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Issue Brief – Labour migration and modern slavery victimisation: Bangladesh as a case study
Published June 2023
Labour migration is a key driver of the growth in international migration flows. While migrant workers contribute to the economic development of both their origin and host societies, the characteristics of labour migrants, the predominance of temporary migration cycles and the prevalence of fraudulent practices in the overseas labour recruitment industry expose migrants to modern slavery and human trafficking.
This Issue Brief examines the connection between labour migration and modern slavery, focusing on the case of Bangladesh – a major labour-sending nation and a source country of modern slavery. We analyse the main factors that render Bangladeshi migrants vulnerable to exploitation, review policy approaches that have been adopted to tackle migration- related modern slavery, and recommend further steps that Bangladesh and other labour-sending countries should undertake to more effectively fight modern slavery among migrant workers.