Law & Policy

U.S. prepares to block cotton imports from Uyghur Region

Last week, Freedom United signed a petition calling on the U.S. to block cotton imports from the Uyghur Region on account of the pervasive system of forced labor present there. Less than a week later, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has moved to accept our demands with a withhold-release order that would be unprecedented in scale. Read more...

Sign the petition

Speak Free 

Eritrea and forced labor: a history in photos

Martin Plaut, the former BBC World Service Africa editor and author of ‘Understanding Eritrea,’ contributes to Freedom United's Speak Free blog with a photographic journey through Eritrea's history. Learn more about the context to the present system of state-sanctioned forced labor whereby Eritreans spend long stretches of their adult lives in modern slavery. Freedom United will be joined by Martin and Eritrea Focus chairman Habte Hagos in an upcoming webinar in early October. More details coming soon!

Read more...

TOP NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Domestic slavery

By failing to protect domestic workers, U.K. may simply be “importing abuse”

Under the current system in the U.K., overseas domestic workers are effectively tied to their employers once in the country, creating an avoidable risk of exploitation. Overseas domestic workers' visas are capped at six months and leave many at risk of becoming undocumented if they escape an abusive employer. Domestic workers who are referred as potential victims of modern slavery face an average wait of 2 years before being recognized, during which time they are prevented from working due to their precarious immigration status. 

If you are a U.K. resident, sign the petition urging the U.K. to ensure overseas domestic workers are protected from exploitation.

Read more