Thursday, 17 March 2011

Cambodia recruitment firm 'detained staff illegally'

 via CAAI

Cambodians often seek work abroad due to low and limited options at home


Cambodian police have asked prosecutors to charge a recruitment company with illegally detaining its staff.

The firm has been under investigation since one woman died and another was hurt at its training centre this month.

T&P's lawyer has denied the company has done anything wrong and says its training programmes comply with Cambodia's labour laws.

It is one of a growing number of firms which are training Cambodians to work overseas - often as domestic staff.

The T&P company is facing serious allegations.

One young woman was so desperate to escape its facility in Phnom Penh that she jumped from a window, breaking both her legs.

She has since said that she was not allowed to leave the centre at any time.

Days later, a woman in her 30s died from a suspected heart attack.

Her husband has complained that she had been feeling sick for days - but the company had not allowed her to leave.

Other staff have alleged that they have not been allowed to leave the training facility to visit their families.

Human rights organisations have also raised concerns about other labour brokers.

T&P is one of a growing number of companies which recruit and train Cambodians to work overseas.

It is an attractive option to many young people - around a quarter of a million of them come onto the job market each year - and the options at home are limited.

Migrant workers send back a total of more than $300m (£186m) a year to their families.

But some complain about poor treatment on their return.

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