Authorities in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg have recorded 358 cases of child marriage since 2012. Yet courts annulled only eight between 2018 and 2024, raising questions about how authorities protect children after identifying these marriages. The figures also reveal gaps in official information about child marriage, particularly its effects on education and access […]
Source: euronews
European lawmakers challenge EU over funding abuse in Libya
Thirty-eight European Parliament lawmakers from four political groups have urged the European Commission to end all funding for Libyan security forces. Mounting evidence shows EU-backed Libyan authorities have committed severe human rights abuses, including human trafficking, forced labor, starvation, sexual violence, and torture. Despite this, EU payments continue. Mediterranean “line of death” Irene Dea, from […]
Greece to deploy navy near Libya to stop migrants crossing the Mediterranean
Greece has announced plans to deploy navy warships near Libya following a sharp increase in migrant arrivals on the islands of Crete and Gavdos. The move raises concerns about Europe’s ongoing cooperation with Libya on migration control, despite mounting evidence of abuse and forced labor in Libyan detention centers. A dangerous route and familiar risks […]
Frontex chief claims migrants have to be returned to Libya to “save lives”
Hans Leijtens, Director of Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, told Euronews this week that he “doesn’t want” to return migrants to Libya— but does anyway. While painting his agency as reluctantly complicit in the abuse of migrants, Leijtens’ comments obscure the role Frontex plays in a system that watchdogs say is knowingly […]
Forced labor at sea “running wild” due to lax European laws
A recent report found that European companies, led by Spain, Russia, and the U.K., owned almost 23% of the commercial fishing vessels accused of forced labor, according to Matti Kohonen of euronews. However, most European countries, along with other fishing industry giants like China and the U.S., have not yet ratified key agreements that ban […]
The U.K. is fueling, not fighting, its trafficking problem
Alarmingly, the U.K. is home to at least 130,000 trafficking victims, according to estimates from Anti-Slavery International. As the country’s modern slavery problem worsens, experts are pointing to government laws and policies as a key driver of exploitation and abuse. The Modern Slavery Act is insufficient Current U.K. laws fail to prevent and adequately […]
Little improvement to World Cup working conditions in Qatar
Migrant workers on World Cup sites in Qatar continue to face systematic exploitation, a new report has found. The report from Human Rights Watch, which was released earlier this week, found that migrants working on preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup remain subject to widespread wage abuse, despite the Qatari government’s commitment to change. […]
Cocoa slaves battle for justice continues
The case against major chocolate company Nestle and cocoa trader Cargill Co. was brought by a group of Malians trafficked for forced labor on cocoa farms in Ivory Coast in 2005. The case is significant for the plaintiffs’ attempt to secure justice within a country that is not where the slavery in question took place and […]