FreedomUnited.org

Wednesday December 18, 2024

My hope for 2025 is a profound shift in how the world views migration

Ellie Finkelstein

Today, on International Migrants Day, I fear that the pervasive characterization of migration as a “legitimate concern” is driving both criminalization, and simultaneously, global indifference to the plight of people on the move, pushing more and more towards traffickers, where they face exploitation, abuse, and even death. In 2024, we have witnessed governments weaponize narratives of sovereignty and security to both justify restrictive border policies and

Prison slavery

Friday November 22, 2024

California turned its back on abolition—but we can’t stop

Krysta Bisnauth

Slavery still exists in the United States. That’s not hyperbole—it’s the reality written into the constitutions of many states and, most disturbingly, in the American Constitution itself. The 13th Amendment, often celebrated for abolishing slavery, includes a chilling exception: slavery and involuntary servitude are permissible as punishment for a crime. For over 150 years, this exception clause has perpetuated a system where incarcerated individuals—disproportionately people of color—are forced into labor for little or no pay. They face threats ranging from solitary confinement

The dark underbelly of the Paris Olympics

Law & Policy

Friday July 26, 2024

“Social cleansing” at the Paris Olympics

Ellie Finkelstein

Freedom United hosted a live discussion event on the Paris Olympics and trafficking. Watch it now! The 2024 Olympic Games have begun following months of preparation by French authorities engaged in what can only be described as a "social cleansing" effort. With no regard for their well-being, French police have been cracking down on those deemed “undesirable” for the image Paris would like projected on the world stage - immigrants, asylum seekers, homeless individuals, and sex workers. The ‘repression first’ approach of the French state only harms the most vulnerable and has

Human trafficking

Thursday June 27, 2024

Freedom United invites you to an event on how migration politics are killing people and exposing them to human trafficking

Ellie Finkelstein

This event is now available to watch here. Freedom United is hosting an online webinar, Migration Politics that Kill: How governments exacerbate human trafficking, on July 3rd at 12:00 pm EST, free of cost and welcome to everyone. Simply register on Zoom here to receive the link. We are sitting down with the experts at a critical moment across the globe when migration is becoming the hottest topic, and number of migrant deaths is at an all-time high. As global displacements rise due to conflict, persecution, and climate disasters, opportunities for safe, regular migration routes are

Domestic Slavery

Sunday June 16, 2024

Domestic workers in the U.K. have faced 12 years of abuse and exploitation: Kalayaan’s report demands urgent reform

Sophie Levack

By Sophie Levack, Policy Officer at Kalayaan, the U.K.’s leading charity supporting migrant domestic workers Migrant domestic workers are mostly women. They make up 73% of migrants in private households globally and often face extreme laws in foreign countries, making them vulnerable to exploitation. They perform essential tasks that support families and communities, yet their contributions are often undervalued, and they face stigma and discrimination. In the U.K., migrant domestic workers are considered low-skilled and are denied the rights that other migrant workers have,

Speak free