Airbnb funds multilingual resources to combat human trafficking

The translation of the directory has been subsidised by Airbnb to increase its accessibility and effectiveness on a global scale.

Airbnb has bolstered its efforts to combat human trafficking by announcing the expansion of the Global Modern Slavery Directory into six additional languages. This initiative is part of the company's ongoing partnership with Polaris, a leading anti-trafficking organization.

Airbnb is also providing additional funds for Polaris to update their data capabilities to bolster their anti-human trafficking efforts.(Reuters file photo)

The directory, which is now available in Arabic, Russian, Malay, Hindi, Tagalog, and Ukrainian, provides a critical resource for victims and survivors of human trafficking, offering a straightforward way to connect with support agencies worldwide. The translation of this directory has been subsidised by Airbnb to increase its accessibility and effectiveness on a global scale.

In addition to translating the directory, Airbnb will provide further funding to Polaris to enhance their data capabilities, aiming to improve support for survivors and strengthen efforts against human trafficking.

Patrick McIntyre, Chief Development & External Affairs Officer at Polaris, said, “The Global Modern Slavery Directory is a vital resource for victims and survivors of human trafficking to identify and contact agencies that are best suited to help them. By making the Directory available in six new languages, we make this resource accessible to more people than ever. Airbnb has been a vital partner in this effort, and we are grateful for their continued support in our pursuit of a world where no one is exploited and everyone has the freedom, power, and opportunity to choose how they live and work.”

Tara Bunch, Airbnb’s Global Head of Operations, highlighted the company's commitment to addressing human trafficking. “While reported incidents on Airbnb are rare, we remain committed to using our platform’s global reach and community to play a role in the fight against human trafficking and exploitation. We’re proud to partner with organizations such as Polaris and support the vital work they do to tackle this issue and support survivors and victims around the world,” Bunch said.

Since 2018, Airbnb has partnered with Polaris, which operates the US Human Trafficking Hotline, to leverage its global network in support of anti-trafficking efforts.