Human Trafficking

Overview

Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to make someone work against their will. Victims of human trafficking are often threatened with violence to themselves or their families, lured with false promises of well-paying jobs or future benefits such as green cards, told they must work for free or for little wages or to pay off debts, threatened with deportation or false arrest or are otherwise manipulated to compel labor.

Both the federal government and the New York State government have passed laws that criminalize human trafficking and provide services for victims. The Division of Compliance and Education (DOCE) coordinates the New York State Department of Labor's (the Department) anti-human trafficking efforts, including receiving and investigating tips of possible trafficking, helping individuals in filing claims for back wages, providing referrals to social service agencies, and, where appropriate, providing certifications for visas for victims of certain qualifying crimes. DOCE additionally raises public awareness through outreach presentations to community organizations, workers, and employers. DOCE also participates in regional task forces, which bring together advocates and law enforcement to coordinate responses to human trafficking.

Reporting, Awareness, and Prevention

To report labor trafficking, request certifications for U or T visas, or schedule a Human Trafficking awareness presentation, please call the Division of Compliance and Education at 877-466-9757 or E-mail [email protected].

If a labor dispute involves a non-citizen worker, they have the option to ask the Department of Labor for a Statement of Interest (SOI). For further information about how to request an SOI, please visit our Statement of Interest web page.

Additionally, you can download the Prosecutorial Discretion Resource Card to gain a better understanding of the process.

Statewide:

If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of labor trafficking:

E-mail [email protected].

Or call 877-466-9757 Monday through Friday 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. Eastern time.

Nationally:

Call the National Human Trafficking Hot-line 1-888-373-7888 24 hours a day.

Text "BeFree" (233733)

Live Chat: humantraffickinghotline.org

Resources - Posters, Cards and More

Human Trafficking Poster

We have a human trafficking awareness and prevention poster that is available for download in two sizes.

Human Trafficking Brochure

For additional information about human trafficking and the Department of Labor's anti-trafficking programs, please download or request a copy of the Department of Labor's Human Trafficking tri-fold brochure. It is an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper that folds into an 3.7" x 8" brochure or pamphlet. The brochure is also available in the following languages:

English, عربى (Arabic), বাঙালি (Bengali), Burmese, 中文 (Chinese), Française (French), Kreyòl ayisyen (Haitian-Creole), हिन्दी (Hindi), Italiano (Italian), 한국어 (Korean),

Lao, Malay, Polski (Polish), Português (Portuguese), Русский (Russian), Español (Spanish), සිංහල (Sinhala), தமிழ் (Tamil), Thai, Українська (Ukrainian),

اردو (Urdu), Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese), Tagalog

You can request copies of the tri-fold Human Trafficking Brochure in any of these languages through our on-line request form at: https://dol.ny.gov/contact-department-labor-1.

Human Trafficking Resource Card

The Department of Labor also created a 4" x 9" Human Trafficking Resource Card in the following languages:

Lao, Malay, Polski (Polish), Português (Portuguese), Русский (Russian), Español (Spanish), සිංහල (Sinhala), தமிழ் (Tamil), Thai, Українська (Ukrainian),

اردو (Urdu), Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese), Tagalog, (יידיש) Yiddish

You can request copies of the 4" x 9" human trafficking resource card in any of these languages through our on-line request form at: https://dol.ny.gov/contact-department-labor-1.

Human Trafficking Wallet Card

The Department of Labor also created a business card-sized Human Trafficking Wallet Card. It is a 6" x 3.5" card that folds down to 2" x 3.5". It is available in the following languages:

Lao, Malay, Polski (Polish), Português (Portuguese), Русский (Russian), Español (Spanish), සිංහල (Sinhala), اردو (Urdu), தமிழ் (Tamil), Thai,

Українська (Ukrainian), Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese), Tagalog, (יידיש) Yiddish

You can request copies of the human trafficking wallet card in any of these languages through our on-line request form at: https://dol.ny.gov/contact-department-labor-1.