Hard to detect, easy to conceal

Opinion migrationtrade unionsworkers' rights Hard to detect, easy to conceal Work Relevant News From Fidias to Makarios and political decay 13 August 2026 Hard to detect, easy to conceal 13 August 2026 Remedica widens Clonotril recall: check your batch number 13 August 2026 Marios Demetriou 13 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The issue of labour exploitation of foreign workers in hotels and leisure establishments in Cyprus, discussed at the Step Up Stop Slavery conference held in Nicosia on 30 July 2026 as part of the European HOST project — and addressed by this column yesterday and the day before — also includes a reference to those among the migrant population who are most vulnerable: unaccompanied children. The conference was also attended by project manager Natasa Xenofontos Koudouna, from the Cyprus mission of the International Organization for Migration, who spoke about the project “Transition to Adulthood: Operation of Semi-Independent Living (SIL) Units for Unaccompanied Migrant Children (UMC) in Cyprus.” She said the project has been implemented by the International Organization for Migration since 2020 and is currently funded by the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection. It “provides accommodation, psychosocial support, life-skills development and integration services to unaccompanied migrant children as they prepare for independent adult life.” She added that “as part of its commitment to strengthening child protection and integrating unaccompanied children into the community, IOM Cyprus works actively with government authorities, particularly the Social Welfare Services, civil society organisations and private-sector bodies.” And, of course, the illegal trafficking of people for the purpose of labour exploitation is not confined to Cyprus, but affects Europe and the wider world. This international dimension of the problem was addressed online at the conference by Susan Kerr, head of the Human Rights Department at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), an autonomous OSCE institution. She said that “ODIHR’s mandate is to help prevent and combat human trafficking across its 57 participating States, stretching from the United States and Canada, across Europe and the Caucasus, to Central Asia and Mongolia. “Labour exploitation often takes place in plain sight,” she added, “and as labour markets become increasingly interconnected, it is becoming harder to detect and easier to conceal. “The scale of the problem is enormous, with around 28 million people worldwide trapped in situations of forced labour. The OSCE’s 2026 report confirms that the most widespread form of human trafficking across the OSCE region is trafficking for labour exploitation. “Many of the victims are migrant workers who have limited access to information about their rights, face language barriers, experience social isolation, or are heavily dependent on recruiters and employers.” Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News From Fidias to Makarios and political decay Remedica widens Clonotril recall: check your batch number Minor held with adult inmates at overcrowded Limassol centre Cyprus swelters under yellow heat warning, but the mountains are getting a taste of rain How climate change and El Niño supercharged Typhoon Dolphin Iran says no progress on reviving interim peace deal with US Cyprus banks on AI to boost tourism competitiveness Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.