The disorientation of migrants on their route through the Americas
A new series tells the hidden stories of migrants en route to North America and the many risks they encounter along the way, The Guardian investigates wage concerns at clothing factories in the UK, and Polaris cautions against spreading stories with potentially misleading information about human trafficking recruitment tactics.
A new cross-border investigative collaboration, involving 18 media organizations in 14 countries, has uncovered a significant but little known migration journey risked by thousands of people every year.
Migrants from Another World is a series of reportage pieces that tell the stories of people who travel many thousands of miles from Asia and Africa to the opposite side of the planet. Once in the Americas, they cross the continent in buses or planes, speedboats or rafts, clandestine taxis or private cars, taking hidden routes and tricky shortcuts, always moving northwards to the United States or Canada.
They are migrants from another world because, the moment they set foot on the continent, their Bengali, Lingala or Hausa, their Fula, Hindi or Nepali, their Arabic, Urdu or Sinhala lose all their value, and not even French, Portuguese or English are any use in the most remote villages, where no one understands them. They are from another world because their courage and conviction are extraordinary. Determined to make a new life for themselves, and to open paths for those they leave behind, they take on the exploitation of swindlers and the hostility and corruption at migration posts, and they endure assault and rape, hunger and fear, imprisonment and death.
Over 40 people, from journalists and cameramen to programmers and designers, were involved in the project, with the aim of documenting the stories of these invisible migrants. The hope is to shine a light on their plight, so that more people will hear their desperate call for a safe and dignified passage through the continent.
Because of the clandestine nature of their journeys, it is impossible to specify the exact number of Asians and Africans who pass through Latin America on their way to the United States or Canada. However, the team estimates the number to be between 13,000 and 24,000 people per year. The video above visualizes the main routes of the first transatlantic leg of their voyage. Having reached the Americas, migrants then face an extremely long journey through countries which have invariably set numerous hurdles in their path.
In the Americas, an erratic legislative map exists which greatly favors human trafficking. Necessity leads many migrants into the hands of traffickers who know how to take advantage of the opening and closing of borders in order to demand greater fees, constantly tracing new routes for their human cargo. Trapped in their clutches and reliant on them for information, migrants have no choice but to drain their scant resources.
The current and future parts of Migrants from Another World can be accessed here.
Here’s a round-up of other noteworthy news and initiatives:
In a landmark announcement by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA), Qatar has scrapped a rule requiring workers to obtain their employer’s consent to change jobs, and will also implement a basic monthly minimum wage of 1,000 Qatari riyals (US$274). This is the latest in a series of labour reforms by the country and marks a milestone on the path towards a more secure environment for workers.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Safe Migration in Central Asia program, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Office of the Ombudsman of Turkmenistan, recently held an online webinar on eradicating forced labour and human trafficking. The participants discussed essential national policies and their effective implementation; shared international and regional experience and practices; and provided examples of successful and innovative approaches to tackling forced labour and human trafficking regionally.
A Guardian investigation has found that fast-fashion retailer Boohoo has been selling clothes made by at least 18 factories in Leicester, UK, which have failed to prove they pay the minimum wage to workers, according to auditors. Scrutiny intensified again this summer after claims that Leicester textile firms had breached lockdown measures, and The Sunday Times reported that one Boohoo supplier had offered an undercover reporter £3.50 an hour.
In the past week, the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline has received numerous reports involving text messages that claim the recipient has a package awaiting delivery. The concern being shared widely online is that these text messages are part of a scheme perpetrated by sex traffickers to gain information that will allow them to find and presumably recruit or kidnap potential victims. Polaris cautions against spreading stories with potentially misleading information about human trafficking recruitment tactics.
IJM is seeking a Senior Specialist to provide leadership to its forced labor programs in Southeast Asia in the areas of monitoring, evaluation, research and data analysis.
ECPAT is looking for a consultant to lead the process of developing its new Strategic Framework and producing a final draft Strategic Framework.
GoodWeave is seeking a Senior Program Officer to join a Netherlands-based team that leads and implements its strategy in the apparel and fashion jewelry sectors, with a goal to identify, remediate and prevent child and forced labor in its supply chains.
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