Labor Exploitation of Migrant Farmworkers: Risks for Human Trafficking

Author: Norwood, Jeremy

Abstract: This exploratory study analyzed indicators of labor exploitation among migrant farmworkers in Western Michigan and the ensuing risks for human trafficking. The research was based on interviews with professionals who work with migrant farmworkers and with migrant farmworkers conducted over a period of several months in 2014. The data from professionals reflected the localities where they provided assistance to migrant farmworkers. The interviewed migrant farmworkers were located in Oceana County, but many shared information about experiences in other parts of Michigan. This study identified four dimensions where risks for human trafficking were most prominent. Firstly, the migratory process yielded three different indicators of labor exploitation: the presence of violence, the lack of economic and social networks, and the lack of secure employment. Secondly, the road to employment included three additional indicators: the path to the place of employment, the access to familiar and reliable transportation to the workplace, and the nature of the contractual arrangement. Thirdly, the living and working conditions uncovered another four indicators: the presence of force, fraud, or coercion, the existence of “gaps” in employment, the pay, hours, working conditions, and the extent to which breaks, bonuses, and housing were available. Finally, the control over their circumstances yielded the following indicators: restrictions on mobility, the role of employers, crew leaders, and recruiters, and the reluctance of reporting. These indicators of labor exploitation helped address a critical shortcoming in the research since the United Nations passed the Palermo Protocol, particularly empirical research in local communities where labor trafficking may be present.

Keywords: human trafficking, labor trafficking, migration, migrant farmworkers