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An evidence-based study mapping the recruitment of East African migrant workers to the Gulf, revealing key risks and practical steps for fairer labor migration. This report analyzes recruitment systems linking East Africa and the Gulf States, detailing how opaque labor broker networks and high migration costs create vulnerabilities to exploitation. Drawing on field research across...

A comprehensive look at labor conditions on Liberia’s rubber plantations, tracing how economic pressures and weak protections shape worker vulnerability. Based on field research in major rubber-producing regions, this report examines working conditions on large plantations and among smallholders. It highlights low wages, debt, excessive working hours, and limited freedom of association as key concerns....

A comprehensive study tracing how migration systems across Southeast Asia shape risks of forced labor among workers bound for Thailand. This research maps the formal and informal migration infrastructures that connect Cambodia, Myanmar, and Lao PDR to Thailand’s labor market. Based on field interviews with 168 stakeholders, it reveals how high recruitment costs, weak regulation,...

An assessment revealing how Japan’s Technical Intern Training Program can expose migrant workers to forced labor and human rights abuse. This report examines the structure and implementation of Japan’s TITP, designed to provide skills training but often resulting in labor exploitation. It documents how recruitment fees, deceptive contracts, passport confiscation, and excessive working hours leave...

These issue briefs are part of a resource suite from the Supply Chain Tracing and Engagement Methodologies (STREAMS) project. STREAMS works at the intersection of traceability and due diligence to help companies, advocates, and government officials use innovative approaches to trace global supply chains and identify and address child labor and forced labor risks. The...

A reflection on key insights from multi-country research identifying indicators of forced labor across global commodity production. This lessons-learned paper distills findings from extensive field studies on forced labor in sectors such as agriculture, fishing, and manufacturing. It examines methodological challenges, data-collection ethics, and how indicators manifest differently across contexts and commodities. The report highlights...

This briefing document analyzes U.S. prison labor through an international human rights framework. For this analysis, Verité carried out desk-based research analyzing prison labor conditions against International Labor Organization (ILO) standards, guidance, and forced labor indicators. The analysis identified a high risk of forced labor within the U.S. prison system when measured against ILO frameworks...

This First Mile Toolkit provides comprehensive guidance on human rights due diligence (HRDD) specifically targeted for first mile operations in agricultural supply chains. Companies that use the Farm Labor Due Diligence Toolkit to guide their own due diligence actions can use this Toolkit to align suppliers’ practices to their own and help suppliers meet HRDD...

A report on the hidden realities of undocumented garment workers in the U.S., where low wages and fear of deportation sustain exploitation in plain sight. Based on interviews and case studies, this report uncovers how undocumented workers in the U.S. garment industry face chronic wage theft, unsafe conditions, and barriers to justice. It traces how...

A real-world look at how one global cocoa company piloted a new survey tool to identify, assess, and address forced labor risks within its supply chain. This case study details how a major agricultural trading company developed and tested a forced labor survey to strengthen its human rights due diligence efforts. Piloted across Ghana and...