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Empire Files: Buying a Slave — the Hidden World of US-Philippines Trafficking

In the United States, tens of thousands are trafficked annually — the biggest clients being major hotel chains and foreign diplomats.

Human trafficking is a hidden industry that brings in $150 billion in illegal profits every year. In the United States, tens of thousands are trafficked annually — the biggest clients being major hotel chains and foreign diplomats.

The Philippines is one of the largest labor exporters in the world. 6,000 Filipinos — mostly women — leave the country every single day to work, because of mass unemployment and poverty. Tricked by placement agencies, thousands end up living as virtual slaves.

Damayan, a New York-based organization led by Filipina domestic workers, is fighting this underground crisis. Abby Martin speaks to several members of the organization about how this exodus of women has devastated a generation of families, and how they are fighting back.

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