New chief offers hope to those still in slavery in Niger 4 December 2010 Blog 4 December 2010 The first person to be appointed a chief in Niger to represent slaves and former slaves will be crowned at a historic ceremony in the north of the country on Saturday 4 December. The appointment of Malick…
Call for UK to back new ‘tougher’ EU trafficking law 4 December 2010 Blog 4 December 2010 Anti-Slavery International is calling on the British Government to adopt a new anti-trafficking law, approved by the European Parliament today (Tuesday 14 December), which would result in stiffer penalties for traffickers and better protection for victims. The…
New website reveals extent of slavery in everyday goods 18 October 2010 Blog 18 October 2010 From Christmas decorations in China, T-shirts in India and tobacco in Malawi, the shocking range of everyday items produced through slavery can be seen for the first time on a new interactive website from Anti-Slavery International: www.productsofslavery.org.…
‘Soft’ sentence for abusive Koranic teachers leaves children at risk in Senegal 8 September 2010 Blog 8 September 2010 A Senegalese court’s decision to only award a six-month suspended sentence to seven Koranic teachers found guilty of forcing children to beg for their own personal financial gain has left children further at risk of abuse, says…
Niger anti-slavery activist exonerated 10 August 2010 Blog 10 August 2010 Ilguilas Weila, founder of Niger anti-slavery NGO Timidria, has been exonerated of any wrong doing after a court threw out an attempt to have charges of defamation and fraud brought against the activist. Weila was arrested and…
Concern over UK ‘opt out’ of new EU law on trafficking 4 August 2010 Blog 4 August 2010 Leading human rights organisations, Anti-Slavery International, Ecpat UK and Poppy Project, have expressed concern at the UK Government’s decision to ‘opt out’ of incorporating into British law a proposed EU directive designed to protect victims of trafficking…
Parents jailed for forcing children to beg on streets of London 1 August 2010 Blog 1 August 2010 A Romanian Roma couple, Speranta Mihai and Gheorghe Mihai, who forced their seven children to act as beggars and thieves in and around London have been jailed after pleading guilty to child cruelty and benefit fraud charges.…
Debt bondage in Kazakhstan’s tobacco industry 14 July 2010 Blog 14 July 2010 A new report by Human Rights Watch finds migrant tobacco workers in Kazakhstan trapped in forced labour and debt bondage. The seasonal workers, typically from Kyrgyzstan and other former Soviet republics, are employed by farm owners who…
Top Europe officials appalled by lack of compensation for trafficking victims 2 July 2010 Blog 2 July 2010 Top officials from Europe are demanding governments from across the continent meet their international legal obligations and provide compensation and other protection measures for people trafficked into forced labour and sexual exploitation. Speaking at the launch of…
Crackdown on Vietnamese trafficking gangs ignores victims 22 June 2010 Blog 22 June 2010 Thirty-one alleged traffickers were arrested in the UK, France, Germany and Hungary as part the biggest crackdown by European police forces on illegal immigration from Vietnam to the European Union. However, another 66 migrants were also arrested…