Freedom United
@freedomunitedhq.bsky.social
Freedom United is a global anti-slavery community, using our collective power to demand change. Let’s end modern slavery together! 🌐 freedomunited.org
Survivors in the UK fear the proposed Immigration and Asylum Bill could stop them from being recognized as trafficking victims. Stricter credibility rules could penalize survivors for delays in reporting abuse or gaps in their accounts—all recognized effects of trauma. ow.ly/5pZr5100xBf
UK bill could make it harder for Al Fayed survivors to be believed
Al Fayed trafficking survivors fear credibility tests in the UK Immigration and Asylum Bill could deny them recognition and support.
ow.ly
New Mexico’s attorney general Raúl Torrez has sued Jeffrey Epstein’s personal lawyer and accountant, alleging they helped finance and conceal his sex trafficking operation—and should not profit from his estate while survivors live with the consequences. ow.ly/MmAN5100wEX
New Mexico sues Epstein’s lawyer and accountant for covering up trafficking operation
New Mexico has sued Epstein’s personal lawyer and accountant for allegedly financing and concealing his sex trafficking network.
ow.ly
A parliamentary inquiry found that one state in Germany has documented 358 child marriages since 2012. Additionally, state-funded counseling center recorded 33 minors at risk of forced marriage in 2025, including four children under 12. Read more: ow.ly/hUgq5100wW1
Germany reports 358 child marriages involving girls as young as 11
Courts annulled only eight of 358 cases of child marriage in Germany’s Baden-Württemberg, leaving gaps in protection for children at risk.
ow.ly
Survivors in the UK are at risk of losing vital support—all in the name of cracking down on supposed “misuse” of the modern slavery system that the Government hasn't proved is widespread. Three MPs could help push amendments to the bill before November 3. Write to them: https://ow.ly/AXIu50ZYrwG
Martín Soto, who led the hunger and labor strike at Delaney Hall detention center, has been released after eight months in ICE custody. New Jersey’s Department of Labor has signaled a possible state investigation into forced labor at the facility. ow.ly/YmTH50ZYsEP
Forced labor in detention: freed ICE detainee speaks out
Forced labor in detention is under scrutiny after ICE freed Delaney Hall strike leader Martín Soto, whose lawyer suspects an investigation.
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Modern slavery survivors are displaying their artwork across London as part of Hestia’s annual Art is Freedom exhibition. Their stories reveal the barriers survivors face when they seek recognition, support, and the chance to rebuild their lives. ow.ly/gvN250ZYsKU
Modern slavery survivors exhibit artwork across London
Modern slavery survivors are exhibiting art across London. Their stories also show the barriers to support survivors face in the UK.
ow.ly
The US Trafficking in Persons Report ranks governments on their response to trafficking. The US gave itself the highest score again—while cutting federal funding for survivor services by 77% and redirecting 28,000 trafficking personnel to immigration enforcement. https://ow.ly/mygY50ZYstJ
The 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) is out—here's what you need to know
Every year, the US State Department releases its Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report—a global scorecard on how governments are tackling human trafficking. Those who perform poorly can expect restrictions on foreign assistance from the US. This year, three countries were upgraded to the highest ranking, Tier 1: Norway, Ghana, and Israel. But Israel’s upgrade raises […]
ow.ly
Starbucks has opened two stores in the capital of China’s Uyghur Region—where over one million people have been detained and subjected to forced labor. US lawmakers are demanding the stores close. https://ow.ly/FQ1p50ZXGl0
"Shocking and morally bankrupt": Starbucks expands into the Uyghur Region
Starbucks expands to China's Uyghur Region, drawing criticism from US lawmakers over the well-documented human rights abuses in the region.
ow.ly
🎞️ Learn about 'The Orphan Trap'—the cycle of orphanage trafficking and voluntourism where well-meaning volunteers and donors create demand that funds a multi-billion-dollar industry that commodifies children. 📍Join us in NYC 🗓️October 28 at 5pm ✅Reserve your seat: https://ow.ly/Ibb450ZXaRJ
The European Union is pushing to expand Frontex’s power—even as the agency faces a lawsuit from a refugee over its role in facilitating his return to Libya, where he remains trapped. www.freedomunited.org/news/frontex...
Frontex expansion plans raise fears for migrants in Libya
Frontex faces scrutiny over slavery in Libya as EU governments push for stronger border controls and more powers for the agency.
freedomunited.org
California joins 17 other states in banning child marriage after Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1267. The win comes after nearly a decade of advocacy—but child marriage remains legal in 32 states. www.freedomunited.org/news/califor...
California becomes the 18th US state to ban child marriage
California becomes the 18th US state to ban child marriage without exceptions, after nearly a decade of campaigning by survivors.
freedomunited.org
A British man was forced to work unpaid in a London food court after a friend lured him with a fake job offer and trapped him in modern slavery. His case is one of 23,411 modern slavery referrals in the UK in 2025— British nationals were the largest group. www.freedomunited.org/news/british...
British man escapes modern slavery at London food court
A British man was forced to work unpaid in London. He is among a record number of UK nationals referred amid growing UK modern slavery cases.
freedomunited.org
Clothes linked to Uyghur forced labor are still reaching the US due to weak inspections by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to threaten countries with tariffs over their weak protections against forced labor goods. ow.ly/C78N50ZUE3l
Company linked to Uyghur forced labor still supplies apparel to US
Clothes from Vietnamese factories linked to Uyghur forced labor are still reaching US shoppers despite US sanctions.
ow.ly
An average of 24 children died at work in the US every year between 2013 and 2023. For more than half of those deaths, key data on cause and industry are missing. Meanwhile, 19 states have weakened child labor protections since 2021. ow.ly/a3h150ZUASt
Children are dying at work in the US—and key evidence is missing
A new US government report finds critical data missing for over half of child labor deaths as violations surge and enforcement weakens.
ow.ly
A new paper by Freedom United board member Kamil Gerard Ahmed and Assel Orumbayeva helps CEOs address modern slavery risks that can begin before a worker ever reaches the workplace—in the chain of brokers and recruitment agents that companies rarely scrutinize. ow.ly/iiT050ZRZGp
Across Southeast Asia, trafficking networks are luring people with fake job offers and forcing them into guarded compounds to run online scams. Victims have their passports confiscated, face violence for missing targets, and are trapped by debt. ow.ly/7MxE50ZRZEI
Epstein survivors continue to face lost income, healthcare costs, and professional consequences after coming forward. Some employers are even labeling them "too political" to hire. It's a reminder that trafficking survivors need long-term financial support, not just justice. ow.ly/QMQ150ZRRwA
Migrant agricultural workers in Sicily have formed a cooperative to escape caporalato—an abusive labor recruitment system considered a form of modern slavery. ow.ly/aco850ZP5x3
Andrew & Tristan Tate denied bail & remain in US custody fighting extradition to the UK, where they face 59 charges including trafficking for sexual exploitation. Meanwhile, Romanian prosecutors have indicted Andrew on child trafficking, money laundering, & sex with a minor. ow.ly/NRSI50ZP5qz
Trump administration told caregivers for migrant children in federal custody to stop reporting trafficking concerns directly to trafficking office. Critics say this will delay legitimate claims, making it easier to deport children before they access trafficking protections. ow.ly/HL6v50ZP5jb
The case is still being investigated — but it's a sobering illustration of why we advocate to end child marriage: young people are much more vulnerable to being coerced into conditions that could constitute modern slavery. www.freedomunited.org/advocate/for...
Stop forced child marriage in the U.S.
The U.S. has no national law banning child marriage. Click here to see where each state stands in the fight against forced child marriage. With a growing movement across the United States, momentum is...
freedomunited.org
New York Post @nypost.com · 3mo agoOhio house of horrors mom requests mental health evaluation
The US Justice Department is stonewalling European investigators probing Jeffrey Epstein — Poland, Norway, and Latvia say they've gotten no response to legal assistance requests, and the UK's Mandelson probe has stalled too, as DOJ withholds unredacted files. newrepublic.com/post/215195/...
Trump’s DOJ Ghosts European Officials Investigating Epstein
The Justice Department is refusing to cooperate in European investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and his circle.
newrepublic.com
Man who called Indonesian woman treating him "like a son" gets 6 years for enslaving her — deprived of food, sleep, and forced into unpaid domestic servitude for 8 months. She escaped, but died before seeing him convicted. people.com/man-jailed-a...
Man, 47, Jailed After Forcing Woman Who Treated Him ‘Like a Son’ into ‘Slavery’ and Depriving Her of Food and Sleep
A 47-year-old man in Australia has been sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of possessing a slave at his family’s home and depriving the woman of basic human rights. Police began...
people.com
US Representative Thomas Massie has filed a discharge petition to force a vote on legislation giving Epstein survivors & state prosecutors the right to sue US Justice Department for withholding files. Massie’s petition has 106 signatures but needs 218 to force a vote. ow.ly/alp850ZMUiH
The UK has announced that migrant workers formally recognized as modern slavery victims can leave exploitative employers without losing their visa status. The change is welcomed—but advocates say the tied visa itself creates the conditions for exploitation. ow.ly/aPgU50ZMUhS
The UN established November 27 as International Day to End Child, Early & Forced Marriage—in line with its goal to end child marriage by 2030. But in US alone, 33 states still allow it. Advocates say the US needs to step up before it can credibly push other countries to act. ow.ly/GrGB50ZMUgT
Trapped by contractors, unpaid when injured, forced into overcrowded housing — this is exploitation hiding in plain sight in Australia. Reform is on the table. Now it must be enforced. www.walkfree.org/news/2026/wo...
Worker exploitation exposé increases pressure on Australia to strengthen modern slavery laws
Survivor accounts of exploitation in Australia's food industry reinforce why the government's proposed modern slavery reforms must be urgently implemented and appropriately enforced, delivering meanin...
walkfree.org
The UN has confirmed: reparations for slavery aren't optional, they're a legal obligation. It's time for governments to stop hiding behind history and start addressing its lasting harm. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
Countries legally obliged to consider slavery reparations, says UN committee
Guidance says states must implement ‘comprehensive measures’ to address legacy of racial discrimination
theguardian.com
At least 100 children aged 12 or under referred to the UK's forced marriage unit in five years — including 27 under five. A campaigner warns: 'when schools open in September, there will be missing children.' www.independent.co.uk/news/educati...
Warning as at least 100 children aged 12 or younger in ‘forced marriage’ concerns
’I know that when schools open in September, there will be missing children’
independent.co.uk
Andrew & Tristan Tate face UK charges including rape and sex trafficking. Their lawyer's response? AI-generated "prison suffering" images to spin sympathy online. Real survivors deserve real justice — not slop and spectacle.
The Tate brothers’ lawyer is on an aggressive, AI-riddled quest to win their release
Joseph McBride's strident defense of the accused rapists includes a flood of faked propaganda images.
motherjones.com