It’s an area of the world where national borders are arbitrary, cutting communities in half. People move easily across these borders, but not always freely.

Human trafficking comes in many forms. Probably first on most people’s minds is sex trafficking of women and girls, of which Thailand is commonly considered the capital of the world. Labor trafficking is another all-too-common reality in which people believe they are accepting a legitimate job, but instead find themselves trapped with no way out.

HOPE is a proud partner of the International Coalition Against Trafficking and Exploitation (i-CATE), a coalition of member organizations working in this region to combat the various pillars that make up the enormous problem of human trafficking. Services provided by the member organizations include legal assistance for migrant

workers whose rights have been violated, counseling and a safe place for victims who have escaped trafficking, orphan care for children who have been abandoned and are thus incredibly vulnerable to trafficking, and teaching of life skills to youth to increase their job prospects, among many others.

The multi-pronged approach of the coalition enables each member organization to provide the services that it is most capable of, while also tackling the larger problem of human trafficking as a whole. This collaboration allows each organization to be more effective, and allows each victim to access the greatest number of services.

In addition to victim services, member organizations are leading programs on trafficking prevention in an effort to make human trafficking a thing of the past.

Assisting injured migrant workers An i-CATE member organization provides monetary and other assistance to migrant workers from Myanmar who are sick or injured while working in Thailand.