December eNews: It’s a wrap of 2022!
THIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY STOP TRAFFICKING OF PEOPLE (STOP), PROVIDING YOU WITH THE MOST UP-TO-DATE NEWS, EVENTS AND RESOURCES RELATED TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING. FOR DAILY UPDATES, VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
October Preview
Mark your calendar! We will be sharing about the global and local trends of human trafficking at an event hosted by Youth Organisation, Hok Se, CUHK next month. Join us to learn more about the signs of modern slavery and human trafficking in our everyday lives, and reflect together on ways to move forward. Anybody is welcomed!
Date: 14 October, 2022 (Friday)
Time: 8:00pm-10:00pm
Venue: Wanchai (Address will be provided after successful registration)
* The event will be held in Cantonese.
Legislate Against Human Trafficking In Hong Kong Now
STOP has been closely monitoring the recent reports of human trafficking crimes in Southeast Asia involving Hong Kongers. In a joint press conference held on 24 August, 2022, alongside our partner Hong Kong Dignity Institute (HKDI), we called on the HKSAR government to take actions to establish a bespoke human trafficking legislation, as well as to enhance its victim identification mechanism and protection policies to better respond to the needs of survivors of the illegal Trafficking In Persons activities. Michelle Wong, our Programme Manager, emphasised that out of fear of being prosecuted for crimes that they are forced to commit, many survivors don’t dare to report their cases. Patricia Ho, Founder of HKDI, explained that to encourage victims to report to the police, proper legislation is needed to enable prosecutors to use their discretion and offer immunity to victims who have committed crimes under duress.
Access our press release here.
Read our submission to the 2022 Policy Address Public Consultation to learn more about our advocacy here.
Check out our social media posts to learn more about the cyber slavery & the importance of human trafficking legislation:
It’s Workshop Season!
This summer, we had the privilege of sharing our knowledge and experience in conducting anti-human trafficking work in Hong Kong with frontline workers and volunteers from fellow rights-based non-profit organisations. Back to school, we opened the new school year with students of KGV where we discussed rights violation in the global supply chain and in the local context. Thank you for inviting us, Rainlily, Redcross & KGV!
Here at STOP, we also organised a total of three trainings for our migrant domestic worker community on the topics of anti-human trafficking, outreach volunteering and HIV knowledge and prevention. A special thanks to AIDS Concerns’ MESH team for helping prepare such an informative and fun workshop, and for providing free-testing services to 27 migrant domestic workers on the day.
If your school and/or organisation is looking for ways to further engage with the issue of human trafficking in Hong Kong, please email us at info@branchesofhope.org.hk for more information.
After escaping exploitation, trafficked domestic workers in Hong Kong face another hurdle – legal recognition
Date: 4 September 2022 | Source: Hong Kong Free Press
Introduced in 2015, Hong Kong’s Trafficking in Person (TIP) screening mechanism aims to identify victims of trafficking from vulnerable people who have been arrested or who have approached the authorities. According to the Security Bureau, nearly 37,000 initial screenings were conducted between 2016 and 2021, with a total of 40 victims identified. Yet, many NGOs said that the screening mechanism was notoriously unfriendly to victims, with many dropping out of the process or avoiding reporting their cases at all, because it could be a draining process that many want to avoid…
Access the article here.
Read more: Treatment of Kenyan domestic workers in Hong Kong in spotlight amid reports of trafficking
‘I’ll be sacrificed’: The lost and sold daughters of Afghanistan
Date: 14 August 2022 | Source: Al Jazeera
The last time Aalam Gul Jamshidi saw her daughter was the night the 16 year old was married off to a man more than twice her age. Aziz Gul looked radiant in a sequinned, white wedding dress and a bright yellow headscarf, but there was fear in her otherwise solemn expressions. “If I go there, I’ll be sacrificed,” her mother remembers her daughter pleading that night last October.
Access the article here.
Read more: ‘I was screaming for help’: sold as brides in China, few Cambodian women escape their fate
U.N. expert concludes ‘forced labour’ has taken place in Xinjiang
Date: 18 August 2022 | Source: Reuters
It is “reasonable to conclude” that forced labour of members of minority groups has taken place in China’s western Xinjiang region, the UN’s top expert on slavery said in a report released in August, prompting a fierce response from Beijing. China rejects all accusations of abuse of Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang.
Access the article here.
Read the report here.
‘You are not honourable anymore’: Shamed and trafficked into Iraq’s sex trade
Date: 22 August 2022 | Source: Al Jazeera
For more than a year, Al Jazeera investigated the sex trade in Iraq, a growing phenomenon fuelled by deeply entrenched socioeconomic factors and enabled by a tangled web of corrupt officials and armed groups. The practice appeared to stand in stark contrast to the tenets of Iraq’s patriarchal society, where honour and reputation are paramount and closely tied to a woman’s chastity. But beneath this veneer of conservative social norms, young girls from poor backgrounds are routinely sold into prostitution…
Access the article here.
Mastercard, Visa suspend ties with ad arm of Pornhub owner MindGeek
Date: 5 August 2022 | Source: Reuters
Visa (V.N) and Mastercard (MA.N) said they had suspended ties with the advertisement arm of MindGeek, owner of website Pornhub, after a lawsuit raised questions over whether the payment firms could be facilitating child pornography. A federal judge in California rejected Visa’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit by a woman who alleges the company facilitated the distribution of child pornography on Pornhub and other websites run by its parent company MindGeek.
Access the article here.
Migrant care workers came to help the UK. Now they’re trapped in debt bondageHome Office accused of deliberately leaving anti-slavery post unfilled
Date: 29 August 2022 | Source: The Guardian
The Home Office is accused of deliberately failing to appoint a new anti-slavery commissioner to avoid scrutiny while trying to push through legislation on the issue. It has been a legal requirement to have an independent commissioner since the post was created as part of the Modern Slavery Act in 2015. Yet this week will mark four months with nobody in the role.
Access the article here.
Read more: ‘I was trafficked, raped, and left for my abusers to find’
Read more: Modern slavery: How fake friends forced Latvian Rolands Kazoks to work
Buenos Aires Yoga School accused of sexually exploiting women and targeting powerful men, including Placido Domingo
Date: 3 September 2022 | Source: ABC News
A sprawling investigation into the sect-like Buenos Aires Yoga School, which operated for more than 30 years in Argentina’s capital, has uncovered what authorities are calling a criminal organisation involved in sex trafficking, money laundering, involuntary servitude, illegal practice of medicine and other crimes. Leaders are accused of preying on vulnerable women to join the group with promises of eternal happiness and then exploiting them sexually and financially, according to charging documents. The sources said the targets included opera star Placido Domingo, who had known the organisation’s leaders for more than two decades.
Access the article here.
[Opinion] The World Cup is exciting, lucrative, and deadly
Date: 23 August 2022 | Source: Human Rights Watch
The FIFA World Cup is now less than three months away. Qatar, this year’s host, is one of the world’s richest countries per capita. But this is a case of the haves and the haves not. Millions of migrant laborers built an estimated $220 billion in new construction for the event since the tournament was awarded to Qatar 12 years ago. The human cost has been even higher: Several thousand people who migrated to Qatar from some of the poorest countries to work as laborers preparing for the World Cup have died from the heat and poor working and living conditions…
Access the article here.
[Report] HRC Briefing: Cyber Slavery in the Scamming Compounds
Date: 6 September 2022 | Source: Humanity Research Consultancy
Cyber slavery is emerging as a form of organised crime of unprecedented severity and scale. Conservative estimates suggest that tens of thousands of victims are held captive in scamming compounds. While getting spammed with fraudulent messages is now an everyday occurrence, this inconvenience may actually be rooted in a malignant new form of modern slavery. As the scamming activities operate virtually, those running the rackets can easily shift their operations from one country to another.
Access the report here.
[Podcast] Modern slavery is unseen because it’s convenient
Date: 20 September 2022 | Source: International Labour Organisation
Fifty million people were living in modern slavery in 2021, according to the latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery. The number of people in modern slavery has risen significantly in the last five years. Why is slavery still with us despite all the efforts that have gone into eradicating it? And what should we be doing about it? Sophie Otiende, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, and Grace Forrest, Founding Director of Walk Free, join us to explore the many reasons for the continued existence of modern slavery and the role we can all play in finally putting an end to it.
Listen to the episode here.
STOP ENEWS, PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH, AIMS TO PROVIDE CURRENT NEWS, EVENTS, AND RESOURCES TO THE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG. IF YOU HAVE ANTI-TRAFFICKING RELATED ACTIVITIES OR RESOURCES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THROUGH OUR ENEWS NETWORK, SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO NEWS@STOPHK.ORG. INCLUSION OF CONTENT IN NO WAY REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF OUR ORGANISATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
STOP IS AN INITIATIVE OF BRANCHES OF HOPE BASED IN HONG KONG. IT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OTHER ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANISATION OF THE SAME OR SIMILAR NAME.
學社 x STOP 分享交流會
我哋好高興獲香港中文大學青年公民社會「學社」邀請同公眾分享本地及全球人口販運狀況。如果你有興趣了解點樣辨別日常生活中可能涉及人口販運或強制勞動嘅環節,歡迎你嚟參加交流會,一齊傾吓偈,集思廣益將打擊奴役融入生活嘅可能性!
日期:2022年10月14日(星期五)
時間:晚上8點至10點
地點:灣仔(地址會在成功報名後通知)
*活動會以廣東話進行
制定專法打擊人口販運,刻不容緩
「停止人口販運」(STOP) 密切關注近日傳媒報導涉及港人嘅東南亞人口販運罪行。STOP 聯同友好機構香港守護尊嚴中心,於2022年8月24日召開記者會,促請港府針對人口販運立法,並改善識別同保護人口販運受害人嘅法定機制及政策,以更適切地回應人口販運倖存者嘅需要。STOP 項目經理黃筱媛指出,唔少受害人喺遭販運嘅過程中,因自己亦被逼從事非法工作,擔心會被檢控而唔敢報警求助。香港守護尊嚴中心創辦人何珮芝表示,要鼓勵受害人報警求助就必須妥善立法,授予檢控人員酌情權,給予喺脅迫下被逼犯罪嘅受害者刑事免責權。
+ 完整新聞稿
+ 了解我哋嘅倡議:2022年《施政報告》公眾諮詢希望枝子「停止人口販運」意見書 (只限英文)
睇睇我哋最新嘅IG post,知道更多有關預防電詐奴役嘅資訊,以及立人口販運法嘅重要性:
活動回顧
呢個夏天,STOP有幸受邀,為風雨蘭同香港紅十字會嘅前線同工同義工,分享反人口販運知識同經驗,又趁住開學時節,同英皇佐治五世學校學生分享全球供應鏈入面嘅人權侵害問題同一啲本地情況。STOP最近舉辦咗三場培訓,為外籍家務工社群增值,講吓反人口販運、預防HIV知識,仲有訓練外展義工。特別鳴謝關懷愛滋少數族裔性健康團隊,幫忙準備又好玩又資訊豐富嘅活動,仲幫27位外籍家務工做埋檢測添。如果你所屬團體/學校/公司都想知多啲現代奴役議題嘅資訊,歡迎電郵 info@branchesofhope.org.hk 同我哋聯絡!
禁止人口販運.三| ZN到CB 「豬仔」賣來又騙走 香港做了什麼
日期:2022年9月16日 |來源:香港01
全球有約5,000萬人深陷「現代奴隸」困境,而香港則被指是人口販賣的缺口,因為既無法執行聯合國用於預防和懲治人口販運的《巴勒莫議定書》,又沒有專門法律處理有關問題,只能透過林林種種相關罪行進行調查和檢控,但往往面對各種各樣的執法和起訴困難,變相給犯罪集團留有「灰色地帶」。從ZN案到CB案,全都充份突顯香港缺乏專責處理人口販運的法律,導致現行「識別機制」形同虛設。
+ 全文
南韓N號房事件再度上演?主嫌「L」以多個聊天室大肆散播性剝削影片
日期:2022年8月31日 |來源:台灣英文新聞
三年前N號房事件震驚了南韓社會,主犯趙主彬最終被判42年有期徒刑,然而根據KBS報導,最近又出現了類似N號房事件的事,受害者甚至更加年輕。近日有民眾向韓媒KBS舉報,有一名「L」在Telegram上傳了強迫受害者拍攝的性剝削影片,其中有許多未成年者,這些受害者的身上甚至刻有「L主人」的字樣,光是舉報者所提供的證據影片及照片等就有高達350多件。
+ 全文
延遲一年的《新疆報告》發布,聯合國:中國政府可能構成危害人類罪
日期:2022年9月1日 |來源:報導者
就在卸任前最後10分鐘,聯合國人權事務高級專員辦事處(OHCHR)的最高負責人、智利前總統蜜雪兒.巴舍萊(Michelle Bachelet)壓線發布《新疆人權問題報告》。報告的基本內容,主要是重複查核並證實中國政府在新疆維吾爾自治區內,針對維吾爾族與穆斯林少數民族的壓迫政策,包括以「職業教育培訓中心」為名的「再教育營」、強迫勞動與工廠奴役、維吾爾族突然驟降的整體生育率與「強制絕育」的指控等等。
+ 全文
+ 閱讀更多:歐洲計劃禁止使用強迫勞動製造產品,或打擊新疆出口
遭控促進兒童色情內容的傳播,Visa及萬事達卡終止對Pornhub母公司MindGeek提供廣告付款服務
日期:2022年8月5日 |來源:關鍵評論
信用卡巨頭Visa與萬事達卡(Mastercard)4日宣布,將停止在色情網站Pornhhub及其母公司MindGeek刊登廣告的信用卡付費服務。此前,兩家公司曾因是否間接促進兒童色情內容的傳播而引起廣大爭議。
+ 全文
世界盃足球賽:激情與油水背後的人命代價
日期:2022年8月23日 |來源:Human Rights Watch
FIFA世界盃,四年一度、觀眾最多也最賺錢的一項運動盛事,再過兩、三個月就要登場。本屆東道主卡塔爾是全球人均所得最富裕的國家。但問題在於富有者和赤貧者之間的鴻溝。從12年前卡塔爾取得主辦權開始,數百萬外籍勞工承擔起本屆賽會價值2,200億美元的建築工程。更高昂的是人類成本:來自許多最貧窮國家的世界盃移住勞工當中,竟有數千人因為卡塔爾的氣候燠熱、勞動和生活條件低落而命喪他鄉。
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澳洲雇主擔保簽證問題重重 技術移民曝雇主剝削和性騷擾
日期:2022年9月13日 |來源:ABC中文
想了很久,茱莉婭才說出她在技術移民雇主擔保期間受到剝削的遭遇。「我害怕在自己身上可能會發生什麼不好的事情」她對澳大利亞廣播公司(ABC)《財經》節目說。「但我真是厭倦了看到、聽到這麼多人都陷入同樣的情況。」朱莉婭是一名來自南美的技術移民人士。她在2020年初獲得擔保,從事工業設計師的工作。她表示,這個工作機會讓自己感到「興奮」。這個工作機會為她提供了一個可能獲得澳大利亞的永久居留權的渠道。
+ 全文(簡)
[報告] 詐騙園區中的現代奴役
日期:2022年9月15日 |來源:憫研顧問
詐騙園區中的現代奴役,正以前所未見的規模與嚴重程度,以組織犯罪的形式出現。保守估計,目前約有數以萬計的受害者被囚禁於詐騙園區中。收到詐騙訊息已經成為現代人的日常,而這種日常生活中的不舒服,實際上可能源自於一種惡性、新形的現代奴役。由於這些詐騙活動皆在網路上發生,詐騙犯和奴隸主可以輕易將他們的業務從一國轉移到另一國,使得實際逮補犯罪分子、突襲與救援變得非常困難。迫切需要政府與非政府組織有系統的合作,來根治這種犯罪。
+ 閱讀報告
[電台廣播] 有誰共鳴:希望枝子停止人口販運項目經理 黃筱媛
日期:2022年9月26日 |來源:商業電台
人口販運係全球都面對嘅問題,最近港人到東南亞工作變「賣豬仔」嘅騙案成為大家關注嘅議題。STOP項目經理黃筱媛26日出現喺商業電台《有誰共鳴》節目,同聽眾分享移民有關嘅歌單,同埋倡議反奴役嘅感受同願景,「希望大家明白呢啲事情並非冰山一角,身邊所有人包括你自己,都有機會成為騙徒嘅目標。」
+ 節目精華
+ 推薦歌單
STOP. 中文電子報每月出版,旨在向本港打擊販運人口的社區提供最新的新聞和資源。如你有反人口販運的資訊想透過本報發放,請聯絡 NEWS@STOPHK.ORG。本電子報內容並不反映 STOP. 的立場,謝謝您對本組織的支持。STOP. 是 希望枝子有限公司 (BRANCHES OF HOPE) 其中一個項目,旨在對抗人口販運。本組織與其他名稱類同的反人口販運組織並無關連。
September eNews: Home and Away Football Tournament
THIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY STOP TRAFFICKING OF PEOPLE (STOP), PROVIDING YOU WITH THE MOST UP-TO-DATE NEWS, EVENTS AND RESOURCES RELATED TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING. FOR DAILY UPDATES, VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
BOH Awareness Month: World Day Against Trafficking In Persons Celebration
Thank you all for coming to the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons Celebration yesterday! Out of the 59 participants, we had 53 migrant domestic workers joining us! We hope all of you have taken home not just some tips on online job searching and knowledge on the role of technology in human trafficking, but also good memories of great times we shared together. Last but not least, thank you Fair Employment Agency for being our guest speaker!
BOH Awareness Month: Give Survivors A Voice
Survivors of human trafficking and labour exploitation in Hong Kong have their own stories to share; however, their voices are often suppressed and unheard in the city. In observance of World Day Against Trafficking In Persons, we invited members of the public to give survivors a voice by voicing over their stories and experiences and sharing on social media.
Be loud, be shameless. Listen to the series here:
Ayyan’s Story | Sithara’s Story | Shirley’s Story (Cantonese)
Zoe’s Story (Cantonese) | Kasuni’s Story | Nimala’s Story
Client Support: Crochet & Cookie Baking
Building a strong social support network is a key ingredient in trauma recovery. Led by our summer intern, Lea, STOP organised three sessions of self-care workshop for the community in July. Seven of our community members together with our teammates shared a great time learning new techniques in crocheting and cookie baking. Let’s heal, learn and grow together!
Migrant domestic worker found unconscious in employer’s home died of ‘natural causes,’ Hong Kong jury rules
Date: 15 June 2022 | Source: Hong Kong Free Press
A Filipina domestic worker found unconscious in her employers’ home in 2017 died of natural causes, a Hong Kong jury has ruled following a week-long inquest. When asked what had caused Quinto’s death, the jury said that the cause of death was unknown. It gave some recommendations to the police and the Labour Department.
Access the article here.
Related reading: Helper’s death sparks appeal to cap work hours
US report on human trafficking in Hong Kong ‘biased’
Date: 20 July 2022 | Source: RTHK
The Hong Kong government objected to a United States report on human trafficking, describing it as “biased and unfair”. In the 2022 Trafficking Persons Report, the US State Department said the Hong Kong government “does not meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking”, and gave the SAR its second-worst “Tier 2 Watch List” rating.
Access the article here.
Access the report here.
Read the Hong Kong government’s response here.
Give domestic workers across Asia and the Pacific the rights they deserve
Date: 16 June 2022 | Source: Hong Kong Free Press
As the Covid-19 pandemic slowly abates, it is time for countries in Asia and the Pacific to provide better social protection for domestic workers and fully recognise and regulate their work as equal to any other. According to an International Labour Organization (ILO) publication, “Making the right to social security a reality for domestic workers,” more than two thirds of domestic workers in the Asia-Pacific are not covered by even one social security benefit.
Access the article here.
Stopping slavery and exploitation needs you – trafficking investigator
Date: 8 June 2022 | Source: Newsroom
As submissions to the New Zealand Government’s modern slavery and worker exploitation proposals close, a former human trafficking investigator says change is critical and needs business, officials, iwi, civil society, and most importantly the media to be working together.
Access the article here.
Migrant care workers came to help the UK. Now they’re trapped in debt bondage
Date: 18 June 2022 | Source: The Guardian
Meera Stephen came to Britain with a big suitcase and even bigger dreams. The 27-year-old had left Kerala in south India to work at a care home in Manchester, one of thousands of migrant workers to come after a government recruitment drive to fill more than 100,000 vacancies in social care. The job would pay £10 (HKD$95) an hour – just above minimum wage. But it came at a price. In exchange for securing her employment, she would pay a recruitment agent 1.3m rupees – about £13,700 (HKD$129,550).
Access the article here.
Read more: ‘You complain, you get fired’: Migrant crews on UK fishing boats speak out
Read more: Human traffickers ‘using UK universities as cover’
[Documentary] Racism for Sale – BBC Africa Eye documentary
Date: 13 June 2022 | Source: BBC
In February 2020, a shocking video began to circulate on Chinese social media. A group of African children are being instructed, by a voice off-camera, to chant phrases in Chinese. The kids repeat the words with smiles and enthusiasm — but they don’t understand that what they’re being told to say is “I am a black monster and my IQ is low.” The clip ignited outrage in China and beyond. But no-one ever answered the crucial questions: Why was this filmed? Where was it shot? Who made it?
Watch the documentary here.
Read more: Man charged with child trafficking after BBC report said he used Malawian kids to make videos mocking Black people for profit
[Report] ‘Just a Maid’: Report highlights emotional abuse of migrant domestic workers in Singapore
Date: 24 June 2022 | Source: The Diplomat
Migrant domestic workers in Singapore continue to face various kinds of emotional abuse, despite growing legal protections against more visible forms of sexual or physical abuse, a migrant worker advocacy group claims in a new report. In a report released this week, the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME), a Singapore-based group that advocates for the rights of migrant workers, documented the “invisible wounds” that employers often inflict on domestic workers, many of them migrants from the Philippines.
Access the article here.
Access the report here.
[Documentary] Sir Mo Farah reveals he was trafficked to the UK as a child – BBC News
Date: 13 July 2022 | Source: BBC
Olympian Sir Mo Farah was brought to the UK illegally as a child and forced to work as a domestic servant, he has revealed. The athlete has told the BBC he was given the name Mohamed Farah by those who flew him over from Djibouti. His real name is Hussein Abdi Kahin. He was flown over from the East African country aged nine by a woman he had never met, and then made to look after another family’s children, he says. In a documentary by the BBC and Red Bull Studios, Sir Mo recalls the moment he found out his family were still alive after years of no contact.
Watch the documentary here.
Read more: Calls to trafficking helpline go up after Sir Mo Farah revelation
STOP ENEWS, PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH, AIMS TO PROVIDE CURRENT NEWS, EVENTS, AND RESOURCES TO THE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG. IF YOU HAVE ANTI-TRAFFICKING RELATED ACTIVITIES OR RESOURCES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THROUGH OUR ENEWS NETWORK, SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO NEWS@STOPHK.ORG. INCLUSION OF CONTENT IN NO WAY REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF OUR ORGANISATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
STOP IS AN INITIATIVE OF BRANCHES OF HOPE BASED IN HONG KONG. IT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OTHER ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANISATION OF THE SAME OR SIMILAR NAME.
希望枝子關注月:世界反人口販運日活動
多謝大家參加世界反人口販運日慶祝活動呀!我哋好開心當日喺59位參加者當中有53位係外籍家務工!希望你哋唔單只帶走一啲網上搵工嘅安全貼士同了解多咗網絡同人口販運嘅關係,仲有帶走開心嘅回憶啦!
希望枝子關注月:「倖存者的聲音」網上活動
人口販運倖存者甚少喺媒體出現,佢哋嘅故事亦唔經常獲公眾嘅關注。創傷、自責、羞愧,連同怕被報復、被起訴嘅恐懼,社會上嘅污名,往往令佢哋無法暢所欲言咁講出自己嘅經歷。為慶祝7月30日世界反人口販運日,我哋嘅舉辦咗「倖存者的聲音」網上活動,邀請大眾一齊理直氣壯咁大聲讀出倖存者嘅故事,令更多人聽到佢哋嘅聲音。一齊嚟重溫…
Ayyan 嘅故事 | Sithara 嘅故事 | Shirley 嘅故事
Zoe嘅故事 | Kasuni 嘅故事 | Nimala 嘅故事 (英)
社區成員支援:鉤織和曲奇工作坊
建立支持網絡對經歷創傷後嘅復原好重要。喺我哋嘅暑期實習生 Lea 嘅帶領下,STOP 7月為社區成員舉辦咗三次自我保健工作坊,一共有七位參加者同STOP 團隊一齊學習鉤針編織嘅基本技巧,仲整咗好好味嘅曲奇添!
菲傭死因研訊|陪審團一致裁定「死於自然」 官令警方調查僱主及中介公司
日期:2022年6月15日 |來源:W法庭線
46 歲菲傭 2017 年疑遭女僱主虐待,經常日做 21 小時至深夜,甚至被禁止在家中廁所更換衞生巾等,辭職後被發現在房間昏迷,送院不治。死因研訊周三( 15 日)踏入第 6 天,2 男 2 女陪審團退庭商議 4.5 小時後,一致裁定死者「死於自然」,並向警方和勞工處作出共 7 項建議,包括進一步調查涉案中介及僱傭公司是否違例、違法,獲死因裁判官何俊堯批准,下令警方跟進。
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碩士生被賣豬仔 逼行騙
日期:2022年7月16日 |來源:東方日報
疫情打擊本港經濟,失業人士要就業固然困難,要尋找一份條件優厚的工作更難上加難,有騙徒覷準時機,以優厚的入職條件為餌,引誘求職心切市民墮入陷阱。單計今年上半年,警方已接獲7宗誤墮求職騙案而於外地慘被禁錮的求助報案,其中有男受害人被月薪20萬元吸引,應聘到柬埔寨做荷官,豈料到埗後始知是要做網戀騙徒,若不從要付5萬美元離職費。受害人聯絡在港母親代為向本港警方求助,及後成功逃到當地領事館脫險。
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政府強烈反對美販運人口報告將香港評為第二級別監察
日期:2022年7月20日 |來源:香港電台
美國國務院《2022年美國販運人口報告》將香港評為第二級別監察名單。特區政府強烈反對報告偏頗及不公平的評估。政府發言人說,無任何跡象顯示犯罪集團以香港作為販運人口的目的地或中轉站,強調政府一直積極主動和全方位打擊販運人口活動,在打擊販運人口和加強對在港外傭的保障和福祉,投入大量的資源。
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+ 閱讀更多:《2022年美國販運人口報告》
+ 閱讀更多:香港特別行政區政府強烈反對《2022年美國販運人口報告》
孫友聯/私校外籍生淪黑工層出不窮,為何核心知情者不吹哨?揭弊者保護刻不容緩
日期:2022年6月23日 |來源:報導者
台灣中州科技大學的「烏干達學工事件」引發社會對這起教育黑幕高度關切。烏干達學生排除萬難、千里迢迢來台求學,原本懷抱學成之後將在台灣所學回饋母國社會的夢想,在學校撕毀英語授課、提供獎學金等承諾後,並放任仲介安排學生至與課程無關的工廠工作,嚴重超時甚至必須輪大夜班,進而惡性循環影響學習生涯,讓學生在看不到盡頭的失望深淵中堆砌著絕望。最終,是他們抱持著最後一絲希望勇敢的向社會揭露這個惡行結構,才促使學校負責人、承辦人員及仲介等被收押或交保處分,積累已久的問題才得到部分解決。
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青春煉獄:網路獵騙性私密影像事件簿
日期:2022年7月29日 |來源:鏡新聞
去年底,一系列女性的性影像在臉書社團「霸社」被以相同手法、定期預告外流。她們被散布的照片、影片內容十分相似:全裸自拍,擺出特定姿勢,並拍攝私密行為。本刊耗時半年調查,拆解此案犯罪者「Airdrop5」的連續詐騙手法,追蹤其如何與台灣規模最大、獲利鉅額的付費色情論壇「創意私房」合作、販售盈利,獨家揭露一樁受害者多達300人、同一加害者的網路性影像詐騙販售案。本刊採訪多名勇於露面的受害女性,說出她們如何陷入高明騙局,見證自己的私密影像不斷外流、遭受網路霸凌,置身地獄,奮力倖存,復原,甚至反擊的歷程與感受。
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美國涉新疆強迫勞動禁令生效,全球供應鏈或將「大換血」
日期:2022年6月23日 |來源:紐約時報中文網
華盛頓——一項旨在打擊中國強迫勞動的全面新法律可能會對美國公司和消費者產生意外的重大影響。這項於週二生效的法律禁止與新疆存在任何聯繫的產品進入美國。新疆是中國偏遠的西部地區,中國當局在那裡對維吾爾穆斯林和其他少數民族進行大規模鎮壓。這可能會影響到很多產品,包括那些使用來自新疆的原材料,或與美國政府認為具有強迫性的中國勞動力和扶貧項目有關的產品——即使最終產品在生產過程中只使用了少量來自新疆的原材料。
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奧運金牌名將首次揭露身世:9歲被賣到英國當童工,運動是他唯一的救贖
日期:2022年7月13日 |來源:關鍵評論
曾拿下奧運四金、被英國女王冊封為爵士勳銜的英國長跑名將法拉(Mo Farah)近日在《BBC》紀錄片中坦言,「我並非你們以為的那個人。多數的人知道我叫法拉,但那不是我的名字,那不是我真實的人生。」法拉說,自己9歲時被賣到英國當童工,法拉是從另一個孩子偷來的身份、用來製作假護照,他原來的名字叫做卡辛(Hussein Abdi Kahin)。
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+ 觀看影片: 奧運名將莫·法拉:我是被非法販賣到英國的—BBC News 中文
[書摘] 白曉紅《再見,烏斯曼》前言:無人弔唁的非洲移工,「義大利製造」背後的緘默法則
日期:2022年5月31日 |來源:關鍵評論
《再見,烏斯曼》講述的是義大利移工的故事,既是要致敬跨越國境、設法改變自身和家人命運的移工,也希望揭露歐洲將非洲移民置於最底端,無情的剝削、壓榨移工,構築出繁華且罪惡的巴比倫城。
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[專題調查] BBC調查:追蹤中國社交網絡上侮辱黑人視頻的幕後黑手
日期:2022年6月15日 |來源:BBC
2020年,一段令人震驚的影片開始在中國社交媒體上傳播。一群非洲兒童被教導用漢語重複喊出「我是黑鬼,智商低」的句子。這段影片在中國國內和其他地區都引發憤怒,但它是在哪裡拍攝的,拍攝者是誰一直是謎團。BBC《非洲之眼》記者魯納科·塞利納(Runako Celina)和亨利·姆漢戈(Henry Mhango)花費數月時間,調查這背後的視頻製作產業。令人震驚的是,它並不僅限於歧視,還涉及虐待和剝削指控。
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+觀看影片:BBC調查:涉嫌製作侮辱馬拉維黑人網絡視頻的中國籍男子被捕
STOP. 中文電子報每月出版,旨在向本港打擊販運人口的社區提供最新的新聞和資源。如你有反人口販運的資訊想透過本報發放,請聯絡 NEWS@STOPHK.ORG。本電子報內容並不反映 STOP. 的立場,謝謝您對本組織的支持。STOP. 是 希望枝子有限公司 (BRANCHES OF HOPE) 其中一個項目,旨在對抗人口販運。本組織與其他名稱類同的反人口販運組織並無關連。
Our Voices Our Stories
THIS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY STOP TRAFFICKING OF PEOPLE (STOP), PROVIDING YOU WITH THE MOST UP-TO-DATE NEWS, EVENTS AND RESOURCES RELATED TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING. FOR DAILY UPDATES, VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
What is Decent Work?
Everyone hopes for freedom to choose work that delivers fair treatment. No one wants to experience human rights violation as decent work and trafficking-in-persons are two opposite ends on the work spectrum. The International Labour Organization (ILO) sums up the aspirations of “Decent Work”: opportunities for work that delivers a fair income, security in the workplace, social protection for families, better prospects for personal and social development, freedom of expression and organizing, gender equality in work. In celebration of Labour Day, we asked our community members what decent work means to them:
Gloria, Filipina Domestic Worker | Maria, Asylum Seeker | Auntie Ti, Former Kindergarten Childcare Worker
Four arrested in underage sex ring raid in Hong Kong
Date: 1 April 2022 | Source: The Standard
Police busted a prostitution syndicate and arrested four people for manipulating underage girls into prostitution. The four were all members of triad society and officers said the mastermind created a channel on messaging app Telegram over a year ago and attracted whoremasters with seductive wordings and sexy photos of the young girls.
Access the article here.
‘Treat us fairly’: Meet the domestic worker YouTuber raising awareness of helper rights
Date: 17 April 2022 | Source: Hong Kong Free Press
“You think you’re so great because you’re rich?”, “How much do you pay? …working 24 hours, but don’t even have holidays.” A video of a foreign domestic worker sarcastically reprimanding Hong Kong employers gained traction last month. But Contrinx, the Indonesian YouTuber who won’t reveal her name for safety reasons – doesn’t normally jeer as she did in the viral clip and she isn’t new to the issue. She has been acting as a counsellor for migrant workers for 10 years and, in 2018, started writing blogs and posting videos to promote their rights.
Access the article here.
Hong Kong judge directs police to renew investigation into sexual assault complaints
Date: 22 April 2022 | Source: South China Morning Post
A Hong Kong judge has directed police to renew an investigation into a domestic helper’s complaint of sexual assault against her employer, after finding officers had failed to follow government protocols in considering whether she had been subject to human trafficking or forced labour due to the absence of bespoke legislation. High Court Justice Russell Coleman held on Friday that authorities had failed to “afford practical and effective protection” against forced labour, despite the city’s top court warning two years ago that a patchwork of existing offences might be insufficient in sanctioning the crime when a specific offence was lacking.
Access the article here.
Read our response to the CFI decision here.
ILO welcomes China’s move towards the ratification of two forced labour conventions
Date: 20 April 2022 | Source: International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has welcomed the decision by the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China to approve the ratification of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) and the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105). By approving these ratifications, China reinforces its commitment to eliminate all forms of forced labour within its jurisdiction, realize work in freedom for its 1.4 billion people, and respect the ILO’s fundamental principles and rights at work.
Cambodia’s trafficked brides: The escalating phenomenon of forced marriage in China
Date: 11 May 2022 | Source: The Global Initiative
The number of women travelling from Cambodia to China for forced or arranged marriages has surged since 2016 and experienced a further spike since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Cambodian women in arranged marriages with Chinese men, whether originally consensual or not, report finding themselves in remote areas and abusive contexts.
Access the article here.
Related reading: Sisters allegedly murdered by husbands in Pakistan ‘honour’ killing
Facebook faces new lawsuit alleging human trafficking and union-busting in Kenya
Date: 11 May 2022 | Source: Time
Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms, and its largest outsourcing partner in Africa are facing new allegations of forced labor, human trafficking, and union busting in Kenya. Daniel Motaung, a former outsourced Facebook content moderator, filed a lawsuit in Nairobi accusing Meta and outsourcing firm Sama of multiple violations of the Kenyan constitution. On the job, for around $2.20 per hour, Motaung says he witnessed disturbing content including violent beheadings and the sexual abuse of children. He now regularly experiences flashbacks and nightmares, severe anxiety in public spaces—and difficulty finding another job. He remains unemployed and was recently diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a diagnosis shared by many of his former colleagues.
Access the article here.
Malawi struggles to curb human trafficking
Date: 11 May 2022 | Source: DW News
Children are going missing and cases of human trafficking are being reported by aid groups and volunteers along Ukraine’s borders amid the chaos of the refugee crisis triggered by the Russian invasion. Due to concerns around human trafficking, the Polish government introduced bill amendments to raise the minimum sentence for human trafficking from three to 10 years, and the maximum prison sentence for sex trafficking of children from 10 to 25 years. Poland’s deputy interior minister, Maciej Wąsik, said: “We want to send a clear message to the criminals who are trying to exploit the tragedies of the refugees.”
Access the article here.
Watch more: We are Zama Zama – BBC Africa Eye documentary
[Analysis] Traffickers and Victims: Opposite sides of the same coin?
Date: 19 April 2022 | Source: Anti-Trafficking Review
Many trafficking networks are composed of a web of interconnected actors that enable and perpetuate exploitation. The stratification and broad spectrum of actors involved in these scenarios beg the question: who are the traffickers?
Access the article here.
Read the report here.
[Report] More efforts needed to identify human trafficking victims
Date: 27 April 2022 | Source: RTÉ News
The study, carried out jointly by the European Migrant Network (EMN) and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), highlights the challenge of screening victims of human trafficking within current migration procedures in Ireland. Stakeholders highlighted several challenges in the role of the Garda as the sole authority in the identification process because they said it could deter victims of human trafficking from reporting. The study also points out that the procedure is not on statutory footing, which can make it difficult for victims of trafficking to exercise their rights, and result in delays in early identification.
Access the article here.
Read the report here.
[Documentary] ‘Cyber Hell’ review: When chat rooms become sites of exploitation
Date: 20 May 2022 | Source: The New York Times
This true-crime documentary, subtitled “Exposing an Internet Horror,” recounts a South Korean case in which chat room operators coerced young women, including minors, into making and sending sexually explicit videos. It’s a harrowing case of violence against women and the way technology facilitates heinous crime.
Access the article here.
Watch the teaser here.
STOP ENEWS, PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH, AIMS TO PROVIDE CURRENT NEWS, EVENTS, AND RESOURCES TO THE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG. IF YOU HAVE ANTI-TRAFFICKING RELATED ACTIVITIES OR RESOURCES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THROUGH OUR ENEWS NETWORK, SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO NEWS@STOPHK.ORG. INCLUSION OF CONTENT IN NO WAY REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF OUR ORGANISATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
STOP IS AN INITIATIVE OF BRANCHES OF HOPE BASED IN HONG KONG. IT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OTHER ANTI-TRAFFICKING ORGANISATION OF THE SAME OR SIMILAR NAME.
尊嚴工作係乜東東?
人人都希望可以自由選擇有公平待遇嘅工,唔想人權被侵害,因為尊嚴工作同人口販運正正係工作光譜上嘅兩個極端。而國際勞工組織就總括咗人類對「尊嚴工作」嘅願景:可達公平收入嘅工作機會,安穩嘅職場,為家庭提供足夠社會保障,個人及社會更好嘅發展,表達及結社自由,職場性別平權。究竟我哋嘅社區成員又覺得乜嘢先係「尊嚴工作」呢?
Gloria, 外籍家務工 | Maria, 尋求庇護者 | 娣姐, 退休托兒照顧者
警瓦解操控未成年少女賣淫集團 4人落網
日期:2022年4月1日 |來源:商業電台
警方成功瓦解一個賣淫集團,拘捕4人,包括37歲集團女主腦及3名骨幹成員。警方相信賣淫集團過去一年多曾操控至少10多名未成年少女賣淫,少女每次性交易只能攤分一百元至數百元。警方指,集團分工精細,女主腦透過通訊軟件創立一個頻道,以一些少女性感照片吸引嫖客。其他骨幹成員就負責招攬少女,專門在網上交友平台,又或少女愛流連的球場或遊樂場結識她們,趁機建立朋友關係,噓寒問暖,然後再用錢及名貴禮物博取少女信任,之後藉機利誘。
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遭僱主非禮外傭勝訴 高院促警查強迫勞役
日期:2022年4月23日 |來源:明報
一名英籍僱主被指非禮其外傭及強迫她替僱主手淫,早前被裁定非禮罪成。該外傭尋求司法覆核,質疑警方調查其間未有履行《香港人權法案》訂明的責任。高等法院28日以遙距聆訊處理司法覆核許可申請。申請方指,涉案僱主多次強迫不同家庭傭工為他提供性服務,涉及強制勞役及販賣人口,惟警方「有意排除」上述調查方向,僅控以非禮罪;答辯方則反駁,案情不涉限制外傭的人身自由及金錢或物件交易,不屬強制勞役或販賣人口。
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+ 閱讀更多:STOP 回應高等法院對CB司法覆核案的判決
大疫過後,走一趟廟街——這是無家者、移工、鳳姐的救贖之地
日期:2022年5月3日 |來源:端傳媒
4月初春,很多人在廟街臨時棲身。失去遊客,失去假日的閒逛人潮,昔日熱鬧的著名街道變得寧靜冷清,唯一響亮的,只有街邊檔播放的Beyond樂隊歌曲《灰色軌跡》。卻也正是這條街,承接疫情中因確診被僱主趕走的移工,和重投工作卻苦無工開的無家者。 「因為經濟低迷,這裏的人正在搏鬥。」在廟街居住的獻主會神父胡頌恆說。2020年,他和伙伴設立的慈善機構Mercy HK協助無家者住入佐敦平安大樓的賓館,至今年2月,Mercy HK甚至突然化身移工的「民間檢疫中心」。
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國際勞工組織歡迎中國批准兩項強迫勞動公約
日期:2022年4月20日 |來源:國際勞工組織
國際勞工組織歡迎中華人民共和國全國人民代表大會常務委員會決定批准《1930年強迫或強制勞動公約》(第29號) 和《1957年廢除強迫勞動公約》(第105號)。 這兩個核心公約的批准,使中國批准的國際勞工組織公約 總數達到28個,其中包括八個核心公約中的六個。 通過批准這些公約,中國進一步承諾在其所轄範圍內消除一切形式的強迫勞動,使其14億人民實現自由的工作,並尊重國際勞工組織的工作中基本原則和權利。
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臉書遭控人口販運員工及打擊工會
日期:2022年5月10日 |來源:自由時報
據《時代》報導,臉書於非洲最大的合作外包公司Sama前員工莫唐(Daniel Motaung)10日向肯亞法院提出訴訟,指控Meta與Sama所犯之「強迫勞動」、「人口販賣」、「打擊工會」等罪行,已經違反肯亞憲法。 報導指出,Sama自封為「合乎道德的人工智慧」公司,總部設於美國加州,但他們以低至美金1.5元的時薪,僱用開發中國家的人員,並專門接受大型資訊科技公司的外包案,為他們應付需要大量人工輸入的案件。 以臉書外包的審核業務為例,這些員工因長期觀看該平台上暴力、殺戮、性侵、自殺和虐童等噁心影像,造成嚴重心理創傷,甚至被診斷出創傷後壓力症候群。
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性販運:從羅馬尼亞被拐賣到英國的女孩們
日期:2022年5月18日 |來源:BBC 中文
一項BBC調查發現,羅馬尼亞有人把年齡小至10歲的女孩加以栽培,再拐賣到英國,強迫她們從事性工作。英國多支警隊人員向BBC表示,性販賣已非常盛行,警察盡力將人口販子繩之於法,卻力不從心。
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[觀點] 國際品牌的新疆棉困境:如何權衡商業利益和道德聲譽
日期:2022年5月30日 |來源:紐約時報中文網
全球服裝行業廣泛使用新疆的棉花。根據Oritain——該公司進行司法科學檢測以確定原材料來源——的一項調查,截至去年秋天,美國商店貨架上16%的棉質衣服含有來自新疆的纖維。但即將在美國生效的法規將允許海關官員扣押任何在新疆製造的貨物,除非公司能夠證明其供應鏈沒有涉及強迫勞動。
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[紀錄片] Netflix《網路煉獄:揭發N號房》真實案件比電影更令人髮指 數十位少女被逼拍裸照、自殘,共犯高達26萬人
日期:2022年5月30日 |來源:風傳媒
Netflix《網路煉獄:揭發N號房》紀錄片已於18號上線,此紀錄片是揭發2019年震撼亞洲的真實「性剝削」罪案。2名想當記者的女大生為探討偷拍事件而開始進行調查,沒想到因此發現嚴重的網路色情問題,進而查出「N號房」與「博士房」的存在。她們的報告引起了《韓民族日報》記者的注意,並潛伏了半年進行進一步調查始揭發這起讓人毛骨悚然的案件,將之公諸於世。
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