Labour Migration, Human Trafficking and Multinational Corporations: The Commodification of Illicit Flows

Although much writing on human trafficking has focused on sex trafficking, a great deal of human trafficking results from migrant workers compelled by economic deprivation in their home countries to seek better life opportunities abroad, especially in agriculture, construction and domestic work. Such labour migration is sometimes well managed, but sometimes not so #xE2;#xAC;#x1C; with migrant workers frequently threatened or coerced into entering debt bondage arrangements, and ending up working in forced labour situations, sometimes producing goods for illicit markets. This book discusses how far large multinational corporations are involved, intentionally and unintentionally, in such exploitative labour practices. It explores how far corporations are driven to seek cheap labour by the need to remain commercially competitive, examines how the problem often lies with corporations#xE2;#xAC;" subcontractors, who are not as well controlled as they might be, and outlines and assesses measures being taken by governments and international agencies to eradicate the problem.