Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF)’s Post

A shocking news story from temporarily occupied #Luhansk reveals that due to the mobilization carried out by the occupiers, even 14-year-old teenagers are now being recruited at the local locomotive factory. #Children who have just finished 8th grade are forced to perform heavy and dangerous work due to a severe labor shortage caused by the mobilization of adult workers. It is a blatant violation of international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which explicitly prohibits forced labor of children. Article 32 of the #Convention emphasizes that every child must be protected from economic exploitation and from work that is dangerous or harmful to their health and well-being. The war has already forced many children in Ukraine to grow up too quickly. But russian occupiers deliberately continue to steal their childhood, turning them into a resource to fulfill their criminal ambitions. Children should not be working in factories, especially in conditions of war and occupation, where their lives are already under constant threat. We strongly condemn these actions by #russia in the occupied territories and call on the international community to pay attention to this crime against Ukrainian children. Every child has the right to a safe and happy childhood, and we must do everything possible to protect them from exploitation and violence.

It is a central principle of #fundamentaljustice that the person #prosecuting an #individual must be #separate and #independent from the person conducting their #defence. On the terms of the government’s last-minute ultimatum, this fundamental principle would be destroyed. The impacts of this change will be greater than just affecting #criminaldefence matters. #LegalAid funding affects the administration of #familylaw, #childwelfare, and #immigration matters as well. @legalaidalberta

🛑 2023 was the deadliest year for humanitarian workers on record, and 2024 could be even worse. Despite 75 years of international law meant to protect civilians and aid workers, violations persist with devastating consequences. 🚸On #WorldHumantirianDay2024, the Alliance recognises the vital role of the child protection workforce before, during, and after humanitarian crises. We demand their right to protection be upheld unconditionally, ensuring better protection for children and prevention of harm. Join us in calling on those in power - It's time to #ActforHumanity  ➡️ https://lnkd.in/giJn5xrU

USCIS Policy manual update: proving ability to pay in the i-140 context. #uscis #greencard #i140 #immigration #immigrationlawyer #immigrationlaw https://lnkd.in/edp2hGFe

CW: domestic abuse, family violence, coercive control. . . Today a change is being made to the law in NSW: the State Government is introducing a new legal definition of domestic abuse. It is coming into place ahead of coercive control becoming a crime, which is expected to happen in July 2024. More than half of IARC’s clients experience Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence (DFSV). We were part of a reference group for culturally and linguistically diverse communities where we provided feedback on the impact of the new legislation on our clients and input on the implementation processes. We still hold some concerns about the legislation and its limitations. Extensive additional reform is needed as there are many barriers to reporting DFSV and safety for women and migrants on temporary visas. See the 🔗 in comments below for: English & in-language fact sheets by NSW Department of Communities and Justice + more info on what coercive control is and the signs. #endgbv #endvaw #immigration

In observance of Human Trafficking Month, it’s crucial for professionals and businesses to recognize the complex forms of modern slavery: Forced Labor: Widespread in various industries, where workers are coerced and abused. Debt Bondage: A deceptive cycle of endless debt repayment under exploitative terms. Contract Slavery: False employment contracts leading to inhumane working conditions. Sex Trafficking: A grim trade exploiting predominantly women and children. Forced Marriage: Young women forced into marriages, losing their autonomy and facing abuse. Domestic Servitude: Often foreign nationals, trapped and exploited in private homes. Child Labor & Soldiers: The tragic exploitation of children in conflict and labor. Awareness and action in the corporate sector are essential to combating these forms of slavery. #CorporateResponsibility

Approximately 50 million people globally are trapped in forced labor or forced marriage. HRF's report, “Authoritarianism and Trafficking in Persons: Authoritarian Partnerships,” examines the ties between human trafficking and authoritarianism. HRF finds authoritarian regimes foster human trafficking more than democracies. Dictatorships also lack effective anti-trafficking efforts, and in some cases, the regime itself is the trafficker. North Korea and Cuba send citizens to work in other authoritarian regimes like China and Venezuela, where they face poor conditions, restricted movement, and passport confiscation. The source countries keep most of the workers' pay, funding their repressive regimes. HRF’s latest report analyzes data from the US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons reports and includes case studies to better understand authoritarianism as a root cause of human trafficking.

This year’s TIP Report, released yesterday by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, emphasizes the growing role of technology in both facilitating exploitation and countering human trafficking.   Traffickers have widened their reach by using digital platforms to communicate with and recruit victims globally, creating a need for greater global coordination among anti-trafficking stakeholders and technology experts, the report says. Moreover, constant evolution in digital technology and the ways in which it is being used also make it difficult to concentrate efforts or decipher trafficking indicators.   However, while digital tools have amplified the reach, scale and speed of trafficking, they also make it possible for advocates and law enforcement to raise greater awareness about the rights of workers and migrants, locate victims and perpetrators, and analyze large amounts of data to detect emerging human trafficking patterns.   In the U.S., anti-modern slavery groups are calling on the public to urge legislators to review the report and request congressional hearings to examine its findings. Read more in our latest newsletter.