Bondage: Breaking the Cycle of Forced and Migrant Labor | Deependra Giri

In 2008, Deependra Giri was promised a decent salary as a clerk in Qatar. Needing money to support his family, he left his home country Nepal — only to work an unpaid construction job and worse, live in squalid conditions.

Nearly 21 million people around the world are victims of forced labor, trapped in jobs that they are coerced to take. An estimated 600,000 victims are in the Middle East. In this episode, we explore the abusive system of forced labor. We look at global trends and factors that help perpetuate this industry. On the podcast, we also learn about ‘debt bondage’, how forced and migrant labor take place in our own communities, and ways to better protect the rights of workers.

Featuring policy and advocacy insights from experts: Dr. Robyn Rodriguez, Professor and Founding Director of Bulosan Center for Filipinx Studies, University of California at Davis and Mustafa Qadri, Founder and Executive Director of Equidem Research and Consulting.

In conversation with Hazami Barmada, Activist & Founder of the Humanity Lab Foundation.