NPR

In U.S. Restaurants, Bars And Food Trucks, 'Modern Slavery' Persists

A new report highlights victims of human trafficking in the food industry, from farm workers to restaurant cooks and wait staff. Some victims are exploited for both sex and labor.
A new report highlights victims of human trafficking in the food industry, from farm workers to restaurant bus staff, cooks and wait staff. Some victims are exploited for both sex and labor.

They come from places like Vietnam, China, Mexico and Guatemala, lured by promises of better-paying jobs and legal immigration. Instead, they're smuggled into the U.S., forced to work around the clock as bussers, wait staff and cooks, and housed in cramped living quarters. For this, they must pay exorbitant fees that become an insurmountable debt, even as their pay is often withheld, stolen or unfairly docked.

In restaurants, bars and food trucks across America, by Polaris, an organization that fights human trafficking and helps survivors.

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