Malaysia and Vietnam are looking to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which will open up new opportunities for their electronics and clothing companies. However, in order for the two countries to be a part of the TPP, they are required to create regulations for minimum wages and work hours in both countries to prevent forced labor and create meaningful labor protections.

Malaysia was recently upgraded to “Tier 2 Watch List” in the Trafficking in Persons Report of 2015. Concerns have been raised over Malaysia’s upgrade and many doubt their commitment to end human trafficking because “dozens of suspected mass migrant graves” were found by the authorities and forced labor has been repeatedly reported in the palm oil, construction, and electronics industries. However, Malaysia is showing that they are trying to make a difference and will implement reforms to meet TPP’s standards and discourage all illegal employment in the country.

Criticized for cheap wages and weak worker protections, Vietnam will have to give rights to all workers to form their own independent labor unions as it applies to all TPP countries. Also, forced labor convictions will result in higher penalties and there will be strong protection for workers.

“Being tied to entry into force means we have the ability to certify whether or not a country has met those standards so it gives us significant leverage,” U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said.

For more information about CHTCS and how we can help your organization, please contact us.

Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation

Many are familiar with the issues in thesweatshops of Bangladesh and India, however, the forced labor controversy surrounding cotton production in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan is not widely as known.

Much of the cotton we use every day is produced under Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan governments’ direction. In Uzbekistan, children and adults are forced out into the fields to harvest crops in a hazardous and unsanitary environment. The governments are solely in charge of buying and selling all obtained cotton, and gain massive financial gains while those subject to the forced labor gain little to nothing.

Each year, the government sets an annual quota that farmers and even teachers, nurses, doctors, and local administration employees must meet. Those who do not comply will be punished, humiliated, and/or lose leased properties. Non-farmers have to leave their jobs during the harvest season and to work long hours and sleep in barracks in poor conditions.

While Uzbekistan is making progress by working with the International Labor Organization to reduce forced labor, Turkmenistan shows no signs of change. The number of children forced to pick cotton during these annual cotton harvests has decreased since 2012, but that number has yet to reach zero.

For more information about CHTCS and how we can help your organization, please contact us.

Source: CNN

For more information about CHTCS and how we can help your organization, please contact us.

On September 24th, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced $44 million grant funding to fight human trafficking. The fund will support fight trafficking, support victims, and in-depth research.

Lynch mentioned the fund is already supporting WashACT, a project by Washington Anti-Trafficking Response Network, the Seattle Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Washington.

Sixteen anti-human trafficking groups that work with law enforcement were picked to receive part of the funding of $23 million.

The rest of the fund will go to several victim service organizations, law enforcement, the National Conference of State Legislatures, American Bar Association, and other organizations to serve different purposes but achieve same goal to combat human trafficking.

“Human traffickers prey on some of the most vulnerable members of our society and their crimes—which are nothing short of modern-day slavery—have no place in this country,” Lynch said.

For more information about CHTCS and how we can help your organization, please contact us.

Source: American Bar Association

Pope Francis addressed Congress in Washington D.C. yesterday and spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City this morning. Pope Francis, who is a leader in the fight against human trafficking, has urged the U.S. to take action to combat modern-day slavery among a variety of issues brought up during his U.S. tour.

More Americans are now aware of human trafficking, but continue think of the problem as one more prevalent in other countries. While human trafficking is certainly more prevalent in less developed and war torn countries, human trafficking is still happening here in the U.S., a top destination for human traffickers to send their victims.

According to the International Labor Organization, there are more than 20 million modern-day slaves in the world. It is important to target all perpetrators and secure more convictions. “With sufficient funds, we will be able to provide victims with essential aid, law enforcement with a comprehensive and collaborative framework, and prosecutors with the capacity to pursue cases at unprecedented levels.”

For more information about CHTCS and how we can help your organization, please contact us.

Source: CNN

For more information about CHTCS and how we can help your organization, please contact us.

The U.K. government predicts that there are about 13,000 victims of modern slavery in Britain, yet there have only been 130 convictions related to human trafficking.

The Modern Slavery Act was passed by Members of Parliament earlier this year, which increases maximum sentence from 14 years to life imprisonment and enhances techniques to identify victims. As a part of this act, the independent anti-slavery commissioner position was created and Kevin Hyland was appointed to fill the role.

Kevin Hyland has since said that both consumers and the police lack awareness of modern slavery in the U.K. He recently asked consumers who suspect business workers to be victims of trafficking or exploitation to boycott and report those businesses. “In cases that have been reported to the police, [workers] look hungry, worn out, their clothes are poor, things like health and safety aren’t there, the equipment they are using is cheap, shoddy. Boycott it, but contact the local authority, contact the police – once enough people do that, then there will be a response.”

The migrant crisis exposes vulnerable people to criminals who promise jobs and opportunities, but later become debt-bonded or face physical threats and abuse. Modern slavery can be found in many forms, from sexual exploitation to organized begging. “This is the complexity of it all and that’s why the public needs to be more aware of it…People really need to open their eyes and understand what this criminality is – it is the sale of human beings. It is not just hard work.”

For more information about CHTCS and how we can help your organization, please contact us.

Source: The Guardian

For more information about CHTCS and how we can help your organization, please contact us.

Last Thursday, a total of 71 migrant bodies were found in a lorry in Austria near the Hungarian border in a suspected human trafficking operation gone wrong. Autopsies revealed that the migrant men, women, and children died due to suffocation after being locked in the truck.Four suspects have since been arrested and charged with aggravated human smuggling in Hungary and will be in custody until September 29th. Officials expect Austria to push hard for the extradition of the four suspects.

Following Thursday’s incident, the United Nations’ Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged “for more concerted action to alleviate Europe’s migrant crisis” as an increasing number of migrants from the Middle East and Africa are trying to reach Europe. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz says “if we don’t find a European solution to the refugee crisis there is a danger that more and more countries try to solve the crisis on their own by building a fence, like Hungary does for example.”

Last month, there were 107,500 migrants who crossed the EU borders. It’s been reported that just this month, more than 40,000 asylum seekers have landed in Hungary from the Balkans, most of them seeking refuge from Syria.

For more information about CHTCS and how we can help your organization, please contact us.

Source: BBC

For more information about CHTCS and how we can help your organization, please contact us.