25 April 2024
On 23 of April, during its last plenary meeting of this mandate, the EU parliament adopted the final text of the recast of the EU anti-trafficking Directive1. We, the undersigned non-governmental human rights organisations, welcome some progress that has been made in the revised Directive. It is positive that sanctions for...
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Joint civil society recommendations for the trialogue negotiations on the revision of the EU ‘Anti- Trafficking Directive’ (2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and...
22nd November, 2023
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GAATW International Secretariat and members stand in solidarity with Bangladeshi garment workers who are protesting the new minimum wage proposed by the Labour Department, which...
For the Spanish version, go here.
GAATW organised a panel at the IWRAW virtual Global South Women’s Forum(GSWF) on 29th October 2023. GAATW organised it with its members and partners from South East Asia and Latin America. They are...
Berlin, July 2023
1. Background and Context
Over the last three years GAATW, together with ten partners from Southeast Asia and Europe, has used a feminist participatory action research methodology to learn about the experiences of 259 Southeast Asian women migrants who were...
In 2023, the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) together with ten partner organisations from Southeast Asia and Europe researched Southeast Asian migrant women’s experience of migration to Europe, and of their reintegration at home...
In July, FLEX published the report “To help workers, I would tell the Government to…” Participatory Research with Workers in the UK Hospitality Sector. This is the second of three working papers exploring the experiences and drivers of labour abuse and exploitation in three understudied low-paid sectors of the economy in the UK: cleaning, hospitality and the app-based courier sector. This latest research highlights key workplace issues in the hospitality sector, finding it to be a high-risk sector for labour abuse and exploitation, with workers experiencing frequent issues with pay, inability to take time off sick, dangerous working conditions and work-related violence.
Sex workers globally organise, unionise and develop and share initiatives to protect themselves and their peers from violence, exploitation and human rights violations. Many sex workers’ organisations also play a vital role in preventing children from entering into the sex industry and supporting women who have been trafficked into it. As critical enablers for addressing violence and exploitation in the sex work sector, they contribute to the creation of more resilient communities, despite having no or limited funding.
The COVID-19 pandemic struck Latin America and the Caribbean at a time of low economic growth, rising inequalities and growing social unrest. The impacts of the health and socioeconomic crises have laid bare existing structural gaps in the region: poverty, vulnerability, high levels of inequality, labour informality, and limited or no access to social protections. With slow vaccination rates in most countries, overburdened hospitals and the world’s highest death rate per capita, South America has now become the focal point of the pandemic.
Civil society and human rights organisations across the region have raised concerns about the weakening of democracies and the rule of law, as the COVID-19 containment measures empowered armed state forces and gave way and legitimacy to the militarisation of borders and the criminalisation of migrants and human rights defenders.
In Peru, the recent presidential elections brought to the surface the country’s polarisation and high political instability, as many Peruvians didn’t feel represented by either the far-left or far-right candidate. After a very close race, Pedro Castillo was elected and as he was sworn in, a new set of concerns arose: Castillo’s conservative stances on same sex marriage, reproductive rights, and other social justice issues, which may steer the nation away from progressive legislation.
In Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, leading to unprecedented levels of migration, including large numbers of unaccompanied minors and women with children journeying to the United States through Mexico. To make matters worse, many migrants and asylum seekers were detained along the way or immediately deported upon reaching the US-Mexico border, while others were stranded in cities like Tijuana, Mexicali and Ciudad Juárez. In Guatemala, most government institutions ceased activities due to pandemic-related restrictions, leading to an increase in human trafficking cases, violence, and organised crime.
In Chile, a referendum to draft a new Constitution was approved by popular vote. This is a significant step forward for democracy, given that the current Constitution was sanctioned during Pinochet’s dictatorship. Furthermore, Elisa Loncón was the first Mapuche/indigenous woman elected to preside the first gender-egalitarian Constitutional Convention in the world. Furthermore, the Senate passed a marriage equality bill, which is soon expected to become law.
Despite this challenging scenario, our members in LAC continue providing direct assistance to trafficked persons and vulnerable groups and holding their states accountable. In Peru, CHS Alternativo opened a new office in Puno and continues providing direct assistance to trafficked persons both off and online. In an effort to strengthen connectivity and ease access to online spaces, they have handed out tablets to trafficking victims in shelters.
In Guatemala, ECPAT conducted a collaborative research with a group of NGOs on the human rights of trafficked persons in Northern Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador). The results were presented at a public hearing with the Inter American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR), which has agreed to write a report on the matter. In addition, ECPAT is working on direct assistance and regional repatriation protocols and monitoring their implementation. A new project on the issues of Gender Based Violence and armed conflict is being developed as well.
In Chile, Fundación Libera is implementing a research project related to human rights due diligence in the business sector. Carolina Rudnick, president of the organisation, highlighted the urgency of strengthening the state’s capacity to deal with issues of migration and human trafficking. Together with the International Association of Women Judges and with support of the UNODC, they have taught a three-month long online course for Latin American and Caribbean judges and justice system operators on the topics of migration, trafficking and human rights during pandemic times.
In Mexico, Brigada Callejera organised a meeting with representatives of fourteen government agencies to direct attention to cases of human trafficking and demand their timely and proper investigations. They continue to provide healthcare and relief support to sex workers during the pandemic.
In Colombia, Espacios de Mujer continues to provide assistance to victims of trafficking, despite the challenging pandemic context. With the support of IOM, they developed a protocol and a set of guidelines for virtual assistance to victims of trafficking. SINTRASEDOM is going through a very difficult time, since most domestic workers have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. There have been major setbacks on labour rights for domestic workers in the country, with job losses and employers unwilling or unable to pay wages. SINTRASEDOM has been working to strengthen domestic workers’ capacity to organise online, and has provided relief support to many of their affiliates. Fundación Renacer provides assistance to trafficked children and migrant women in Cartagena and La Guajira, in the Colombian Caribbean region. Many of the victims are Venezuelan children which are going through the consequences of forced migration. Fundación Renacer is also strengthening the capacity of anti-trafficking committees and community leaders. In addition, they’re taking part in a multi-stakeholder initiative on human rights due diligence in the business sector. All our three members in Colombia are part of an Alliance of Civil Society Organisations against trafficking in different areas of the country.
CEDAW Committee of Trinidad and Tobago, our newest member organisation in the region, continues to work with migrant women and girls as well as victims of trafficking. Their efforts are aimed at alleviating the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups in the country, especially Venezuelan migrants.
In Brazil, IBISS is going through a difficult time as the federal government has cut most of the support for civil society organisations working on human rights. Unable to cover staff salaries, they’re working as volunteers to provide food to Venezuelan, Haitian and Senegalese migrants, and are leading a campaign for migratory regularisation. ASBRAD supported the municipal government in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo in developing a local policy to promote and protect the human rights of all migrants and combat human trafficking in the area. On World Day against Trafficking (July 30), they participated in an event to launch a new protocol for the reactivation of the Regional Committees against Trafficking.
In Argentina, AMUMRA has been working round the clock to assist migrant and refugee women to regularise their status. Although it’s extremely difficult to carry on their work in an online setting, their efforts are aimed at helping migrant women achieve self-sufficiency and break the cycle of gender-based-violence.
Trafficked persons´ access to long term or permanent residence is critical for their safety, stability and future perspective. The regularisation of their stay is an integral part of their right to effective remedies and access to justice and it should be granted in the practice. Starting from the identification of gaps and barriers in the effective protection of trafficked persons, this new Guide shares promising existing practices in line with a coherent referral to the most appropriate channel of protection securing their rights and access to a durable solution.
This Guide is directed to practitioners working directly with trafficked persons, legal counsellors in immigration and asylum law as well as decision-makers. The guide highlights aspects that are crucial to ensuring the access to rights for victims of trafficking. The first part covers important steps that have to be considered in terms of a temporary residence permit for trafficked persons. The second part highlights the gaps in granting international protection to trafficked persons.
The Guide is published by LEFÖ Intervention Centre for Trafficked Women (LEFÖ-IBF). It is based on the experience and practice of several NGOs that support trafficked persons in the process of safety, stability and social inclusion: LEFÖ-IBF in Austria, Comité Contre l´Esclavage Moderne (CCEM) in France, Proyecto Esperanza in Spain, CoMensha in the Netherlands, International Center “La Strada” in Moldova and ASTRA in Serbia.
Data collection and analysis on trafficking in human beings and exploitation are essential in order to determine the extent of this human rights violation, to develop political action plans and measures for the protection of trafficked persons as well as to fight the crime. At the same time, data collection is associated with a variety of challenges and different interests.
At this conference, scheduled for 14 and 15 October 2021 in Berlin, KOK, the German NGO network against human trafficking, will discuss the topic of data collection on trafficking in human beings and exploitation in the context of current developments in Germany with experts, practitioners and politicians.
Specific questions to be discussed include: Which goals can and should data collection on trafficking in human beings pursue? How can international legal requirements be implemented? Are there best practice examples in other countries, what do they look like and what is the state of affairs in Germany? Participants will also discuss challenges in ensuring comprehensive data protection for marginalised groups on the one hand and civil society, especially for specialised counselling centres for trafficked persons, on the other.
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In July, FLEX published the report “To help workers, I would tell the Government to…” Participatory Research with Workers in the UK Hospitality Sector. This is the second of three working papers exploring the experiences and drivers of labour abuse and exploitation in three understudied low-paid sectors of the economy in the UK: cleaning, hospitality and the app-based courier sector. This latest research highlights key workplace issues in the hospitality sector, finding it to be a high-risk sector for labour abuse and exploitation, with workers experiencing frequent issues with pay, inability to take time off sick, dangerous working conditions and work-related violence.
Sex workers globally organise, unionise and develop and share initiatives to protect themselves and their peers from violence, exploitation and human rights violations. Many sex workers’ organisations also play a vital role in preventing children from entering into the sex industry and supporting women who have been trafficked into it. As critical enablers for addressing violence and exploitation in the sex work sector, they contribute to the creation of more resilient communities, despite having no or limited funding.
Trafficked persons´ access to long term or permanent residence is critical for their safety, stability and future perspective. The regularisation of their stay is an integral part of their right to effective remedies and access to justice and it should be granted in the practice. Starting from the identification of gaps and barriers in the effective protection of trafficked persons, 
Data collection and analysis on trafficking in human beings and exploitation are essential in order to determine the extent of this human rights violation, to develop political action plans and measures for the protection of trafficked persons as well as to fight the crime. At the same time, data collection is associated with a variety of challenges and different interests.
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