Common in the developing world, especially in construction, agriculture, manufacturing, and the sex industries, debt bondage is particularly pervasive and abusive at sea because these workers are so isolated. In Thailand, boat captains historically paid large up-front sums in advance to deckhands so that these workers could sustain their families during their long absences. However, because more of the deckhands were migrant workers, captains no longer paid the up-front money to the men themselves. Instead, these captains paid this money to the smugglers who snuck the deckhands into the
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