FreedomCollaborative

🇺🇿Labour laws must be backed by practical safeguards; #Uzbekistan’s labour reforms fail to protect farmers from abuse says @FreedomCollab bit.ly/4r2vMvT

🔎As cyber-scam centre trafficking recruitment targets individuals from South Asia, Africa, and other regions, frontline civil society organisations play a crucial role in identifying deceptive recruitment and coercion, sharing evidence-based risk information, and supporting informed, safer migration decisions to reduce vulnerability to trafficking for forced criminality. 🌏Building on discussions earlier this month with East African civil society organisations, the RSO and @FreedomCollab are bringing together frontline civil society actors and regional partners from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan in Colombo this week to strengthen upstream prevention in source and transit contexts across South Asia. 🇱🇰 🇧🇩 🇵🇰 Over two days, participants will: • Co-design adaptable, evidence-based awareness and prevention materials for use at community level and along migration pathways • Share insights on emerging trends and prevention approaches, including developments in cyber-scam centre operations and recruitment patterns • Explore opportunities to strengthen cross-border collaboration and informal information-sharing networks With thanks to #UKInternationalDevelopment 🇬🇧 for their support for this project.

East Africa has emerged as a primary origin region for individuals trafficked into cyber-scam centres in Southeast Asia, with recruitment continuing at scale through deceptive online job offers and intermediary brokers. Kenya 🇰🇪 serves as both a source country and a transit hub for many travelling from the broader East African region toward Southeast Asia's cyber-scam centres, making it a key location for building awareness and strengthening the skills of immigration officials and other counter-trafficking partners to identify and prevent trafficking for forced criminality. In support, last week the RSO and @FreedomCollab brought together 30 immigration officers from 🇰🇪 Kenya to strengthen their capacity to identify trafficking risk indicators within existing immigration processes, as well as how to stay up-to-date with the latest trafficking for forced criminality trends and better share information with immigration colleagues across borders. Discussions examined how trafficking risks may present at departure, how officers can apply risk-based approaches while respecting travellers' rights, and how immigration services can contribute to broader awareness-raising and prevention efforts. Active engagement throughout the workshop highlighted the relevant immigration officers saw, to understanding these recent trafficking trends, to their jobs, with participants noting that for many working in immigration across the region, this issue had only been heard about in passing previously. This workshop represents the start of broader efforts to raise awareness about cyber scam center related trafficking risk across origin countries, and the RSO looks forward to working with partners including IOM @IOM_EHSA to support ongoing awareness-raising across Kenya's Immigration Service, criminal justice actors, and the broader East African public. With thanks to #UKInternationalDevelopment 🇬🇧 for their support for this project.

The criminal syndicates behind online scamming operations are expanding into new territories and targeting new groups of victims, according to survivors of forced criminality and CSOs including our Trafficking for Forced Criminality Response Working Group: bit.ly/4h2v2m5

Funding for anti-trafficking work still too often benefits large organizations while failing to reach victims or grassroots groups, according to speakers at our recent webinar in partnership with @GAATW_IS and in association with @ATRJournal. Read more: bit.ly/4hikFdU

CSOs from @EHAATNetwork gathered in Kampala recently for a workshop on long-term sustainability. Key objectives included translating strategic goals into funding needs, identifying impactful success stories, and drafting a plan for resource mobilization: bit.ly/3ZUnT1c

The annual report from @CIVICUSMonitor highlights the challenges and dangers faced by CSOs in repressed and closed regions of the world, and emphasizes their urgent need for the international connections that offer access to assistance and resources: bit.ly/41uMn2m

A raid on a Cambodian scam compound has resulted in few arrests, with officials claiming it to be a legitimate workplace and endorsing its continued operation. The incident suggests the government will protect even highly visible sites, says Cambodia CTIP: bit.ly/4icbdK6

Anti-trafficking coalition @ATEST has published key recommendations for the incoming U.S. administration, outlining ways in which it can combat forced labour, human trafficking and modern slavery during its tenure. Read more here: bit.ly/3Ou7CJY

A panel convened by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand has urged stronger support for local news outlets and NGOs combating trafficking for forced criminality in SE Asia, including increased funding, technical support and global collaboration: bit.ly/3YPN2Is

NGO @chabdai has published two new case studies describing the process of shifting to a survivor-centered model, the challenges involved, and the positive impact so far. The case studies contain details of its new three-phase Survivor Engagement project: bit.ly/40OjuOl

A CSO training program on survivor engagement, focusing on ethical inclusion, security, and a trauma-informed approach, has been rolled out to @EHAATNetwork members across the East Africa region, with the final session taking place in Juba last week: bit.ly/4egSolN

We were honored to represent the civil society perspective at #UNTOC COP12 and highlight the view that CSOs must be fully involved in international discussions on the response to transnational criminal networks and related human trafficking. Read more: bit.ly/48rvAP2

Reports of newly constructed scamming compounds in areas of Cambodia not previously identified as hotspots indicate the online fraud industry has grown significantly in the past 12 months, with Cambodia CTIP estimating at least 350 are now in operation: bit.ly/3Uj8lRk

Improved outcomes for survivors in Thailand in the wake of a forced criminality report by Humanity Research Consultancy shows research can influence stakeholder attitudes. The report has already led to a shift in mindset among responding agencies: bit.ly/4dOvKBb

Collaborative efforts by the @EHAATNetwork have led to the development of impactful recommendations for the Africa Regional Review of the Global Compact for Migration, currently taking place in Addis Ababa with @UNMigNetwork Read more in our newsletter: bit.ly/4ezCWST

Social equity and climate justice frameworks better protect survivors when they are linked together, says @IndiaSanjog Its “Climate-Just Transition” strategies aim to ensure transition to a sustainable and climate-resilient economy is fair and inclusive: bit.ly/3TFNOWO

A new report from Hestia shows UK policymakers could address the complexities of modern slavery while also tackling their stated priority issues, by recognizing the ways in which exploitation intersects with healthcare, immigration, and crime. Read more: bit.ly/4gvCVAQ

At the launch of two @ILAB_DOL publications last week, speakers noted that traditional work inspections often miss subtle but severe forms of forced labour, with audits typically focusing on surface-level violations while failing to engage with workers: bit.ly/3MG9uhA

Working together, members of our Forced Criminality Response Working Group shared info on a scamming case with Singapore police in time for them to protect the victim’s funds – trust and collaboration among stakeholders is vital in tackling this crime: bit.ly/3yUDpQ9