International Justice Mission Brings Expertise to Global Forum on Ethical Recruiting for Supply Chains

International Justice Mission (IJM) is participating in the 2018 Global Forum on Responsible Recruitment and Employment in Singapore to discuss the challenges of responsible recruiting for migrant workers around the world. Often recruiters charge migrant workers an employment fee, and they are required to work to repay it while additional charges at the discretion of the recruiter are compounded. This exchange traps them in a cycle of work for repayment often referred to as labor trafficking.

Along with global brands such as Hewlett Packard, The Coca-Cola Company and Walmart, recruitment agencies and other non-governmental organizations, IJM has been tapped as an industry expert in anti-trafficking to shed light on improving protection for migrant workers. Based on previous successful results in casework, IJM’s believes ethical recruitment for supply chains and the end of impunity must involve law enforcement.

“Unethical recruitment is a deep and systemic issue that impacts millions of migrant workers and traps them in bonded labor slavery. IJM believes that it’s not enough to only adopt voluntary ethical recruitment tactics, but to end slavery for good law enforcement in these places has to be key component of the solution. Fixing the broken justice system requires holding perpetrators accountable by sending them to jail to ensure they don’t continue to exploit others,” Andrey Sawchenko, IJM Field Office Director, Bangkok.

“IJM is encouraged by the time and attention this group of leading, influential corporations is giving to ethical recruitment to root out slavery in supply chains. Slavery knows no boundaries, and the problem is vast impacting industries from retail to technology, but we are hopeful that through dialogue and partnership we can drive positive change in recruitment,” Anna Pienaar, IJM Vice President, Global Partnerships.

Today, there are more than 40 million people trapped in modern day slavery. IJM works with law enforcement in 17 communities across the developing world to rescue victims, restore survivors, prosecute perpetrators and transform broken public justice systems so that they work to protect the poor.

International Justice Mission is a leading international anti-slavery organization working in 17 communities across the developing world to combat slavery, trafficking, and other forms of violence against the poor by rescuing and restoring victims, holding perpetrators accountable, and transforming broken public justice systems.