As featured in...
Highlight Press
Granting victims of human trafficking access to compensation
39 Vietnamese migrants tragically died in a lorry container. Pacific Links Foundation fought on behalf of the victims' families for reparations.
Prioritizing the Social Impact of Our Supply Chain
“One of the biggest ways to combat human trafficking is to support local anti-trafficking organizations,” Daniels explained. ...One example is how in 2018, we partnered with Pacific Links Foundation to implement the Factory Awareness to Counter Trafficking (FACT) program in factories in Vietnam.
French Criminal Court hands down judgment in “Essex 39” case
On Friday 10 November 2023, the 33rd Chambre Correctionnelle du Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris has passed down its judgment that a damages award should be made in favour of the represented victims.
We Invest with Intention
We are committed to supporting organizations that work to improve the lives of those within our supply chain. Through longstanding partnerships with Pacific Links Foundation and HERproject™, we are investing in women’s empowerment and well-being and fighting modern slavery, and human trafficking.
US ambassador addresses human trafficking in Vietnam border province
US Ambassador Knapper learned about the challenges facing trafficking survivors once they return to their communities when he visited Compassion House in Lao Cai Town, a government-owned shelter for trafficking survivors run by the NGO Pacific Links Foundation.
How EU police disrupted Vietnamese human trafficking rings
Vietnamese human trafficking syndicates have been targeted this year by pan-European police busts. However, the root causes of undocumented immigration remain. Photo Credit:
“I didn’t feel human”
Mo* is from the Lai Chau Province of Vietnam. When she was just 13 years old, she and her older sister were tricked into believing that they were being offered work in China. Instead, they were trafficked and sold into slavery.
Human Traffickers Must Pay for their Crimes
Pacific Links Foundation and global law firm Hogan Lovells secured this historic win for a number of families of the "Essex 39." The Belgian court ruled that a damages award should be made in favor of a number of victims who died in a refrigerated lorry in October 2019.
Landmark Win in Essex Lorry Tragedy
Pacific Links Foundation and global law firm Hogan Lovells secured this historic win for a number of families of the "Essex 39." The Belgian court ruled that a damages award should be made in favor of a number of victims who died in a refrigerated lorry in October 2019.
Saks Holiday Show
So thrilled to see our work being highlighted by Michelle Obama and the Girls Opportunity Alliance during the Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday Show!!! See the shout-out from the Former First Lady of the United States around 10:40
Vietnam: Human trafficking on the rise amid COVID
Rights groups have warned about increasing human trafficking as the pandemic pushes many vulnerable individuals to the brink. They say that despite closed borders, people are crossing illegally into China and Myanmar.
Vietnamese migrants undeterred by Essex lorry deaths
"Campaigners against people smuggling say aspirant migrants choose to ignore ‘hard facts.’"
Vietnam truck tragedy does little to discourage human smuggling trade
“I’m sorry, mother. My journey has failed. I’m dying, I can't breathe.” Pham Thi Tra My was one of 39 Vietnamese people found dead in a container truck in Essex, southeast England, in October 2019. ...A UK court found seven people guilty of smuggling and manslaughter on January 22. Her family still keeps the last message she sent them."
Handelsware Kind - die Mafia der Menschenhändler
"Vietnamese children and young people have been disappearing in Germany for years. Behind this are unscrupulous human traffickers. Many of the young Vietnamese end up as work slaves. The film tells their story."
Handelsware Kind
"Vietnamese children and young people have been disappearing in Germany for years. Behind this are unscrupulous human traffickers. Many of the young Vietnamese end up as work slaves. The film tells their story."
Responding to Central Vietnam’s Floods and Landslides
Local NGOs bring aid to flood and landslide-affected communities in Central Vietnam.
Poverty, Child Labour And Trafficking In Vietnam
"In the case of Vietnam – as is often the case whenever child trafficking is concerned – poverty is a significant factor in the trafficking of children."
Reintegration shelter for human trafficking victims in Lào Cai
"The house has helped hundreds of women overcome the trauma of their ordeals so they can find work and reintegrate into society."
Truck deaths highlight UK’s lucrative people smuggling networks
"The UK had for years been a lucrative people-smuggling destination."
How Migration From Vietnam Ends In Tragedy In The UK
"It’s hard to imagine the last moments of the people confined to a truck, likely close to their destination. But research on the experiences of Vietnamese people who are smuggled or trafficked into the UK does provide some information on these journeys and why they’re undertaken."
European countries are ‘passing the buck’ and not protecting Vietnamese children: Report
"The research, conducted by Anti-Slavery International, ECPAT UK, and Pacific Links Foundation, alleges different governments across the EU are ‘passing the buck’ when it comes to protecting the vulnerable youngsters."
European governments failing to protect Vietnamese child trafficking victims as they are smuggled to UK
"Charities have warned that thousands of children smuggled into Britain from Vietnam are being abused and exploited while traveling through European countries such as France, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Poland."
'Police didn't help me': Europe ignoring abuse of trafficked Vietnamese children
"Thousands of children trafficked from Vietnam to the UK are being abused and exploited in transit through Europe because governments are “passing the buck” on their protection, research has found."
Extent of abused Vietnamese children trafficked to Europe 'shocking'
"Dung, a child from Vietnam, was kidnapped by women who pitied her and offered her food. She fainted and woke up later in a house in China. After a few days, she was forced to travel and found herself in Europe, although she was never told which country she was in."
Pacific Links Foundation Co-Founder Diep N. Vuong Awarded Prestigious Global Citizen Award®
Dr. Christian H. Kälin, Group Chairman of Henley & Partners, says, “The Global Citizen Award is granted each year to an inspiring individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the global community by advancing efforts to combat one of today’s pressing ‘global issues’, defined by the UN as those problems that transcend national boundaries and cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone.”
Demand for wives in China endangers women who live on its borders
The Economist featured Pacific Links Foundation and our trafficking survivors in their article on the Vietnamese bride trafficking trade into China. The article is written from both the Vietnam and China sides of the border and gives a different perspective of this destructive yet lucrative trade.
Charity seeks footballers to tackle Vietnamese slave trade
"In Vietnam, they're obsessed with the Premier League," she [Mimi Vu] said. "The idea of the campaign is to say, "Who's your home team? It's your family, so stay with your family."
Inside Vietnam City, the French holding camp for vulnerable UK-bound migrants
Hidden in woodland, camp houses up to 100 Vietnamese people allegedly on their way to work illegally in Britain.
Pacific Links Foundation: The Battle Against Human Trafficking
Our conversation led us down the dark paths of human trafficking, an international wholesale of individual lives. But through a recounting of past events, we uncover a new and deeper understanding of family and self-sacrifice in Vietnamese culture.
'I hope you’re ready to get married': in search of Vietnam's kidnapped brides
The Guardian wonderfully captured the complexities of human trafficking of Vietnamese women and girls to China, and why Pacific Links Foundation's work is so important in preventing it and supporting survivors after they've returned.
My family fled Vietnam for America. It took 17 years for us to be reunited
From a youth who was stateless, I am now able to assist those who get stranded crossing borders.
Vietnamese child bride: I was tricked into being sold
CNN joins Pacific Links Foundation in Northern Vietnam to share the stories of trafficking survivors and spotlight our work to prevent trafficking.
Police save girls from trafficking in Vietnam
CNN joins Pacific Links Foundation in Northern Vietnam to share the stories of trafficking survivors and spotlight our work to prevent trafficking.
Vietnamese girls smuggled into China and sold as child brides
While preparing for university along the border in northern Vietnam, a friend she met online asked her to a group dinner. When she was tired and wanted to go home, the people asked her to stay and talk and have a drink. The next thing she knew, she had been smuggled across the border to China.
Jeannie Mai: Embracing My Vietnamese-American Heritage Has 'Made Me Who I Am'
I’m committed to doing everything I can to put an end to it,” Mai said.
Vietnam Trafficking Activist
PBS spotlight the issue of trafficking in Vietnam, stories of trafficking survivors and our work with trafficking survivors.
Our Vietnamese Hearts: The Diaspora 38 Years Later
"Increasingly, Vietnamese Americans are playing central roles in the philanthropy sector," she [Diep Vuong] said. "As for me, I can't just sit and do nothing. Any of those girls being sold to Cambodia or China could be a cousin or a child of an old friend."
How I Escaped the Brothel in Cambodia: One Young Vietnamese Woman's Story
We went by motorcycle taxi, and we went to this man's house and two men and a woman showed up and they ended up taking us via country roads through rice fields [to avoid the police] and soon we were in Cambodia - without papers.
Other Press
October 26, 2019 – The Telegraph
Bride market trafficks Pakistani Christian women to China
May 7, 2019 – Associated Press
“In China, demand for foreign brides has mounted, a legacy of the one-child policy that skewed the country’s gender balance toward males. Brides initially came largely from Vietnam, Laos and North Korea. Now men are looking further afield, said Mimi Vu, director of advocacy at Pacific Links, which helps trafficked Vietnamese women.”
Europe accused of failing UK-bound children trafficked from Vietnam
March 6, 2019 – Reuters
“Thousands of children trafficked to Britain from Vietnam are being abused and exploited while traveling through Europe as governments pass the buck on their protection amid growing anti-immigration sentiment, three charities said on Thursday.”
Pacific Links Foundation Co-Founder Diep N. Vuong Awarded Prestigious Global Citizen Award
November 8, 2018 – Henley & Partners
Dr. Christian H. Kälin, Group Chairman of Henley & Partners, says, “The Global Citizen Award is granted each year to an inspiring individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the global community by advancing efforts to combat one of today’s pressing ‘global issues’, defined by the UN as those problems that transcend national boundaries and cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone.”
Scotland sets sights on slavery as more Vietnamese chase “pot of gold”
September 18, 2018 – Reuters
“No matter how many hurdles stand before them, or how many warnings they receive, the lure of wealth in the West is too strong to resist for many young Vietnamese”, said Mimi Vu of Pacific Links Foundation.
Scrapping China’s two-child policy boosts hope to end bride trafficking
August 29, 2018 – Reuters
“Any relaxation of China’s family planning policy is welcome, but the effects could take a generation, said Diep Vuong, president of the U.S.-based Pacific Links Foundation, which campaigns against the trafficking of Vietnamese people
“Female babies born now won’t be of marriageable age for many years,” she said.”
July 31, 2018 – U23 Star Goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung
Exciting news! We are so proud to announce Pacific Links Foundation’s new Ambassador, Mr. Bui Tien Dung, in honor of World Day against Trafficking in Persons!!! As the star goalkeeper for the Vietnam U23 National Team and FLC Thanh Hóa F.C., Dung is committed to helping us prevent the trafficking of Vietnamese women, men, and children all over the world. We look forward to having Dung join the Pacific Links Foundation family, visiting schools, factories and communities, and appearing in our media campaign to help spread the message of trafficking prevention to tens of thousands of students, parents, and workers all over Vietnam.
A huge “THANK YOU” to Dung, FLC’s Ms. Vu Thi Minh Hue and Ms. Mẫn, the UK Home Office and Modern Slavery Innovation Fund, THE PURPOSE GROUP, Kate Pattamanivat, Annabel Nguyen, Tue Ngo Minh, Jenni Trang Lê (Producer), Thy Bùi (Co-Producer), Nguyễn Ngọc Bích Trang (Director/ Writer), Tiêu Huệ Châu (Assistant Director), Nguyễn Phi Long (Camera Operator), Trần Quốc Nhật Toàn (Editor), and all of our friends and supporters—we could never do this work without you!
Demand for wives in China endangers women who live on its borders
November 4, 2017 – The Economist
The Economist featured Pacific Links Foundation and our trafficking survivors in their article on the Vietnamese bride trafficking trade into China. The article is written from both the Vietnam and China sides of the border and gives a different perspective of this destructive yet lucrative trade.
UK anti-slavery drive must stop victims before they leave Vietnam
October 19, 2017 – Reuters
“Vietnam consistently ranks as one of the top three source countries for victims of modern slavery in Britain. Most victims are women and children, who are often forced to work in cannabis cultivation and nail bars, and also trapped in prostitution.”
October 18, 2017 – Evening Standard
Mimi Vu, our Director of Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships, shares about Pacific Links Foundation’s work in the fight against forced labor.
October 17, 2017 – The Independent
“The reality of how cannabis is grown in the UK has been revealed in a short film exposing how Vietnamese children are transported across the world and forced to grow drugs in British houses.”
Mimi Vu on the fight against human trafficking
July 31, 2017 – CGTN America
CGTN’s Rachelle Akuffo spoke to Mimi Vu, director of advocacy and strategic partnerships at Pacific Links Foundation, about different countries’ efforts to eradicate human trafficking.
November 2, 2016 – The Real
We are humbled by the love that Mama Mai and Jeannie Mai have for us and their commitment to fighting human trafficking. Watch Mama Mai take on The Real claw to raise funds for Pacific Links Foundation and spread awareness about human trafficking.
Asks President Obama at YSEALI Town Hall
May 25, 2016 – Pacific Links Foundation
A Pacific Links staff member asks President Obama a question regarding the U.S. government’s efforts to prevent human trafficking in the global supply chain at the YSEALI Town Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on May 25, 2016.
Trafficking of Vietnamese women for sex and marriage expands across the region
May 18, 2016 – Reuters
“The trafficking of women to China for sex work or forced marriage is expanding across Vietnam, an expert said, predicting that more Vietnamese women will be trafficked across Southeast Asia as the region moves toward freer trade.”
March 6, 2015 – Wendy’s Lookbook Coverage
Wendy highlights her meals and conversation with extraordinary people in Vietnam including a discussion about the issue of trafficking and our work to prevent trafficking.
September 27, 2013 – Talisman
Today marked the MOU signing ceremony with Talisman Vietnam to support 125 school scholarships in Tien Giang and An Giang provinces. The ceremony was witnessed by Mr. Wayne Robsen, Canada’s new Consul General in HCMC. This marks Talisman’s second year of supporting Pacific Links Foundation, and we couldn’t be prouder to have them as a partner. VIEW VIETNAMESE PRESS RELEASE
Vietnamese-American Entrepreneurs Seek Opportunity in Homeland
April 27, 2010 – PBS
“The mother, being 36, maybe not at risk, but the little girl going to Saigon, where the mother has no time to take care of her, will be at extreme risk.”
IN VIETNAM, TEENAGE DAUGHTERS SOLD INTO SEX SLAVERY
June 3, 2009 – The Mercury News
“…It was, she says, the best chance to help her family — a chance to make considerably more money than she earns working 4 p.m to 4 a.m in the dump, sloshing around on rainy nights in knee-high sludge among swarms of other workers looking for bits of junk. …”
