Slavery is a scourge in human history, where people were held by someone else or treated as their property without the privileges of a "free person". Surely this menace doesn't exist in the modern world, does it? According&nbsp;to the United Nations, it does and it is called "modern slavery".

The UN's International Labour Organization (ILO) announced Monday that 50 million people worldwide are subject to forced labour or forced marriage, and warned that the number of these people has substantially increased in recent years.

AFP reports that as per the new report, despite the United Nations' 2030 deadline to end all forms of modern slavery, the number of individuals subjected to forced labour or forced marriage increased by 10 million between 2016 and 2021.

The most recent statistics show that in 2021, there were 27.6 million people who were forced into forced labour, more than 3.3 million of whom are children, and 22 million who were forced into forced marriage. That means that almost one in every 150 individuals worldwide is a victim of modern-day slavery.

One in five people who are compelled to work are children, and the survey stated that more than half of them are engaged in commercial sexual exploitation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-navy-will-not-release-ufo-videos-citing-national-security-admits-it-has-several-more-515069" hreflang="en">US Navy says it has several UFO videos, won't release them due to 'national security'</a>

The most vulnerable groups are by far women and children as per the report. It also issued a warning that this is a persistent issue because estimates show that forced labour can last for years and forced marriage is frequently "a life sentence."

According to the ILO, migrant workers were more than three times more likely to experience forced labour than domestic workers, with more than half of all cases occurring in upper-middle-income or high-income nations.

In the lead-up to the FIFA soccer World Cup, which begins in November, Qatar was mentioned in the report. The nation is under fire for allegedly violating labour laws in relation to migrants working there.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-crisis-may-increase-trafficking-and-slavery-says-report-414659">Climate crisis may increase trafficking and slavery, says report</a>

The ILO study also made mentioned concerns regarding forced labour in several regions of China.

"Nothing can justify the persistence of this fundamental abuse of human rights," said Guy Ryder, head of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

(With inputs from agencies)

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Slavery is a scourge in human history, where people were held by someone else or treated as their property without the privileges of a "free person". Surely this menace doesn't exist in the modern world, does it?

Slavery is a scourge in human history, where people were held by someone else or treated as their property without the privileges of a "free person". Surely this menace doesn't exist in the modern world, does it? According to the United Nations, it does and it is called "modern slavery". The UN's International Labour Organization (ILO) announced Monday that 50 million people worldwide are subject to forced labour or forced marriage, and warned that the number of these people has substantially increased in recent years. AFP reports that as per the new report, despite the United Nations' 2030 deadline to end all forms of modern slavery, the number of individuals subjected to forced labour or forced marriage increased by 10 million between 2016 and 2021. The most recent statistics show that in 2021, there were 27.6 million people who were forced into forced labour, more than 3.3 million of whom are children, and 22 million who were forced into forced marriage. That means that almost one in every 150 individuals worldwide is a victim of modern-day slavery. One in five people who are compelled to work are children, and the survey stated that more than half of them are engaged in commercial sexual exploitation. Also read | US Navy says it has several UFO videos, won't release them due to 'national security' The most vulnerable groups are by far women and children as per the report. It also issued a warning that this is a persistent issue because estimates show that forced labour can last for years and forced marriage is frequently "a life sentence." According to the ILO, migrant workers were more than three times more likely to experience forced labour than domestic workers, with more than half of all cases occurring in upper-middle-income or high-income nations. In the lead-up to the FIFA soccer World Cup, which begins in November, Qatar was mentioned in the report. The nation is under fire for allegedly violating labour laws in relation to migrants working there. Also read | Climate crisis may increase trafficking and slavery, says report The ILO study also made mentioned concerns regarding forced labour in several regions of China. "Nothing can justify the persistence of this fundamental abuse of human rights," said Guy Ryder, head of the International Labour Organization (ILO). (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

It's 21st century and yet 50 million people across the world are still bound in 'modern slavery': UN

Volkswagen&nbsp;asked for&nbsp;more&nbsp;time&nbsp;to review reports alleging&nbsp;human&nbsp;rights&nbsp;violations tantamount to "modern slavery" on a farm it owned in&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;between 1974-1986, according to minutes of an administrative hearing on the&nbsp;probe&nbsp;seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Public prosecutors summoned&nbsp;Volkswagen&nbsp;to attend an administrative hearing in Brasilia on June 14 to review reports alleging the mistreatment of temporary workers at the farm in&nbsp;Brazil's Amazon region brought forward by the Ministry of Labor.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/we-need-to-change-e-car-approach-in-china-volkswagen-ceo-401451">&nbsp;We need to change e-car approach in China: Volkswagen CEO</a>

The minutes showed lawyers representing the carmaker said that the company needed&nbsp;more&nbsp;time&nbsp;to analyze the reports given this was the first meeting it was participating in on the matter, but that it was treating the case in a serious and committed manner.

Ricardo Rezende, a priest and a professor at the Federal University in Rio de Janeiro, had first gathered testimonials from farm workers before submitting reports of mistreatment to prosecutors in 2019.&nbsp;Brazil's Ministry of Labor then independently investigated the claims, collecting its own testimonials from workers who are still alive, according to the minutes of the June 14 meeting.

Watch |&nbsp;German carmaker Volkswagen to make fewer cars globally in 2022 amid global chip shortage

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"The stories are very strong, reporting situations of intense and long-lasting violence, of very serious nature… the situations depicted are some of the most serious which the Ministry of Labor has come to know of in relation to modern slavery," the minutes said.

The testimonials included allegations of repeated outbreaks of malaria among workers, terrible accommodation conditions, debt systems, and discriminatory treatment between permanent workers in the headquarters and temporary farm workers.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/volkswagen-to-end-sales-of-combustion-engines-in-europe-by-2035-394125">Volkswagen to end sales of combustion engines in Europe by 2035</a>

A spokesperson for&nbsp;Volkswagen&nbsp;said the carmaker takes the described events at the farm very seriously but that it would not comment further on an ongoing legal investigation.

A second meeting between the carmaker and the working group at&nbsp;Brazil's Public Ministry of Labor was scheduled for Sept. 29.

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Volkswagen asked for more time to review reports alleging human rights violations tantamount to "modern slavery" on a farm it owned in Brazil between 1974-1986, according to minutes of an administrative hearing on the probe seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Volkswagen asked for more time to review reports alleging human rights violations tantamount to "modern slavery" on a farm it owned in Brazil between 1974-1986, according to minutes of an administrative hearing on the probe seen by Reuters on Wednesday. Public prosecutors summoned Volkswagen to attend an administrative hearing in Brasilia on June 14 to review reports alleging the mistreatment of temporary workers at the farm in Brazil's Amazon region brought forward by the Ministry of Labor. Also read | We need to change e-car approach in China: Volkswagen CEO The minutes showed lawyers representing the carmaker said that the company needed more time to analyze the reports given this was the first meeting it was participating in on the matter, but that it was treating the case in a serious and committed manner. Ricardo Rezende, a priest and a professor at the Federal University in Rio de Janeiro, had first gathered testimonials from farm workers before submitting reports of mistreatment to prosecutors in 2019. Brazil's Ministry of Labor then independently investigated the claims, collecting its own testimonials from workers who are still alive, according to the minutes of the June 14 meeting. Watch | German carmaker Volkswagen to make fewer cars globally in 2022 amid global chip shortage "The stories are very strong, reporting situations of intense and long-lasting violence, of very serious nature… the situations depicted are some of the most serious which the Ministry of Labor has come to know of in relation to modern slavery," the minutes said. The testimonials included allegations of repeated outbreaks of malaria among workers, terrible accommodation conditions, debt systems, and discriminatory treatment between permanent workers in the headquarters and temporary farm workers. Also read | Volkswagen to end sales of combustion engines in Europe by 2035 A spokesperson for Volkswagen said the carmaker takes the described events at the farm very seriously but that it would not comment further on an ongoing legal investigation. A second meeting between the carmaker and the working group at Brazil's Public Ministry of Labor was scheduled for Sept. 29. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Volkswagen asks for more time in Brazil human rights probe

A new report estimates that 29 million women and girls are victims of modern slavery, exploited by practices including forced labour, forced marriage, debt-bondage and domestic servitude.

Report: 29 million girls, women victims of modern slavery

As per a report by the United Nations, called "Stacked odds", close to 29 million women and young girls are victims of 'modern slavery' — including practises such as debt-bondage and domestic servitude.

This report has come as an eye-opener for the world where women and young girls are ill-treated on a daily basis in various countries.

According to this report,&nbsp;one in every 130 women and girls are subjected to forced labor, forced marriage, debt-bondage and domestic servitude on a daily basis.

This number is&nbsp;more than the population of Australia.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-stillbirth-every-16-seconds-and-this-could-get-worse-due-to-covid-19-pandemic-333385">Also read|&nbsp;One stillbirth every 16 seconds and this could get worse due to COVID-19 pandemic</a>

"The reality is that there are more people living in slavery today than any other time in human history,”&nbsp;Grace Forrest, the co-founder of the Walk Free anti-slavery organization said in a UN press conference.

Modern slavery is defined&nbsp;as "the systematic removal of a person’s freedom, where one person is exploited by another for personal or financial gain,” Forrest explained.

This report has been combined with observations, data and studies conducted by&nbsp;Walk Free, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-ngos-shaken-by-dr-congo-sex-abuse-claims-332143">Also read|&nbsp;UN, NGOs shaken by DR Congo sex abuse claims</a>

As per the report, 99 per cent of the victims of forced sexual exploitation are women. Additionally, 84 per cent&nbsp;of all victims of forced marriage and 58 per cent of all victims of forced labor are also women.

What is more saddening is that the researchers found out that this exploitation is slowly becoming a normalised concept and the pandemic is only making things worse for these victims.&nbsp;

"We’re seeing normalized exploitation in our economy in transnational supply chains and also in migration pathways,” Forrest said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beirut-blast-has-caused-trauma-to-600000-children-says-unicef-325388">Also read|&nbsp;Beirut blast has caused trauma to 600,000 children, says Unicef</a>

However, she explained that the report does not have the values of the year of pandemic, but the exploitation of women and young girls in the onademic has increased.&nbsp;"The world’s most vulnerable people have been pushed even further into this practice of modern slavery because of COVID-19.”

In order to help the ailing women and bring global attention towards this issue,&nbsp;Walk Free and the U.N.’s Every Woman Every Child program are launching a global campaign.

One of the main motives of this campaign will be to urge governments around the world to criminalise child and forced marriage — practises that are yet popular and decrimnalised in nearly 136 countries.

Forrest also aims to completely eliminate the practice of&nbsp;kefala — a bondage programme that legally binds a migrant worker to an employer or sponsor&nbsp;for the period of their contract.

She has also urged people to turn towards the exploitation-free products, rather than buying the products which are made by forced labour.&nbsp;"We know that women and girls are experiencing unprecedented levels of exploitation and forced labor in supply chains of the goods we buy and use every day – clothing, coffee, technology," Forest said.

As per a report by the United Nations, called "Stacked odds", close to 29 million women and young girls are victims of 'modern slavery' — including practises such as debt-bondage and domestic servitude.

As per a report by the United Nations, called "Stacked odds", close to 29 million women and young girls are victims of 'modern slavery' — including practises such as debt-bondage and domestic servitude. This report has come as an eye-opener for the world where women and young girls are ill-treated on a daily basis in various countries. According to this report, one in every 130 women and girls are subjected to forced labor, forced marriage, debt-bondage and domestic servitude on a daily basis. This number is more than the population of Australia. Also read| One stillbirth every 16 seconds and this could get worse due to COVID-19 pandemic "The reality is that there are more people living in slavery today than any other time in human history,” Grace Forrest, the co-founder of the Walk Free anti-slavery organization said in a UN press conference. Modern slavery is defined as "the systematic removal of a person’s freedom, where one person is exploited by another for personal or financial gain,” Forrest explained. This report has been combined with observations, data and studies conducted by Walk Free, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Also read| UN, NGOs shaken by DR Congo sex abuse claims As per the report, 99 per cent of the victims of forced sexual exploitation are women. Additionally, 84 per cent of all victims of forced marriage and 58 per cent of all victims of forced labor are also women. What is more saddening is that the researchers found out that this exploitation is slowly becoming a normalised concept and the pandemic is only making things worse for these victims. "We’re seeing normalized exploitation in our economy in transnational supply chains and also in migration pathways,” Forrest said. Also read| Beirut blast has caused trauma to 600,000 children, says Unicef However, she explained that the report does not have the values of the year of pandemic, but the exploitation of women and young girls in the onademic has increased. "The world’s most vulnerable people have been pushed even further into this practice of modern slavery because of COVID-19.” In order to help the ailing women and bring global attention towards this issue, Walk Free and the U.N.’s Every Woman Every Child program are launching a global campaign. One of the main motives of this campaign will be to urge governments around the world to criminalise child and forced marriage — practises that are yet popular and decrimnalised in nearly 136 countries. Forrest also aims to completely eliminate the practice of kefala — a bondage programme that legally binds a migrant worker to an employer or sponsor for the period of their contract. She has also urged people to turn towards the exploitation-free products, rather than buying the products which are made by forced labour. "We know that women and girls are experiencing unprecedented levels of exploitation and forced labor in supply chains of the goods we buy and use every day – clothing, coffee, technology," Forest said.

Around 29 million women and girls victims of modern slavery: UN report

The British government has asked public bodies to ensure they do not engage in modern slavery, as part of measures announced on Tuesday.

Starting now, all public-sector organisations that have a budget over $46 million (36 million pounds) will be required to file an annual statement highlighting their efforts to counter modern slavery.

More penalties needed

Britain’s Modern Slavery Act, 2015, requires big businesses to present such a statement. However, critics feel more penalties and compliance is needed for effectiveness.

According to Victoria Atkins, minister for safeguarding and vulnerability, no sector was "immune from the risks of modern slavery".

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/wildfire-smoke-from-us-crosses-the-atlantic-ocean-seen-in-parts-of-finland-uk-329412" hreflang="en">Wildfire smoke from US crosses the Atlantic Ocean; seen in parts of Finland, UK</a>

"We expect businesses and public bodies to be open about the risks, including where they have found instances of exploitation and to demonstrate how they are taking targeted and sustained action to tackle modern slavery," Atkins claimed in a statement.

In March, the British government had published its own anti-slavery statement. It cited construction, electronics, and service providers of cooks and cleaners as the most risky sectors.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/uk-upgrades-virus-alert-level-pm-johnson-set-to-announce-new-measures-329290" hreflang="en">UK upgrades virus alert level; PM Johnson set to announce new measures</a>

The statement claims how owing to complex global supply chains, “effective oversight is difficult to achieve”.

The Home Office of UK’s interior ministry is planning to launch a digital system to counter modern slavery, and to set up a single enforcement body to address employment rights.

Sara Thornton, the UK’s anti-slavery commissioner claimed that laws required to implement anti-slavery steps should be developed quickly.

The British government has asked public bodies to ensure they do not engage in modern slavery, as part of measures announced on Tuesday. Starting now, all public-sector organisations that have a budget over $46 million (36 million pounds) will be required to file an annual statement highlighting their efforts to counter modern slavery.

The British government has asked public bodies to ensure they do not engage in modern slavery, as part of measures announced on Tuesday. Starting now, all public-sector organisations that have a budget over $46 million (36 million pounds) will be required to file an annual statement highlighting their efforts to counter modern slavery. More penalties needed Britain’s Modern Slavery Act, 2015, requires big businesses to present such a statement. However, critics feel more penalties and compliance is needed for effectiveness. According to Victoria Atkins, minister for safeguarding and vulnerability, no sector was "immune from the risks of modern slavery". Also read: Wildfire smoke from US crosses the Atlantic Ocean; seen in parts of Finland, UK "We expect businesses and public bodies to be open about the risks, including where they have found instances of exploitation and to demonstrate how they are taking targeted and sustained action to tackle modern slavery," Atkins claimed in a statement. In March, the British government had published its own anti-slavery statement. It cited construction, electronics, and service providers of cooks and cleaners as the most risky sectors. Also read: UK upgrades virus alert level; PM Johnson set to announce new measures The statement claims how owing to complex global supply chains, “effective oversight is difficult to achieve”. The Home Office of UK’s interior ministry is planning to launch a digital system to counter modern slavery, and to set up a single enforcement body to address employment rights. Sara Thornton, the UK’s anti-slavery commissioner claimed that laws required to implement anti-slavery steps should be developed quickly.

Take action against modern slavery, UK orders its public sector

A man called out numbers against the murky darkness of the Libyan night: &ldquo;400, 500, 600, 650.&rdquo; These were bids in Libyan dinars during a slave auction. Video footage of these scenes, aired in mid-November by CNN, thrust concerns about the conditions facing migrants at Europe&rsquo;s borders back into the spotlight.

In response, the EU called for &ldquo;swift action&rdquo;, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced a plan to launch &ldquo;concrete military action&rdquo; against the perpetrators. The Nigerian government also said it had begun to bring home some of its citizens stranded in Libya.

Efforts to enable people to escape from situations of slavery, violence and exploitation in Libya are certainly welcome. But they will need to go beyond the short-term perspective that so often accompanies responses to proclamations of crisis. And these new efforts will reek of hypocrisy if they do not also recognise the relationship between existing migration control policies and the vulnerability of migrants using routes into and through Libya.

The story of young men sold as slaves in Libya was the focus of debates at the UN Security Council and topped the agenda at a major summit of European and African leaders. Slavery and other abuses are an &ldquo;abomination&rdquo; that &ldquo;can no longer be ignored&rdquo;, stated Filippo Grandi, the UN&rsquo;s high commissioner for refugees.

But stories of forced labour, exploitation and the buying and selling of migrants are not particularly new. I heard them myself in 2015 when I was part of a research team which carried out interviews with nearly 200 people who had departed from Libya by boat, towards Italy and Malta.

<blockquote>
<q>I was arrested and imprisoned in southern Libya &hellip; I was sold to a slave trader, along with other Eritreans, Somalis and Nigerians. This person took us to a farm, where we could not leave except to go to work at a construction site and return. We were always guarded by armed people.</q>
</blockquote>

These words, from a young Malian man, were mirrored by many others who spoke of being held captive, put into forced work or bought and sold. Some were set free once they had gathered enough ransom money, wired over to them by family and friends. Others might be released when their labour was no longer required or if they managed, somehow, to escape. But it was also not unusual to hear people being beaten and even see others die at the hands of their &ldquo;owners&rdquo;.

Our project has not been the only one to report such findings. In 2016, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) found that 71% of migrants who crossed the central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Europe had experienced exploitation, particularly kidnapping, forced labour, carrying out work without being paid and being kept at locations against their will. In February 2017, a Sky documentary described Libya as &ldquo;hell&rdquo; for migrants and a study of trafficking and smuggling there referred to &ldquo;the extortion economy and new slave trade&rdquo;.

European complicity

Public figures are right to condemn people being sold as slaves in Libya. But their concern has an air of insincerity when they have known about it for years. The EU&rsquo;s high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, expressed her &ldquo;total condemnation of these despicable acts&rdquo; but also stated that &ldquo;this is not something that began one month ago. Everybody has known about it for years&rdquo;.

For officials to say now that violence, exploitation and slavery can &ldquo;no longer be ignored&rdquo; belies the fact that these issues were downplayed and pushed aside as the EU pursued collaboration with the Libyan authorities to control migration.

The primary objective of European approaches has instead been to stem the flow of people departing Libya by boat. Since the declaration of a migrant crisis back in 2015, the EU has given increasing amounts of funding and training to the Libyan coastguard and to detention centres to keep migrants on Libyan soil.

In the summer of 2017, an emboldened Libyan coastguard then made threats of violence to international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged in search and rescue missions at sea. Soon after, an armed militia west of Tripoli with backing from the Libyan authorities &ndash; who are themselves supported by Italian and EU authorities &ndash; stepped in to intercept boats and prevent people leaving towards Italy.

These policies to stop boats arriving on European shores have had significant implications for the conditions of migrants in Libya. Many of the people we interviewed told us that they saw boats to Europe as the only way to flee. Now, once they are pushed back to Libya, they are held in detention centres, many of which have been criticised by international observers as overcrowded, unsanitary places where migrants are exploited.

Research reports point to &ldquo;abundant evidence&rdquo; which shows that &ldquo;detention facilities in Libya are the site of sustained criminal activity, as recruitment grounds for smuggling activity but also processing centres for ransom extraction and slavery.&rdquo; Another report by the NGO Refugees International noted how often &ldquo;in Libya, the policeman is a smuggler, and the smuggler is a policeman&rdquo;. Despite this, just a few months ago Macron claimed that Libya could be an appropriate place to process asylum requests.

The containment of migrants in Libya is therefore likely to be reinforcing the very situation that Europe&rsquo;s leaders appear to be so angry about now. M&eacute;decins Sans Fronti&egrave;res described it as &ldquo;feeding the business of suffering&rdquo;.

Moving beyond a crisis

European approaches to migration across the Mediterranean have repeatedly been shaped by urgent attempts to address sudden crises. But the situation in Libya cannot easily be addressed by such a short-term response. People smuggling has been a thriving economic sector for years. The profits from smuggling, exploitation and now slavery provide important funds for different groups around the country. One report describes migrants as &ldquo;simply another commodity to be exploited&rdquo; by the various armed groups vying to control parts of Libyan territory.

An important contribution to finding a longer-term solution could come from a newly announced &ldquo;transit and departure facility&rdquo; in Tripoli providing opportunities for people to escape from Libya. They would be resettled elsewhere, transferred to UNHCR facilities in other countries or returned to their country of origin. But so far there are only 10,500 places available &ndash; far below the number of places required &ndash; and this is little more than the nearly 9,000 returns already carried out by the IOM in 2017.

After a decade of repeatedly declaring migrant crises and emergencies at their borders, it is time the EU took a broader, longer-term approach. This has to recognise the structural relationship between policies of border control, dynamics of migration and patterns of migrant vulnerability and exploitation. Intensifying border controls without addressing the reasons why people move or providing alternatives is likely to reinforce the dangers that they face.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/slave-auctions-in-libya-are-the-latest-evidence-of-a-reality-for-migrants-the-eu-prefers-to-ignore-88589" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Image Credit: EPA

Insincerity and short-termism rule global responses to Libyan migration

A man called out numbers against the murky darkness of the Libyan night: “400, 500, 600, 650.” These were bids in Libyan dinars during a slave auction. Video footage of these scenes, aired in mid-November by CNN, thrust concerns about the conditions facing migrants at Europe’s borders back into the spotlight. In response, the EU called for “swift action”, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced a plan to launch “concrete military action” against the perpetrators. The Nigerian government also said it had begun to bring home some of its citizens stranded in Libya. Efforts to enable people to escape from situations of slavery, violence and exploitation in Libya are certainly welcome. But they will need to go beyond the short-term perspective that so often accompanies responses to proclamations of crisis. And these new efforts will reek of hypocrisy if they do not also recognise the relationship between existing migration control policies and the vulnerability of migrants using routes into and through Libya. The story of young men sold as slaves in Libya was the focus of debates at the UN Security Council and topped the agenda at a major summit of European and African leaders. Slavery and other abuses are an “abomination” that “can no longer be ignored”, stated Filippo Grandi, the UN’s high commissioner for refugees. But stories of forced labour, exploitation and the buying and selling of migrants are not particularly new. I heard them myself in 2015 when I was part of a research team which carried out interviews with nearly 200 people who had departed from Libya by boat, towards Italy and Malta. I was arrested and imprisoned in southern Libya … I was sold to a slave trader, along with other Eritreans, Somalis and Nigerians. This person took us to a farm, where we could not leave except to go to work at a construction site and return. We were always guarded by armed people. These words, from a young Malian man, were mirrored by many others who spoke of being held captive, put into forced work or bought and sold. Some were set free once they had gathered enough ransom money, wired over to them by family and friends. Others might be released when their labour was no longer required or if they managed, somehow, to escape. But it was also not unusual to hear people being beaten and even see others die at the hands of their “owners”. Our project has not been the only one to report such findings. In 2016, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) found that 71% of migrants who crossed the central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Europe had experienced exploitation, particularly kidnapping, forced labour, carrying out work without being paid and being kept at locations against their will. In February 2017, a Sky documentary described Libya as “hell” for migrants and a study of trafficking and smuggling there referred to “the extortion economy and new slave trade”. European complicity Public figures are right to condemn people being sold as slaves in Libya. But their concern has an air of insincerity when they have known about it for years. The EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, expressed her “total condemnation of these despicable acts” but also stated that “this is not something that began one month ago. Everybody has known about it for years”. For officials to say now that violence, exploitation and slavery can “no longer be ignored” belies the fact that these issues were downplayed and pushed aside as the EU pursued collaboration with the Libyan authorities to control migration. The primary objective of European approaches has instead been to stem the flow of people departing Libya by boat. Since the declaration of a migrant crisis back in 2015, the EU has given increasing amounts of funding and training to the Libyan coastguard and to detention centres to keep migrants on Libyan soil. In the summer of 2017, an emboldened Libyan coastguard then made threats of violence to international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged in search and rescue missions at sea. Soon after, an armed militia west of Tripoli with backing from the Libyan authorities – who are themselves supported by Italian and EU authorities – stepped in to intercept boats and prevent people leaving towards Italy. These policies to stop boats arriving on European shores have had significant implications for the conditions of migrants in Libya. Many of the people we interviewed told us that they saw boats to Europe as the only way to flee. Now, once they are pushed back to Libya, they are held in detention centres, many of which have been criticised by international observers as overcrowded, unsanitary places where migrants are exploited. Research reports point to “abundant evidence” which shows that “detention facilities in Libya are the site of sustained criminal activity, as recruitment grounds for smuggling activity but also processing centres for ransom extraction and slavery.” Another report by the NGO Refugees International noted how often “in Libya, the policeman is a smuggler, and the smuggler is a policeman”. Despite this, just a few months ago Macron claimed that Libya could be an appropriate place to process asylum requests. The containment of migrants in Libya is therefore likely to be reinforcing the very situation that Europe’s leaders appear to be so angry about now. Médecins Sans Frontières described it as “feeding the business of suffering”. Moving beyond a crisis European approaches to migration across the Mediterranean have repeatedly been shaped by urgent attempts to address sudden crises. But the situation in Libya cannot easily be addressed by such a short-term response. People smuggling has been a thriving economic sector for years. The profits from smuggling, exploitation and now slavery provide important funds for different groups around the country. One report describes migrants as “simply another commodity to be exploited” by the various armed groups vying to control parts of Libyan territory. An important contribution to finding a longer-term solution could come from a newly announced “transit and departure facility” in Tripoli providing opportunities for people to escape from Libya. They would be resettled elsewhere, transferred to UNHCR facilities in other countries or returned to their country of origin. But so far there are only 10,500 places available – far below the number of places required – and this is little more than the nearly 9,000 returns already carried out by the IOM in 2017. After a decade of repeatedly declaring migrant crises and emergencies at their borders, it is time the EU took a broader, longer-term approach. This has to recognise the structural relationship between policies of border control, dynamics of migration and patterns of migrant vulnerability and exploitation. Intensifying border controls without addressing the reasons why people move or providing alternatives is likely to reinforce the dangers that they face. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity). Image Credit: EPA

Opinion: Libya is selling slaves. Why EU is ignoring

Holidays are a privilege that many who are fortunate to take them look forward to. They are an opportunity to indulge, relax and recharge &ndash; and what could be better than being able to do so while doing good?

But the costs of production of the tourist experience are often glossed over. And modern slavery practices are especially evident in the tourism supply chain in developing countries.

Desperate people

Modern slavery is described as the conduct of practices similar to slavery, including debt bondage and forced labour. The use of force, deception and the deprivation of freedom are common.

The links between modern slavery and the fashion and textiles industry, mining, agriculture and domestic work are well known. It&rsquo;s common in developing countries where people are desperate and vulnerable to exploitation.

This is not to say that developed countries are immune. In Australia, a federal parliamentary committee is inquiring* into establishing a Modern Slavery Act. This follows the passing of the United Kingdom&rsquo;s Modern Slavery Act in 2015. Such moves are linked to growing calls for action against modern slavery in domestic and global supply chains.

In most developed countries, much less attention is given to modern slavery than elsewhere. This is particularly so in the case of developing countries where labour is cheap and exploitation underlies the production of goods and services consumed in developed countries.

According to the Global Slavery Index, in 2016 about 45.8 million people were subject to some form of modern slavery. Most of them are in developing countries where worker rights are poorly protected.

When it comes to international tourism, concerns over links with modern slavery have been mostly subdued. This occurs despite the push for more <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Tourism-Resilience-and-Sustainability-Adapting-to-Social-Political-and/Cheer-Lew/p/book/9781138206786">sustainable, resilient</a> and responsible modes of tourism.

Tourism is often linked to sustainable economic development that can make communities better off. This is encouraged by governments keen to maximise tourist spending.

International tourism in developing countries is neither all good nor all bad. Beyond its potential to do good, however, tourism and its association with modern slavery are rarely highlighted.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480px" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="https://embed.ted.com/talks/sunitha_krishnan_tedindia" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="100%"></iframe>

In particular, little is made of the harsh conditions that many who service the industry tend to face. This is more apparent in some forms of tourism than others, and especially where worker rights and social justice concerns are systematically compromised.

Some of the strongest links between slavery and tourism are found in <a href="http://globalstudysectt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Global-Report-Offenders-on-the-Move-Final.pdf">sex tourism</a>, orphanage tourism and in the services supply chain.

Orphanage tourism

While the development of responsible tourism has improved traveller awareness of the need to &ldquo;give back&rdquo; to their hosts, it has also encouraged opportunists. The enormous growth of orphanage tourism in Southeast Asia is proof of this.

Globally, up to 8 million children live in institutions, but over 80 per cent of these children have parents or family.

Orphanage tourism takes place when tourists visit orphanages and donate money and goods. The demand for &ldquo;orphan experiences&rdquo; often includes volunteering at residential care facilities and interacting with children. Children become tourist attractions and tourists become the agents for orphanages as business enterprises rather than as sites of care.

In academic terms, orphanage tourism sits under what is known as geographies of compassion. That is, tourist behaviour is guided by moral and ethical concerns that are largely focused on social justice motives.

The relationship between international tourists and orphans in developing countries is driven by a mix of clever marketing and appeals to the traveller&rsquo;s good conscience. Marketing efforts offer to place tourists in orphanages for a few hours, a day or longer. Emotive images and persuasive language are used to promote orphanage visits, alongside enthusiastic testimonials from past visitors.

Good intentions, money and the desire to help are essential ingredients for the orphanage tourism industry. Usually, the traveller constructs a view of &ldquo;the problem&rdquo; where they are an important part of &ldquo;the solution&rdquo;. Tourists then inadvertently become agents in an exploitative business model that profits the orphanage owner while compromising the well-being of children.

Many argue that the &ldquo;bad&rdquo; orphanages, those run by unscrupulous operators who knowingly and systematically exploit children for profit, shouldn&rsquo;t negate the work of the &ldquo;good&rdquo; orphanages. However, there is no such thing as a good orphanage &ndash; only best-practice child-care facilities. These are the ones that provide high-quality residential care.

Children below the age of 12 are still best off in family-based care and not in institutions. When orphanages are financially supported through donations and volunteer programs, the best interests of children are compromised.

<figure><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/169640013" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe></figure>

In the worst cases, children are exploited through forced labour, enforced begging, human trafficking, or sex tourism. In other cases, exploitation occurs by way of forced interaction with volunteers, loss of rights to privacy and increased risk of physical and sexual abuse.

In coming to terms with the growth of orphanage tourism in developing countries, the usual absence of families and communities requires an urgent rethink. Instead of promoting the tourist as part of the solution, it should be emphasised that visits to orphanages very often lead to modern slavery conditions.

Shared responsibility for a solution

Stemming the tide of orphanage tourism requires collaboration and cooperation between national governments, non-government organisations and the tourism industry. Cross-border cooperation and a commitment at the supply and demand sides of the international tourism industry are required.

The solution lies in reducing tourist demand for orphanage experiences; children are not tourist attractions.

Along with government and industry, travellers have a huge responsibility. This includes ensuring that holidays are produced ethically and that the rights of producers are upheld.

2017 is the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. The festering sore that is orphanage tourism requires urgent surgery. Children are some of the most vulnerable in society, and development that compromises their futures is futile.

Travellers, governments and the international tourism industry all bear responsibility. While there remains a demand for orphanage visits in developing countries and little is done to stop it, suppliers will emerge.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/78541/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />*The Inquiry into Establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia is holding public hearings in Melbourne on August 1-2 and in Canberra on August 11.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/modern-slavery-and-tourism-when-holidays-and-human-exploitation-collide-78541">original article</a>.

The relationship between tourists and orphans is driven by clever marketing and appeals to the traveller?s good conscience

Holidays are a privilege that many who are fortunate to take them look forward to. They are an opportunity to indulge, relax and recharge – and what could be better than being able to do so while doing good? But the costs of production of the tourist experience are often glossed over. And modern slavery practices are especially evident in the tourism supply chain in developing countries. Desperate people Modern slavery is described as the conduct of practices similar to slavery, including debt bondage and forced labour. The use of force, deception and the deprivation of freedom are common. The links between modern slavery and the fashion and textiles industry, mining, agriculture and domestic work are well known. It’s common in developing countries where people are desperate and vulnerable to exploitation. This is not to say that developed countries are immune. In Australia, a federal parliamentary committee is inquiring* into establishing a Modern Slavery Act. This follows the passing of the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act in 2015. Such moves are linked to growing calls for action against modern slavery in domestic and global supply chains. In most developed countries, much less attention is given to modern slavery than elsewhere. This is particularly so in the case of developing countries where labour is cheap and exploitation underlies the production of goods and services consumed in developed countries. According to the Global Slavery Index, in 2016 about 45.8 million people were subject to some form of modern slavery. Most of them are in developing countries where worker rights are poorly protected. When it comes to international tourism, concerns over links with modern slavery have been mostly subdued. This occurs despite the push for more sustainable, resilient and responsible modes of tourism. Tourism is often linked to sustainable economic development that can make communities better off. This is encouraged by governments keen to maximise tourist spending. International tourism in developing countries is neither all good nor all bad. Beyond its potential to do good, however, tourism and its association with modern slavery are rarely highlighted. In particular, little is made of the harsh conditions that many who service the industry tend to face. This is more apparent in some forms of tourism than others, and especially where worker rights and social justice concerns are systematically compromised. Some of the strongest links between slavery and tourism are found in sex tourism, orphanage tourism and in the services supply chain. Orphanage tourism While the development of responsible tourism has improved traveller awareness of the need to “give back” to their hosts, it has also encouraged opportunists. The enormous growth of orphanage tourism in Southeast Asia is proof of this. Globally, up to 8 million children live in institutions, but over 80 per cent of these children have parents or family. Orphanage tourism takes place when tourists visit orphanages and donate money and goods. The demand for “orphan experiences” often includes volunteering at residential care facilities and interacting with children. Children become tourist attractions and tourists become the agents for orphanages as business enterprises rather than as sites of care. In academic terms, orphanage tourism sits under what is known as geographies of compassion. That is, tourist behaviour is guided by moral and ethical concerns that are largely focused on social justice motives. The relationship between international tourists and orphans in developing countries is driven by a mix of clever marketing and appeals to the traveller’s good conscience. Marketing efforts offer to place tourists in orphanages for a few hours, a day or longer. Emotive images and persuasive language are used to promote orphanage visits, alongside enthusiastic testimonials from past visitors. Good intentions, money and the desire to help are essential ingredients for the orphanage tourism industry. Usually, the traveller constructs a view of “the problem” where they are an important part of “the solution”. Tourists then inadvertently become agents in an exploitative business model that profits the orphanage owner while compromising the well-being of children. Many argue that the “bad” orphanages, those run by unscrupulous operators who knowingly and systematically exploit children for profit, shouldn’t negate the work of the “good” orphanages. However, there is no such thing as a good orphanage – only best-practice child-care facilities. These are the ones that provide high-quality residential care. Children below the age of 12 are still best off in family-based care and not in institutions. When orphanages are financially supported through donations and volunteer programs, the best interests of children are compromised. In the worst cases, children are exploited through forced labour, enforced begging, human trafficking, or sex tourism. In other cases, exploitation occurs by way of forced interaction with volunteers, loss of rights to privacy and increased risk of physical and sexual abuse. In coming to terms with the growth of orphanage tourism in developing countries, the usual absence of families and communities requires an urgent rethink. Instead of promoting the tourist as part of the solution, it should be emphasised that visits to orphanages very often lead to modern slavery conditions. Shared responsibility for a solution Stemming the tide of orphanage tourism requires collaboration and cooperation between national governments, non-government organisations and the tourism industry. Cross-border cooperation and a commitment at the supply and demand sides of the international tourism industry are required. The solution lies in reducing tourist demand for orphanage experiences; children are not tourist attractions. Along with government and industry, travellers have a huge responsibility. This includes ensuring that holidays are produced ethically and that the rights of producers are upheld. 2017 is the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. The festering sore that is orphanage tourism requires urgent surgery. Children are some of the most vulnerable in society, and development that compromises their futures is futile. Travellers, governments and the international tourism industry all bear responsibility. While there remains a demand for orphanage visits in developing countries and little is done to stop it, suppliers will emerge. *The Inquiry into Establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia is holding public hearings in Melbourne on August 1-2 and in Canberra on August 11. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Orphans are drawing increasing number of tourists in the developed world

Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher on Wednesday went to Washington, DC, to testify before Congress about modern slavery during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting.

Kutcher gave a passionate speech on child trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children. &ldquo;The right to pursue happiness, for so many, is stripped away; it&rsquo;s raped; it&rsquo;s abused. It&rsquo;s taken by force, fraud, or coercion. It is sold for the momentary happiness of another,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

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Kutcher acknowledged that internet trolls tell him to &ldquo;stick to his day job&rdquo;, and not talk about politics. He then went on to clarify what his day job was. &nbsp;&nbsp;

He said his day job was being the chairman and co-founder of Thorn, an organisation that builds software to fight human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children.

He added that as part of his &ldquo;day job&rdquo; he&rsquo;s met trafficking victims in Russia, India, and he&#39;s also met victims trafficked from Mexico.&quot;I&#39;ve been on FBI raids where I&#39;ve seen things that no person should ever see,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
It&#39;s not just my job, it&#39;s my duty to the global community. Everyone has the right to pursue happiness. <a href="https://t.co/kMJK1SyN6R">https://t.co/kMJK1SyN6R</a>
&mdash; ashton kutcher (@aplusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/aplusk/status/832030387610152961">February 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Kutcher choked up a few times while describing a&nbsp;video&nbsp;in which he saw a child the same age as his own being raped by an American man in Cambodia.&nbsp;The 39-year-old actor is a father of two -- a 2-month-old son and a 2-year-old daughter.

(WION)

'I've been on FBI raids where I've seen things that no person should ever see'

Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher on Wednesday went to Washington, DC, to testify before Congress about modern slavery during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting. Kutcher gave a passionate speech on child trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children. “The right to pursue happiness, for so many, is stripped away; it’s raped; it’s abused. It’s taken by force, fraud, or coercion. It is sold for the momentary happiness of another,” he said. Kutcher acknowledged that internet trolls tell him to “stick to his day job”, and not talk about politics. He then went on to clarify what his day job was. He said his day job was being the chairman and co-founder of Thorn, an organisation that builds software to fight human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children. He added that as part of his “day job” he’s met trafficking victims in Russia, India, and he's also met victims trafficked from Mexico."I've been on FBI raids where I've seen things that no person should ever see," he said. It's not just my job, it's my duty to the global community. Everyone has the right to pursue happiness. https://t.co/kMJK1SyN6R — ashton kutcher (@aplusk) February 16, 2017 × Kutcher choked up a few times while describing a video in which he saw a child the same age as his own being raped by an American man in Cambodia. The 39-year-old actor is a father of two -- a 2-month-old son and a 2-year-old daughter. (WION)

Ashton Kutcher gets emotional testifying about human trafficking, modern slavery

modern-slavery

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