RE: THE TRAFFICKING OF PEOPLE FOR THE PURPOSE OF FORCED LABOUR IN ONLINE
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
8 February 2023
A. Introduction
This complaint is made by the Global Alliance against Traffic in Women (in consultative status with AICHR since 2018), Tenaganita Malaysia, and Migrant Care Indonesia, and is directed at Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Viet Nam.
B. Statement of facts
Since 2019, thousands of workers from the ASEAN region have been trafficked by organised criminal groups for the purpose of their forced labour in online criminal activity. Responding to advertisements offering jobs working online, a vast number of people have been tricked into traveling to Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and the Philippines.1 There have also been reports of at least one victim being tricked into travelling to Singapore, before being transported onwards to Thailand and Myanmar.2
On arrival at borders and airports, victims are typically met by several men who drive them to deserted hotels, casinos and other large buildings, which have been installed with metal window bars and barbed wire.3 Victims’ passports are taken from them immediately upon arrival and they are told that they are not permitted to leave the building’s compound under any circumstances. According to survivors, the victims are watched by security guards throughout the fenced-off compounds, some of them carry guns. Some victims have also been forced to sign a contract which would require them to pay a ransom to terminate the contract. In Malaysia it has been reported that this ransom can be up to RM80,000.00 per person (about 19,000 USD).
Victims are forced to work in these buildings, known as “fraud factories,” on online scams. The victims are forced to conduct online criminal activity, ranging from “love scams” and crypto fraud, to money laundering and illegal gambling. In general, the victims are paid far less than what they were promised (if they are paid at all).
Victims have reported serious physical abuse at the hands of their traffickers, including mental and physical torture. This includes being beaten, electrocuted and starved.4 Victims also report being forced into rooms too small to stand in and being deprived of natural light and water for hours.5 There have also been reports of sexual assault 6 and some women originally recruited to work in scam centres have reported being subsequently forced into situations of sexual exploitation.7
People who try to leave are told they must first pay off the “debts” they owe to the scam centres if they want to leave. Families of victims have been sent photographs of their loved ones tied up and physically abused along with demands for ransoms from the traffickers.8 Two Indonesian victims in Myanmar were told to pay RP150,000,000 (about 10,000 USD) or face being sold elsewhere.9
Those who cannot afford to pay are forced to attempt a perilous escape. In August 2022, 40 Vietnamese people imprisoned in a Cambodian casino broke out of the compound and jumped into a river in attempt to swim across the border. A 16-year old boy drowned during this escape attempt.10
Many victims were also re-trafficked several times upon arrival in the original country of destination.11 There have been reports of victims being trafficked between different ASEAN member countries. For example, after initially arriving in Cambodia, victims are sold on to other groups in Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, as well as within Cambodia.12 Survivors have reported that each time they were sold, they were sold for a higher price, meaning that the amount the victim had to pay to be allowed to leave becomes higher after each instance of re-trafficking.
To date victims from Indonesia,13 Malaysia,14 Myanmar,15Philippines,16 Thailand,17 and Viet Nam18 have been identified (in addition to many victims from outside the ASEAN region, including China,19 Hong Kong,20 Taiwan,21 Bangladesh,22 India,23 Pakistan,24 Ethiopia,25 Kenya,26 and Brazil 27).
Victims are of all genders but tend to be relatively young – many are teenagers28 and we are aware of at least three child victims.29 Traffickers appear to have taken advantage of the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and are targeting young university graduates who now have more limited job opportunities.30 Victims are targeted through sophisticated fake profiles and illegal websites, and post job opportunities overseas via social media. The victims also tend to be well-educated, computer-literate and usually speak at least one regional language, as well as English or Mandarin. Victims from Indonesia have reported that they were required to undergo an English language test and a typing test as part of the “recruitment” process.31
The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) is an Alliance of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from all regions of the world. GAATW’s International Secretariat (GAATW-IS) is based in Bangkok, Thailand. GAATW’s works to ensure that:
Responses to the challenges faced by women migrant workers are respectful of the agency of women and based on a labour rights approach;
Understandings of trafficking shift from a crime control framework, to one that acknowledges trafficking as the result of global economic trends, gender inequality, and the weakening of labour rights;
Spaces for intersectional, inter-movement dialogues are built upon a shared feminist, rights-based analysis of labour migration, and the collective power and voice of migrant and trafficked women;
The social and economic invisibility of women’s work is challenged, and the mobilisation, collective voice, bargaining power, and representation of women migrant and informal sector workers are supported.
GAATW-IS does this by:
Advocating for the human rights of migrant and trafficked women at regions and international policy forums;
Conducting and coordinating research on various understudied aspects of human trafficking, labour migration, or informal work;
Communicating critical analyses of human trafficking and its intersections with gender, labour, migration, and development;
Facilitating mutual exchanges and learning with and between Alliance members;
Making local issues internationally visible, and supporting members’ representation and contribution at local, regional and international forums;
Facilitating training and capacity building for Alliance members and partners.
About this position:
The Programme Officer Communications will play a key role in conveying GAATW's principles, analyses, and advocacy messages to the media, civil society, the general public, international and regional policymakers, and women migrant workers.
About you:
You have a critical understanding of the current labour migration and anti-trafficking regimes and the way they impact on the rights of all workers, especially women migrant workers. You have excellent comprehension and communication skills in English and can process a diverse range of publications and write for different audiences. You are a prolific reader and passionate about human rights, social justice, and feminist issues, and you understand the importance of prioritising the voices and experiences of affected communities. You have attention to detail and can take initiative as well as follow the guidance of other team members. You are excited about the possibility to join a dynamic multicultural team of feminists in Bangkok.
Tasks and responsibilities:
Together with other team members, review and implement the communications plan of the organisation in line with its strategic directions.
Ensure a wide reach of GAATW research findings, policy recommendations, and other communication materials.
Stay updated about project or event-related activities of the organisation and support or initiate advocacy-oriented communications in consultation with other team members.
Develop sharp and clear commentaries, press statements, op-eds, and other communication materials needed for timely response.
Actively monitor news related to anti-trafficking and labour migration issues and identify possible areas of collaborative work.
Review and proofread all publications produced by the organisation to ensure GAATW branding and that communication guidelines are followed.
Take the lead in organising media outreach and respond to media inquiries quickly and effectively.
Develop a monitoring and evaluation framework to measure the results and impact of GAATW’s communications activities.
Support the GAATW International Secretariat in other related tasks (e.g., events, research, funding proposals and representation at international events).
Required skills and experience:
Post-graduate degree in journalism, communications, media or another social or political science field.
Three to five years of experience of writing about and advocating for human rights, especially rights of women migrant workers or other social justice issues.
In-depth knowledge and critical understanding of gender, migration, labour, and human trafficking from a human rights perspective.
Superior written and oral communications skills and a high level of competence in English. Ability to edit texts to an academic standard, as well as to write and edit in styles accessible for different audiences, such as NGOs, policymakers, or UN representatives.
Experience in providing communication support to colleagues working on thematic projects, including editing their reports and helping them write blogs, op-eds, or articles.
Ability to analyse, integrate and/or abridge information from varied sources and produce crisp and sharp communications.
Experience in using various social media platforms for knowledge sharing and networking.
Accountability and the ability to deliver on agreed tasks and timeline to a high standard.
Ability to work in a multicultural environment and with people from a diversity of regions, professional backgrounds, and levels of authority.
Ability to work independently and to meet deadlines.
Willingness to travel, as required.
Knowledge of other languages, such as French, Spanish, or Arabic, is an advantage.
Ability to use image or video processing software is an advantage.
Connections with relevant civil society organisations and social movements and experience in working at regional or international networks are an advantage.
Terms and benefits:
Contract: This is a full-time position. We offer a two-year contract with a three-month probation period. After the end of the two years, the contract may be extended contingent upon availability of funding and an assessment of the position.
Remuneration: 55,000 THB (approx. 1,550 USD) gross monthly salary with additional benefits such as housing allowance, relocation allowance, social security, medical fund, provident fund, an annual salary increase, and (contingent upon funding) a thirteenth month salary.
Location: Bangkok, Thailand.
How to apply
Download the application form, fill it, and send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line Programme Officer Communications by 28 April 2023 (Extended deadline), 09:00 am Bangkok time (ICT). Do not send a CV!
Due to the expected large number of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Selected candidate to start: June/July 2023.
If you have any questions, you can use the email and subject line mentioned above.
#WomenWorkersDemandTheirRights is a new GAATW initiative to highlight the value of women’s work in society and campaign for access of migrant workers to social security at home and abroad. It was launched as a South Asia regional campaign at an event in Kathmandu, Nepal in August 2022, by GAATW partners from Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
The campaign grew out of a recent Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) carried out by members and partners of GAATW on the issue of sustainable reintegration of women migrant workers. That research highlighted the challenges faced by many women migrant workers in the region upon their return, including poverty, lack of employment opportunities, and domestic violence. These are among the causes of their migration in the first place. Underlying these are deeply engrained patterns of stigma, rejection and discrimination, which the campaign aims to change. Its main goals are to promote the inclusion of women migrant workers in social security schemes, and to address the widespread discriminatory attitudes in societies, so that women workers can finally get the respect they deserve.
GAATW partners in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka have been carrying out a variety of public actions and activities under the banner of the campaign over the last three months, culminating in activities during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (25 November to 10 December). On 18 December International Migrants Day, the campaign highlighted the themes of promoting women migrant workers’ respect and dignity, and the need to better support them with adequate social security programmes upon their return.
In addition, the campaign was strengthened by other specific actions at country level:
In Bangladesh, partner organisations were advancing campaign messages through local level work. This included demonstrations at local district offices, a street theatre on the themes of return and supporting women migrant workers’ dignity and respect in society, and coordinated photo stories. Bangladeshi partners also supported the country visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, providing crucial evidence and arranging meetings with survivors, which led to an official acknowledgement of the need for the government to address social stigma and discrimination against women migrants.
Indian partners targeted state governments with campaign-related messages. In Telangana, domestic workers demonstrated for various benefits to be made available to them. In Kerala, the National Domestic Workers Platform organised a large protest to present their key demands to the state government:
1) Recognition of the employer’s home as their workplace
2) Provision of minimum wage for domestic workers in all states of India
3) Social protection on par with workers in the organised sector
4) Decent housing for domestic workers
The Center for World Solidarity (CWS) produced different campaign posters to be used at local and regional levels.
In Nepal, partners organised a five-day advocacy training and national consultation workshop with returnee migrant women workers. The main advocacy themes included the lack of employment opportunities in Nepal and the demand for social security for women migrant workers. Different advocacy strategies and techniques, such as mass rallies, were also being planned.
In Sri Lanka, groups of returnee migrant women were trained in performing street theatre to raise awareness about campaign themes and increase the support and respect for women workers. Specific topics of the plays included women migrant workers’ contributions to the economy and their challenges faced during migration, as well as the hard lives of migrant domestic workers. In addition, a petition was delivered to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Employment, demanding improved social security provisions for women workers and giving specific recommendations on actions to be taken by the government, including the immediate implementation of the National Migrant Health Policy.
Statement by the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women
Ahead of International Migrants Day, 18 December, we call on governments, local authorities, and civil society to invest in local communities to facilitate the socioeconomic inclusion of migrants and survivors of trafficking and prevent their exploitation and abuse.
Over the past two years, GAATW, together with members and partners, conducted one of the largest pieces of global research in our history. We spoke with a total of 970 migrants and survivors of trafficking (953 women and 17 men) in 18 countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Our aim was to learn more about their experiences with socioeconomic inclusion in the destination country or upon return to the country of origin.
Time and time again, the women spoke about the importance of finding a community, either at home or abroad. Repeatedly, they brought up the positive and negative role that people in their surroundings – locals or co-nationals in the country of destination and family and community in the country of origin - play.
In countries of destination, settled communities of co-nationals were both a source of exploitation and support. Women described how their lack of legal status, limited language skills, or overt and covert racism from the local population meant that they could only find work through other migrants from their country or region. While they appreciated these job opportunities, their limited options also meant that they sometimes had to accept low-paid or exploitative jobs. One Chinese woman in Canada said, “Chinese people tend to take advantage of Chinese people. Because we are from the same origin, it’s easier to find [a job]. But the salaries they pay are mostly low.”
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Ahead of International Migrants Day, 18 December, we call on governments, local authorities, and civil society to invest in local communities to facilitate the socioeconomic inclusion of migrants and survivors of trafficking and prevent their exploitation and abuse.