Original Language
English
Number of Pages
92
Reference Number
ENG0166
Date of upload
28 Sep 2015
Trafficking of Fishermen in Thailand
The objective of this report is to provide a better understanding of the recruitment, living and working conditions of fishermen and the extent of exploitation and abuse in the Thai fishing sector. The report reviews the legislative and regulatory framework governing the fishing sector and the recruitment of fishermen and its implementation, highlighting certain gaps which enable traffickers to operate in the sector and lead to abusive labour conditions. The report also examines protection and support services accessible by victims of trafficking.
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- List of Acronyms and Glossary
- Introduction
- Part I: Modus Operandi of the Fishing Industry and Trafficking Issues
- A. Operations of Thai fishing fleets and incidence of human trafficking
- B. Legislative and regulatory framework for the fishing sector
- Regulation of the fishing industry
- C. Labour Protection
- D. Anti-trafficking legislation and the fight against traffickers
- E. Agency roles and coordination
- Maritime institutions
- Immigration, police, labour and anti-trafficking units
- Thai fishing boat owners associations, NGOs and fishermen advocates
- Part II: Fishermen Recruitment and Labour Conditions
- A. Legislative framework for the recruitment of foreign labour and the registration process
- B. Overview of current recruitment practices
- C. Labour contracts and identification documents for fishermen and accompanying persons
- Labour contracts
- Documents for fishermen and accompanying persons
- D. Human trafficking
- E. Assessment of living and working conditions on fishing boats
- Work day
- Part III: Information and Assessment of Assistance and Support Services for Male Victims of Trafficking in the Fishing Industry
- A. Anti-trafficking legislation and victim protection and support
- B. Current practices and issues
- Conclusions
- Recommendations for discussion
- A. Data collection and exchange
- B. Recruitment of migrant and Thai fishermen
- C. Maritime legal and regulatory reform
- D. Prevention
- Information campaign and materials
- Inspections
- E. Prosecution
- At sea:
- On land:
- F. Protection
- G. Capacity development
- Training
- Translation and interpretation
- National partnerships and international cooperation
- Bibliography (Partial)
- Appendix A: Methodology
- a) Key informant interviews: migrant worker advocates, fishing industry representatives, Government authorities, migrant representatives, other knowledgeable persons
- b) Focus group discussions, arranged by local NGOs/migrant worker groups
- c) One-on-one interviews with trafficking victims
- Appendix B: List of NGOs
- Appendix C: International standards relevant to the fishing sector
- Appendix D: Provincial identity card systems and examples of current practices
- Appendix E: Stories of victims of trafficking
- Appendix F: Interview questions
- a) Focus group questions
- b) Individual interviews
- Recruitment of migrants
- Conditions of work on fishing boats
- Fishermen’s return to land and need for services
- Social networks
- c) Questions to Government, NGO and other service providers
- Services for migrants/victims of trafficking
- Appendix G: Meeting to discuss the report with the Thai government and resulting comments from government agencies
- Appendix H: Ministry of interior regulations on the granting of permission to allow some groups of aliens/migrants to remain in Thailand as a special case for those who are Victims of human trafficking