Fighting Human Trafficking with Blockchain
Serious breaches of human rights, such as slavery and human trafficking, are still undergoing large-scale growth worldwide. Looking for overseas jobs, millions of free people end up trapped in neo-slavery through a range of different mechanisms, such as force, fraud, or coercion. Although it may seem as though such problems do not concern most developed nations, poor countries are very familiar with them. Modern-day slavery, forced labor, and human trafficking are three of the main risks of supply chains.
Larry Cameron, chief information security officer of the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII), couldn’t help but express his anxiety regarding the use of cryptocurrency and a cutting-edge technology called blockchain for criminal activities.
“Blockchain fraud makes certain crimes easier to commit,” argues Cameron. Through digital technology, criminals have been taking part in illegal activity, like selling drugs, money laundering, and violation of human rights,” said Cameron.
Some blockchain watchers believe the technology will be a future HR trend. With huge application potential, blockchain is expected to integrate the present regulations of global honest recruitment principles. The world has already heard about the start of many of such programs in an attempt to combat global crimes.
For example, a tool called IRIS-SAFER was designed to promote fair hiring practices, and STOP THE TRAFFIK, founded by the most prominent evangelical leaders in the UK, aims to bring an end to human trafficking worldwide. It is all about systemically disrupting global human trafficking and neo-slavery networks by building resilient communities.
Creating Perspective
Mark Blick, the head of government solutions at Diginex, mentioned two promising projects dedicated to bringing about positive change: IRIS-SAFER and eMin.
IRIS-SAFER has always been passionate about establishing and broadening the prevention of forced labor, while the blockchain-enabled eMin was developed to protect job seekers from being exploited. Both projects are about wide-ranging cooperation to improve data storage reliability and transparency.
Traditional methods of finding resources to fill vacant positions are outdated. Records can be lost, damaged, or thrown out by mistake. Digitization allows for easy access to resources for stakeholders. “We are able to grab more data due to the easy-to-use platform,” Blick declared.
It’s no secret that hiring can be a ruthless business, with ethics often taking a back seat. International labor is commonly based on a worker-pay model that contributes to debt bondage and predatory lending schemes. While recruiting companies exploit people’s ignorance, unemployed people have no option but to pay. What is more, some labor migrants pay cash to recruiters “in gratitude”, but traditional documentation has no mention of such cases.
If recruiters want to stand out from the crowd, they have a great opportunity with digital transformation. Safe corridors encourage good working relationships and help create a harmless workplace. Absolute openness and honesty are needed for employees to make wise career choices. Blick explained, “A critical element of employee engagement and satisfaction is being treated correctly that’s why choosing safe corridors is the answer.”
Overseas workers are also at risk of experiencing the process of overriding and modifying the original contract. False promises, misinformation, and lies leave migrants compelled to accept lower wages and poorer living conditions than originally promised. Once job seekers sign the new contract, the agency fails to protect them.
Meeting the Challenge
The practical application of the decentralized technology in combating social vices is feasible and sustainable. To eradicate neo-slavery, the Mekong Club has helped companies with a wide variety of software designed to assist them in addressing labor issues. Among them are detailed explanations of the applications and potential threats of blockchain that must be taken into consideration, as well as theme presentations and educational resources.
The project has already been implemented in Hong Kong, while eMin has been released in many parts of the world. When it comes to Diginex, a global blockchain company is dealing with foreign workers in China, also with agencies in COO, they are migrating from.
Migrants can take advantage of the competition by finding firms hiring foreign talent through a fair selection process. With the help of these projects, headhunters can prove the principles of professional conduct have been followed under the direction of the UN’s specialized agencies, so employees can easily learn who can be trusted and which companies follow best practices.
“Migrants have a great chance to be hired through the ethical agencies, afterward they can out-of-province travel for work,” Blick said. Using the services of recruitment firms that simplify the job hunt can be highly beneficial to workers because they can avoid excessive fees and unexpected changes to working terms or salary. Stakeholders are provided with access to the latest data to make sure recruitment services are open, respectful, and honest when hiring.
Looking Back
The projects like that above are relatively young but rapidly growing, aiming to attract agencies keen on participating in the program. The ongoing process allows hiring agencies to apply for certification, thereby proving their readiness to maintain the highest ethical standards and professionalism.
Recruitment needs to be examined in the context of a broader labor market and immigration policies. New agencies must answer questions about abusive and fraudulent practices during employment and provide competency-based assessments.
To reach out as many states as possible, we need experienced specialists and creative thinking more than ever. The UN Migration Agency provides feedback throughout the entire process, ensuring appropriate cooperation between the participants, explained Blick.
Doing Good Is Good Business
Operating with ethical values ensuring best practices and delivering the highest service is crucial. Innovative platforms and applications manage the journey and worker tracking through blockchain technology. What is even more important, however, is that it will certainly attract real strong leads and achieve greater success.
Blick is a believer that the blockchain is a much more complex ecosystem that will effectively connect all multiple stakeholders desperate to access the reliability and trustworthiness of data. Non-governmental organizations, legal services in the field of immigration, consulates, and the UN are all trying to become aware of agencies’ reactions to ethics and hiring issues, influencing policies and legislation.
What We Are Aiming For
The ultimate objective is to improve the way we connect workers with overseas employers, fight human trafficking, and restore dignity to victims of neo-slavery.
The revolutionary technology can streamline the process of engaging workers fairly, transparently, and on merit, reducing the number of victims suffering from a violation of fundamental human rights throughout the world. Blick continued, “We are dealing with highly engaged people with ethical principles in mind aiming to prove they do the right thing.”
There is no doubt that blockchain will be a game-changer for many areas in the near future, and hiring by force or deception is no exception. Although the technology is relatively new, it is an ever-growing database that will only grow with time.
2local is happy to know that it is not the only one who’s worried about equality, safety and human rights. The change is possible; the action is what we need now to make this change real.
