Freedom United

Freedom United: Our vision is a world free of modern slavery and human trafficking. We are the world’s largest community dedicated to ending human trafficking & modern slavery. We mobilize a united community to create power for change by making the public stakeholders in the ending modern slavery. We equip millions of supporters with awareness, education & ways to take action that drives real change. https://www.freedomunited.org/about-us/

“Sham” forced labor investigation into Tesco supplier
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“Sham” forced labor investigation into Tesco supplier

Police in Thailand have been accused of conducting a sham investigation into forced labor allegations raised by workers at VK Garment Factory (VKG) that produced clothing for the U.K.’s largest supermarket chain, Tesco. Conclusion reached after one day Thai authorities conducted interviews with 114 former workers to screen for forced labor. After just one day,…

Migrants in Gulf states arrested and deported en masse
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Migrants in Gulf states arrested and deported en masse

Migrants in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait have been the subject of intensified efforts to increase deportations in recent months. Kafala system leaving migrants at risk of deportation As a result of the kafala system which governs the relationship between migrant workers and their employers in these states, many migrant workers are forced into the…

Fairtrade expands human rights requirements in updated Cocoa Standard
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Fairtrade expands human rights requirements in updated Cocoa Standard

Despite decades of commitments from companies and governments, cocoa production still entails considerable social and environmental harm around the world, but robust certification systems have the potential to help companies source more sustainable cocoa.   This week, Fairtrade announced its updated Cocoa Standard ahead of upcoming sustainability and due diligence legislation. The reinforced focus on…

Police raids exposed for not referring trafficking survivors for support
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Police raids exposed for not referring trafficking survivors for support

New data has exposed how police raids on the sex industry in the U.K., carried out under the guise of clamping down on modern slavery, in fact do not refer trafficking victims for support the majority of the time. Trafficking victims not referred for support According to the study, police regularly carry out raids on…

FIFA refuses to set up compensation fund for exploited workers
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FIFA refuses to set up compensation fund for exploited workers

The world’s soccer governing body, FIFA, has reportedly refused to set up a support fund for migrant workers who suffered abuses working on key World Cup projects. Failure to act Freedom United is deeply disappointed at this announcement from FIFA, an organisation set to rake in over $7 billion from the tournament. Human rights organizations,…

Cars made in last 5 years likely tied to Uyghur forced labor, report finds
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Cars made in last 5 years likely tied to Uyghur forced labor, report finds

Immediately following the release of a new report linking almost the entire car industry to Uyghur forced labor, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union issued a call for car manufacturers to cut ties with the Uyghur Region. Volkswagen, other major car companies implicated The report, Driving Force: Automotive Supply Chains and Forced Labor in the…

Migrant worker exploitation in Qatar still needs to be called out
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Migrant worker exploitation in Qatar still needs to be called out

The 2022 FIFA world cup tournament has ended and we are disappointed that FIFA has not announced a dedicated compensation fund for exploited migrant workers who made the tournament happen. The 2022 World Cup has been mired in controversy from the beginning and questions regarding remedy for human rights abuses remain unanswered. While those who…

You may want to keep these 23 brands off your Christmas list
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You may want to keep these 23 brands off your Christmas list

Even though the U.S. has implemented the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and numerous brands have publicly sworn off suppliers linked to the Uyghur Region or Uyghur forced labor system, which includes Uyghurs transferred to factories across China, major companies in multiple sectors are still for the large part implicated by their supply chains….