The Evaluation of an anti-slavery hotspot project in the Thai seafood sector report assesses the Freedom Fund’s initiative to combat human trafficking and forced labour within Thailand’s seafood industry. The Asian Research Center for Migration at Chulalongkorn University was commissioned by the Freedom Fund to independently evaluate the hotspot project. Based on surveys and interviews with 108 migrant workers, primarily from Myanmar, the study found that most participants were male (68%) and under 35 years old (66%), working mostly in seafood processing (45%) and fishing vessels (43%). It revealed harsh conditions for workers, especially fishers, who averaged 98 hours of work per week. A key finding was the strong demand for services, particularly for resolving employer disputes.
Since 2015, the project has empowered over 50,000 migrant workers, but challenges persist in reaching fishers due to their irregular port presence. Recommendations include extending the project to other at-risk sectors, such as agriculture and construction, and enhancing advocacy through partnerships with intergovernmental organisations. The report emphasises a balanced resource allocation approach, highlighting the importance of both broad educational initiatives and tailored support for severe exploitation cases, to effectively tackle the complexities of forced labour in the industry.
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