Summary

One of the main causes of many (documented and undocumented) migrant workers' vulnerability to severe forms of exploitation and human trafficking in the labor market of the countries to which they migrate is the immense debt they incur, when paying intermediaries in the country of origin as well as the country of destination. The regulation of this transnational network of labor intermediaries – or "human supply chain" - is characterized by a regulation deficit in some countries, and a regulatory failure in many others. In her talk Gordon will draw on her original research into innovative public, private, and hybrid approaches to the governance of human supply chains, to evaluate a range of potential interventions, ultimately proposing a new supply chain liability that realigns risk and responsibility for the harms that attend the global recruitment of low-wage workers. Gordon will tie her discussion to other regulatory methods that can assist in preventing severe forms of labor exploitation and human trafficking in the global labor market. The roundtable panel will tie her discussion to the situation in Israel.