The European Union is pushing to give its border agency, Frontex, more power and funding as member states look to tighten border controls and reduce migration. At a recent meeting in Luxembourg, EU home affairs ministers discussed tougher border surveillance. They also considered possible “return hubs” in third countries and measures to increase deportations. Meanwhile, […]
Source: AP News
US makes alarming change to trafficking reporting for migrant children
The Trump administration has instructed caregivers for migrant children in federal custody to stop reporting human trafficking concerns directly to the Office of Trafficking in Persons. Critics warn that the change is to allow authorities to deport vulnerable minors more easily while sidelining trafficking protection. “This is going to harm children” A September 10 memo […]
The EU’s deadly policy strikes again: Two children die at sea as migrants flee Libya
Four people, including two young children, have died in the central Mediterranean attempting to cross from Libya. These deaths are the lethal outcome of Europe’s conscious strategy to prioritize border control above human rights. The EU is failing migrants, putting them at risk of exploitation and even death. A tragedy that could have been avoided […]
Nevada ends forced labor in prisons as national movement gains ground
Nevada has become the latest state to abolish forced labor and involuntary servitude as criminal punishments, voting on Tuesday to amend its constitution and protect incarcerated people from being compelled to work under threat of punishment. This victory reflects a growing national movement to address forced labor within U.S. prisons. Previously, Nevada required its 10,000 […]
Fast fashion in China: big industry with even bigger problems
China is both the world’s largest textile producer and consumer thanks in part to E-commerce powerhouses Shein and Temu. These companies have turned China into one of the world’s largest producers of fast fashion. But according to an article in the Associated Press, underneath the in-country production and purchase of mountains of cheap clothing hides […]
Workers’ complaint filed against Saudia Arabia amid FIFA World Cup bid
AP News reports that a coalition of trade unions has lodged a formal complaint against Saudi Arabia, accusing the nation of severe human rights abuses. The complaint, submitted to the International Labor Organization (ILO), alleges mistreatment and wage theft affecting over 21,000 migrant workers over the past decade. This comes as FIFA prepares to finalize […]
No protection from injury or even death on the job for incarcerated workers in America
“I could hear ‘crunch, crunch, crunch. I couldn’t feel anything, but I could hear the crunch.” Blas Sanchez’s harrowing ordeal at Hickman’s Family Farms is illustrative of the grave dangers faced by incarcerated workers. Assigned to a composting machine without proper training, Sanchez lost his leg in a horrific accident. In the U.S., hundreds of […]
India’s shrimp industry contaminated by forced labor, hazardous conditions, new investigations reveal
The insatiable demand for shrimp in Western countries has led to the rapid expansion of hatcheries and processing plants across traditional farming communities in India. However, according to recent investigations by Corporate Accountability Lab (CAL), the Associated Press and Outlaw Ocean, not only are the new hatcheries and processing plants contaminating the water and soil making […]
U.N. labor agency reports “obscene” yearly profits from forced labor
The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) newly released figures calculating illegal profits generated by forced labor worldwide show a huge increase over the last ten years according to the Associated Press. Up 37% from the last estimate of US $150 billion, the agency cites the annual total as at least $236 billion. The report explains more […]
Libyan Coast Guard attacks German NGO rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean Sea
SOS Humanity, a German charity operating a rescue ship in the Mediterranean Sea, is accusing the Libyan Coast Guard of attacking their ship, the Humanity 1, during a rescue operation. They claim that the Coast Guard resorted to violence and intimidation tactics, including firing live bullets into the water. This aggressive intervention, according to SOS […]