tors who brought the victims into the country subject them to multiple forms of physical , mental , and financial abuse . The most common reported abuses are being paid less than promised or having their pay withheld altogether ; being threatened with violence , forced to work long hours , and having their movements to and from work controlled . Besides taxes , these employers
ADVOCACY
More To Be Done
The report also found that law enforcement , embassy officials , communities and victims themselves are not educated enough about the laws related to the illegal activity of labor trafficking . Survivors who escaped were often on their own for months or years before finding help . And where law enforcement was involved , it was not made a priority . The U . S . Department of Justice recommends that border officials , embassy employees , immigration attorneys , and law enforcement are better educated in recognizing the signs of trafficking by doing the following :
• Raise awareness and outreach to immigrants about their rights .
• Strengthen trafficking laws to prohibit recruitment fees .
• Make companies ensure that they nor the agencies they use will charge those coming
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Image Credit : Google Images / BAN Human Trafficking
and contractors often take money from victim ' s paychecks for supplies , housing , food , transportation or other immigration ' fees '. After the deductions , the remainder of the victim ' s check is not enough to help pay towards the debt they owe . And since the victim ' s visa is tied to their job , traffickers use the debt and immigration status as a means to force them to stay . into the country for work .
• Require companies to certify there is no slavery in their supply chain .
• Raise awareness in communities about how to help potential victims of trafficking .
Human Trafficking can be abolished , but it can ' t be done without your help . Get involved and take action .
Suspicion of Labor Trafficking ? Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline : 1-888-373-7888
• Support Transparency in Supply Chains www . polarisproject . org / action
• Pledge to Support Victims of Sales Crews www . polarisproject . org / action
Sources : www . money . cnn . com / 2014 / 10 / 21 / pf / labor-trafficking . com
www . polarisproject . org / labor-trafficking . com
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ISSUE 04 | WINTER 2017