Latest modern slavery fight updates - FreedomUnited.org

Young Bangladeshis Become Victims of Forced Labor in Malaysia

  • Published on
    August 15, 2017
  • News Source Image
  • Category:
    Debt Bondage, Forced Labor, Human Trafficking
Hero Banner

Young people pay large amounts of money to attend private colleges, but it was all just a trick to trap them into forced labor.

“They are sold a dream of a ticket to study and work in a foreign country. But after spending all their family savings, thousands of young men from Bangladesh are caught in the harsh reality of being trapped in exploitation and extortion in Malaysia.  By the time they realize it, they have been trafficked through obscure private colleges and unscrupulous “agents” in the Klang Valley area that surrounds Kuala Lumpur.”

Many pay as much as $6,350, which is  equivalent to three years’ wages in Bangladesh, in order for the “agents” to provide them with visas and admission into private colleges, but it was a hoax.  That, however, was just part of the story of their  exploitation. When they finally arrived in Malaysia, they found that the schools did not really offer classes, and they were not permitted to work with their student visas.  Additionally, they were asked to pay even more fees.

That left some with no option but to work illegally under deplorable conditions, creating a cycle of exploitation that required them to earn enough money to repay their debt, buy a ticket home, and pay more money so the agents could renew their student visas in order for them to work another year.  A 24-year-old victim told a reporter, “I can’t go home because my family spent all their money on the agent fees.  Now I need to work here to pay for my father’s medicine.”

“The journalists uncovered the trafficking rings through a series of undercover investigations. They met workers’ agents while posing as factory managers looking for cheap labor…”

Subscribe

Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.

stop icon A few things we do not tolerate: comments that promote discrimination, prejudice, racism, or xenophobia, as well as personal attacks or profanity. We screen submissions in order to create a space where the entire Freedom United community feels safe to express and exchange thoughtful opinions.

Notify of
guest
3 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
philip RANDALL
philip RANDALL
7 years ago

this s morally wrong

Helen
Helen
7 years ago

criminal and horrible treatment of other human beings

Dean Harris
Dean Harris
7 years ago

This is deplorable. What can be done to stop it?

This week

Haiti’s children are being forcibly recruited into violent gangs

Haiti's escalating gang violence is having a devastating impact on its most vulnerable citizens—children. Armed groups are increasingly recruiting boys and girls, offering them basic survival needs in exchange for their lives and freedom. According to a recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), children are being lured into these violent organizations under the guise of protection and sustenance, but what follows is a life of exploitation that can only

| Wednesday October 9, 2024

Read more