Strengthen Regulation of Foreign Labor Recruiters to Prevent Human Trafficking & Forced Labor
Labor recruiters are often complicit or directly involved in the trafficking of workers, exploiting U.S. nonimmigrant visa programs. These recruiters, who operate in a climate of impunity, lure impoverished and desperate foreign workers to the United States, promising jobs described as plentiful and lucrative. They rely on coercive tactics, charging guestworkers exorbitant fees that often force the workers to stay in abusive or exploitative working conditions under debt bondage, forced labor, or other forms of slavery. Legislation to strengthen regulation of foreign labor recruiters/contractors is an essential element in the prevention of human trafficking.
On June 27, 2013, the Senate passed its immigration reform bill (S. 744). This bill includes Subtitle F- Prevention of Trafficking in Persons and Abuses Involving Workers Recruited Abroad, and Subtitle I- Providing Tools To Exchange Visitors and Exchange Visitor Sponsors To Protect Exchange Visitor Program Participants and Prevent Trafficking, which provide for greater regulation of foreign labor recruiters. As comprehensive immigration reform turns toward the House, we need your help to ensure that the House version of comprehensive immigration reform incorporates the regulation of foreign labor recruiters and provides full protection for vulnerable workers, as in Subtitles F and I of S. 744.
Please call your Representative and urge him/her to support strengthening the regulation of foreign labor recruiters as part of the House comprehensive immigration reform bill. Please join us in supporting foreign labor recruiter regulations to prevent human trafficking!
Call to your Representative:
Hello. My name is ________.
I am calling to urge Representative _______________ to support the regulation of foreign labor recruiters as part of the comprehensive immigration reform bill and help combat human trafficking.
