Chapter 9 & 10 Learning Objectives:
Labor Trafficking is the “use of force, fraud, or coercion to make someone
perform labor or a service,” and is a pervasive form of human trafficking
worldwide (ILO, 2017). It is also often in plain sight, though most people do not realize it. It can happen in the fields, restaurants, factories, and fishing boats, for example.
- What is labor trafficking?
- What is debt bondage?
- Types of Visas
- Demographics
- Flor’s story
- Responses
Labor Trafficking is the “use of force, fraud, or coercion to make someone
perform labor or a service,” and is a pervasive form of human trafficking
worldwide (ILO, 2017). It is also often in plain sight, though most people do not realize it. It can happen in the fields, restaurants, factories, and fishing boats, for example.
Debt Bondage is is a specific method of coercion used by labor traffickers. Employers create a situation where a worker is in a financial debt, and then use that debt as leverage to force someone to work for them until the debt is repaid.
The image below is of Puspal, an Indian brick kiln worker who was forced to work and had a debt of 60,000 rupees. She worked all the time, regardless of whether or not she was sick. Read her story here: https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/bonded-labour/
Visas given to workers coming to the U.S.:
Demographics: Males are disproportionately likely to be victims of labor trafficking, accounting for 63 percent of labor trafficking victims overall. Labor trafficking and trafficking of men are both likely to be underreported, so males may even be at greater risk of labor trafficking than current estimates suggest (UNODC, 2009; ILO, 2014b; UN, 2016). However, women can be victims of labor trafficking as well. Also, victims of this crime tend to be older adults.
Flor Molina took sewing classes in Mexico and was presented with an opportunity to work in the U.S. After leaving her family behind to support them, she arrived to L.A. and was forced to work 18 hours a day. She was also told that she owed her trafficker $3,000. After 40 days of being trafficked, she managed to escape. Read more here: http://www.endslaverynow.org/blog/articles/flor-molina
Photo Source: http://www.endslaverynow.org/blog/articles/flor-molina
Responses to labor trafficking: To date, although there are many anti-labor trafficking groups working to end this form of slavery, there needs to be more work done. As long as people continue to educate themselves and advocate for this issue, then maybe one day labor trafficking will be no more.
Ask Yourself:
Additional Resources:
https://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm
https://polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/labor-trafficking
http://www.endslaverynow.org/learn/slavery-today/forced-labor
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/our-work/child-forced-labor-trafficking
Flor Molina took sewing classes in Mexico and was presented with an opportunity to work in the U.S. After leaving her family behind to support them, she arrived to L.A. and was forced to work 18 hours a day. She was also told that she owed her trafficker $3,000. After 40 days of being trafficked, she managed to escape. Read more here: http://www.endslaverynow.org/blog/articles/flor-molina
Photo Source: http://www.endslaverynow.org/blog/articles/flor-molina
Responses to labor trafficking: To date, although there are many anti-labor trafficking groups working to end this form of slavery, there needs to be more work done. As long as people continue to educate themselves and advocate for this issue, then maybe one day labor trafficking will be no more.
Ask Yourself:
- Did you know that labor trafficking was an issue? Now that you have this information, how does this new knowledge change your viewpoint?
- Does all labor need to include debt bondage?
- If a migrant works hard everyday in the fields and is given little breaks, can this constitute labor trafficking?
- Do you think Flor and Puspal are similar? If so, how?
Additional Resources:
https://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm
https://polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/labor-trafficking
http://www.endslaverynow.org/learn/slavery-today/forced-labor
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/our-work/child-forced-labor-trafficking