm in countries across the globe. The companies have failed to address abuses perpetuated by ...Read More

Think Twice: Can companies do business with Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories while respecting human rights?
Guidance

Doing business in occupied territories carries with it risks, dilemmas and potential liabilities for companies. The sources of information available to companies to address these risks are limited. This briefing is intended to provide companies with...Read More