These five girls didn’t meet in high school. They met while working at a karaoke bar where they were all trafficked as sex workers. Now safe in a shelter, they have been waiting just over a year while court proceedings ensure justice. Confident in the case against their offender, they eagerly share any information that will prevent others from falling into the same snares.
Read MoreThe legal case helped Panit to move on. “It helped me to get closure,” he says. “I don’t have to think about it all the time.” He is looking forward now -- he wants to study, graduate, get a good job and buy his own house.
Read MoreDismantling this visa and debt bondage scheme wasn’t achieved easily — our teams worked with law enforcement and other NGOs over a period of months to help identify and take down this trafficking ring.
Read MoreLIFT wanted to help Fai sue her trafficker for civil compensation, but first, Fai had to want to be a part of the process and be willing to fight for herself. Fai had told her story to officials repeatedly, each time being traumatized by the ordeal of having to re-live it.
Read MoreWe take people's claims seriously and investigate their stories to protect them from further harm. Being people-focused means that each and every one of our cases is about advocating for justice on behalf of the exploited and abused.
Read MorePeople often ask why young women who are trafficked don’t “just leave” if they aren’t being held by physical restraint. Chanh is an example of how there are chains stronger than physical restraints.
Read MoreDao’s virginity was sold before she had her first period. “I didn’t know what sex was,” she explains. “I had no education. I didn’t know what was happening — I was scared the first time.”
Read MoreShe was brought to Thailand by her own relatives; she couldn’t find a trusted person to bring her back to Laos, which was already an illegal journey since she had overstayed her border pass. A LIFT investigator identified her as a trafficking victim. One night, police and LIFT’s team joined forces to remove her from exploitation.
Read MoreThe lives of our clients and their families are forever impacted by the trauma of exploitation, but we have found that the financial and emotional significance of compensation helps them begin to heal. We also see judgments like this as a way to create criminal deterrence -- trafficking should never be profitable or tolerated.
Read More
