INTERNATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE ROLE OF LABOUR INSPECTION: BRAZIL’S FIRST RECOGNITION OF MODERN SLAVERY BEYOND ITS NATIONAL BORDERS, AN ANALYSIS OF THE WHITE SAND CAMBODIA CASE

O PRIMEIRO CASO BRASILEIRO DE RECONHECIMENTO DE TRABALHO ANÁLOGO AO DE ESCRAVIZADO ALÉM DAS FRONTEIRAS NACIONAIS, UMA ANÁLISE DO CASO WHITE SAND CAMBOJA

Abstract

This article examines the unprecedented role of the Brazilian Labour Inspection in addressing the international trafficking of persons for labour exploitation, based on the first officially recognised case of work in conditions analogous to slavery involving Brazilian men and women trafficked beyond the national borders. The operation was carried out in 2023 by the Special Mobile Inspection Group (GEFM) and resulted in the rescue of 25 victims of international human trafficking. Known as the “White Sand Cambodia Case,” the operation constituted a legal and institutional milestone, as it applied Brazilian legislation on contemporary slavery within a transnational context, thereby expanding the traditional boundaries of labour inspection jurisdiction. The article offers a detailed account of the situational diagnosis, the methods employed, the stages of implementation, the main outcomes, the legal and operational challenges encountered, and the potential ripple effects in similar contexts. This experience reinforces the leading role of Labour Inspection in defending human rights and highlights its institutional capacity to adapt to the evolving, transnational configurations of modern slavery.