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HIDDEN SLAVES: FORCED LABOR in the UNITED STATES Victims of Forced Labor Often Suffer Psychological Assaults Designed to Keep Them Submissive

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HIDDEN SLAVES: FORCED LABOR in the UNITED STATES Victims of Forced Labor Often Suffer Psychological Assaults Designed to Keep Them Submissive HIDDEN SLAVES FORCED LABOR IN THE UNITED STATES FREE THE SLAVES & SEPTEMBER 2004 HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY FREE THE SLAVES,WASHINGTON,D.C. Free the Slaves is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to ending slavery worldwide. Founded in 2000, Free the Slaves works to empower grassroots anti-slavery organizations, educate the public about the existence of slavery, eliminate slave-made goods from product supply chains, encourage governments to enact and enforce anti-slavery laws, and conduct social science-based research on slav- ery and human trafficking. Free the Slaves seeks to: create an inclusive and diverse movement, respect- ing the dignity and views of all people involved in eradicating slavery; base all our strategies on accurate research; support sustainable solutions, preventing adverse repercussions for those we aim to assist; and seek guidance and ideas from agencies around the world that are carrying out local and regional anti-slav- ery programs. THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER,UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,BERKELEY Founded in 1994 with the assistance of The Sandler Family Supporting Foundation, the Human Rights Center (HRC) is a unique interdisciplinary research and teaching enterprise that reaches across academ- ic disciplines and professions to conduct research in emerging issues in international human rights and humanitarian law. The HRC complements and supports the work of nongovernmental human rights orga- nizations by drawing upon the creativity and expertise of researchers from several diverse university pro- grams and departments including anthropology, demography, ethnic studies, geography, journalism, law, political science, and public health. The HRC collaborates closely with the International Human Rights Law Clinic and the Berkeley War Crimes Study Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Cover Photo One of the approximately 300 Chinese trafficking victims discovered on board the freighter, Golden Venture, that ran aground off New York in June 1993. Federal prosecutors believe that some victims owed as much as $25,000 to $30,000 to traffickers and were most likely intended to toil in brothels, sweatshops and restaurants in order to pay off their debts. HIDDEN SLAVES Forced Labor in the United States September 2004 Free the Slaves Washington, D.C. & Human Rights Center University of California, Berkeley TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY......................................................................................................................1 2. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................5 Forced Labor Is Hidden.............................................................................................................5 Forced Labor Is Inhumane.........................................................................................................5 Forced Labor Is Widespread ......................................................................................................5 Forced Labor Is Criminal ..........................................................................................................6 The Study........................................................................................................................................6 3. ENDING FORCED LABOR IN THE UNITED STATES ............................................................................9 Exposing Forced Labor .................................................................................................................9 The Number of Victims ...............................................................................................................10 Geographical Distribution of Victims ........................................................................................10 Origins of Victims and Perpetrators ..........................................................................................13 Economic and Demographic Sectors .........................................................................................14 Prostitution and Sex Services ..................................................................................................14 Domestic Service......................................................................................................................15 Agriculture ...............................................................................................................................16 Sweatshops...............................................................................................................................17 4. THE U.S. LEGAL RESPONSE TO FORCED LABOR...........................................................................19 International Prohibitions against Forced Labor .....................................................................19 International Human Trafficking and Forced Labor...............................................................20 Domestic Legislation: The Trafficking Act...............................................................................20 Relation of the United States to International Trends .............................................................23 5. IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF U.S. LAWS...................................................................25 Identifying Victims.......................................................................................................................25 Law Enforcement .........................................................................................................................25 Fragmentation of Law Enforcement ..........................................................................................26 New Approaches to Law Enforcement .......................................................................................29 Treatment of Survivors................................................................................................................30 Benefits, Protection, and Compensation....................................................................................31 6. HEALTH AND MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES OF FORCED LABOR........................................................35 Predeparture.................................................................................................................................35 Journey..........................................................................................................................................35 Forced Labor ................................................................................................................................36 Mental Health ..........................................................................................................................37 Physical Health........................................................................................................................38 Access to Health Care .............................................................................................................39 Postrelease.....................................................................................................................................40 7. SOCIAL AND LEGAL SERVICES .......................................................................................................43 Identifying Survivors ...................................................................................................................43 Safety, Housing, and Protection..................................................................................................44 Prosecution and Benefits.............................................................................................................46 T visas............................................................................................................................................47 Language and Culture.................................................................................................................48 Reintegration................................................................................................................................48 i 8. CONCLUSIONS / RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................49 Lessons Learned and Future Challenges...................................................................................49 Domestic Laws Can Create Strong Legal Platforms...............................................................49 Training Is Critical ..................................................................................................................49 Witness and Survivor Protection..............................................................................................50 Social Services Provision to Survivors ....................................................................................50 Research...................................................................................................................................51 Recommendations........................................................................................................................51 9. GLOSSARY ......................................................................................................................................53 10. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......................................................................................................................55
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