Combating trafficking in human beings (THB) for labor exploitation requires additional skills, knowledge, and awareness for effective investigation and prosecution, and for the identification and assistance of victims of this form of THB. Actors other than the police and the prosecution services (such as labor inspectorates, social investigation services, and municipalities) have also become involved in these activities. It is unclear which role these actors can have in identifying victims and in investigating and prosecuting (cross-border) THB for labor exploitation and which improvements are needed. They are often unfamiliar with, for instance, the specific needs of victims, how trafficking networks operate, and how to cooperate with colleagues abroad. These problems obviously hamper the combating of THB for labor exploitation. In addition, difficulties in defining THB for labor exploitation still exist. Labor exploitation, as such, is not a term used in the Palermo Protocol or the EU Directive on Preventing and Combating THB and Protecting Victims. One can say that labor exploitation includes, at least, forced and compulsory labor and services, slavery, and slavery-like practices, although this does not solve the problems encountered in defining the crime. In this book, these and other problems, as well as the challenges of dealing with these problems, are identified. It includes research in five countries (Austria, The Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, and Spain), research on the EU legal framework, an analysis of the country studies, as well as four articles reflecting on these problems.

This text analyses the various international legal instruments regulating people trafficking including treaties, 'soft law', and the definition contained in the UN Trafficking Protocol, and argues that trafficking in persons ought rightly to be considered a part of jus cogens.

In the light of the urgent need for cooperative and collaborative action against trafficking, this publication presents examples of promising practice from around the world relating to trafficking interventions. It is hoped that the guidance offered, the practices showcased and the resources recommended in this Toolkit will inspire and assist policymakers, law enforcers, judges, prosecutors, victim service providers and members of civil society in playing their role in the global effort against trafficking in persons. The present edition is an updated and expanded version of the Toolkit published in 2006.

A South Asian sub-regional consultative workshop on Combating Trafficking in Children for Labour ExploitationÓ was held in Oct., 1998. It was attended by participants from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan & Sri Lanka. The objectives were to: present the national studies on trafficking in children for labor exploitation in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan & Sri Lanka; share experiences among countries on what has been done at the policy & operational level to combat trafficking in children; & identify relevant activities at the national, bi-lateral & sub-regional levels, as well as action programs that could be integrated in the U.N. framework for action.

Although much literature on human trafficking focuses on sex trafficking, a great deal of human trafficking results from migrant workers, compelled - by economic deprivation in their home countries - to seek better life opportunities abroad, especially in agriculture, construction and domestic work. Such labour migration is sometimes legal and well managed, but sometimes not so – with migrant workers frequently threatened or coerced into entering debt bondage arrangements and ending up working in forced labour situations producing goods for illicit markets. This book fills a substantial gap in the existing literature given that labour trafficking is a much more subtle form of exploitation than sex trafficking. It discusses how far large multinational corporations are involved, whether intentionally or unintentionally, in human trafficking for the purposes of labour exploitation. They explore how far corporations are driven to seek cheap labour by the need to remain commercially competitive and examine how the problem often lies with corporations’ subcontractors, who are not as well controlled as they might be. The essays in the volume also outline and assess measures being taken by governments and international agencies to eradicate the problem.