The NY Times recently reported on a massive human trafficking scheme that brought workers from Thailand to the U.S. in order to work the fields.
The charges, prepared by Justice Department civil rights lawyers, were brought against the president, three executives and two Thai labor contractors from Global Horizons Manpower, which recruits foreign farm workers for the federal agricultural guest worker program, known as H-2A.
The indictment, which was unsealed Thursday in Hawaii, accuses Global Horizons executives of working to “obtain cheap, compliant labor” from guest workers who had been forced into debt in Thailand to pay fees to local recruiters. The company, according to the indictment, sought to “to compel the workers’ labor and service through threats to have them arrested, deported or sent back to Thailand, knowing the workers could not pay off their debts if sent home.”
North Carolina saw a similar case several years ago. Here's the report from CNN on the NC case:
The sad reality is that conditions in this industry can sometimes lend themselves to the despicable tactics of traffickers. For example, in many cases farmworkers are isolated, unable to speak English, and tied to a single employer who may or may not obey the law. As long as workers remain disempowered from controlling their own circumstances, the possibility of abuse - even trafficking - will remain.
This fall, FAN is launching a new campaign that will help to ensure that cases like this never happen again. Join us today.
Click here for more information on the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' campaign against human trafficking.