Human Rights Council, Twentieth Session
Agenda item 3: Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
Written statement submitted by the Global Alliance against Traffic in Women
Reducing the risk of human trafficking by increasing the opportunities for safe migration
Human trafficking mostly happens in the context of labour migration. People leave home in search of a better life and get exploited by unscrupulous agents or abusive employers. While the third parties make huge profits, the workers often find themselves in a limbo. When assistance reaches them it is often too little or too late. Different languages and legal systems in countries of origin and destination may impede their access to justice. Many times the work they do does not even fall under the labour laws of the destination country. The majority of trafficked persons are migrant workers in the informal, unorganised and unprotected sectors.