Forced labor is fueling migration crises around the world.
You can help.
Poor wages and harsh work drives people to move
In 2022, victims of human trafficking were detected along 436 different cross-border routes.
They represented 162 different nationalities and were moved into 128 destination countries.
42% of them were bound for forced labor. 16% moved through the Americas, primarily along routes from central and South America to the United States.
Often, people voluntarily leave home in search of a better life due to poor economic conditions in their home countries, including low wages and harsh working conditions driven by forced labor.
In fact, in 2019, researchers conducted a survey of Central American respondents from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras — the nationalities making up a large portion of undocumented migrants into the United States in recent years. More than 60% cited economic concerns as the top reason for their migration. .
But migrants are 3x as likely to end up in forced labor
Even people who set out for a better life on their own, are not safe from forced labor after leaving their home countries. Traffickers and smugglers work along known migration routes to recruit and coerce people as they make their way to destination countries.
Even those who make their entire journey without falling victim to a smuggler or trafficker can become victims of forced labor at their destination.
Because undocumented workers have little or no civil support in their countries of destination, they are at greater risk of being held against their will, are less likely to report labor — and physical or mental — abuse, and more likely to work in industries that lack sufficient oversight to prevent forced labor abuse.
A new approach is needed
That’s why we’re accelerating private-sector solutions, advocating for policies that stave off migration flows at their point of origin, and empowering consumers to reward businesses who clean up their supply chain.