Does someone in your home force you to do excessive housework – like cooking, cleaning, and childcare – without a break, threaten you if you do not do the work, and control your daily life?
Do you want to leave the situation but are afraid or unsure how to?
Seeking help can be scary, but knowing your situation and making a plan is the first step toward a brighter future. We have put together this article to help you better understand what familial domestic servitude is and who to contact to access support. You do not need to be alone in this.
What is familial domestic servitude?
Familial domestic servitude is a form of modern slavery where someone is made to carry out excessive domestic work by a partner, their in-laws, or their own family, not by choice, but because they are under threat or coercion to do so. This can include:
- Cooking, cleaning, childcare, and gardening.
- Looking after extended, elderly, or disabled family members.
- Working long hours in the home without rest.
- Having no control over money or daily life.
At first glance, it may appear to be a typical household arrangement, but the crucial difference is that victims are forced or pressured into carrying out these duties rather than choosing to do them freely, and they are threatened with consequences if they refuse or attempt to leave
How is it different from domestic abuse?
There is notable overlap in presentation between domestic servitude and domestic abuse. Both can involve coercion, monitoring and control, and physical and/or emotional abuse. However, in domestic servitude situations there is a distinct intent to use a person for domestic labour – this labour becomes a main part of their “purpose” to the exploiter rather than being one aspect of an abusive relationship.
It is important to remember that although there are differences between domestic servitude and domestic abuse, both can be happening at the same time.
How do I know if I’m in domestic servitude?
If you are in a familial domestic servitude situation, a member of your family will try to control you, likely in multiple ways, in order to keep you there so they can force you to do extreme amounts of domestic work.
Control methods might include:
- Threats of reporting you to immigration or social services.
- Threats of deportation or losing your children.
- Physical or emotional abuse.
- Being constantly monitored or not allowed out alone.
- Including control or monitoring of your access to phones or computers, not allowing you to travel alone (dropping off/picking you up from places or always accompanying you places), or not allowing you to leave the house at all.
- Being cut off from friends, family, or support.
- Having no access to money.
- Withholding your identity documents or passport.
- Cultural pressure, shame, or “honour”-based control.
- Threats of homelessness.
- In some cases, control through addiction.
Even if you technically can leave the house, these control methods make it feel difficult to truly leave the situation.
Your day-to-day reality might look like:
- Doing excessive domestic work with no rest.
- You may only be expected to serve a spouse, or you may be expected to serve and entire household including in-laws and extended family.
- No personal time or independence.
- Rarely leaves the house, or never alone.
- Limited or no contact with others.
- Limited access to parts of the home.
- Constant tiredness.
- Untreated injuries or illness.
- Weight loss or signs of malnutrition.
- Being afraid of authority figures like police.
If your daily life looks like this, you may be in a familial domestic servitude situation.
How can I get help?
If you are in immediate danger, always call 999.
Make sure to reach out only when you feel it is safe to do so.
The Home Office has designated specific organisations as Modern Slavery First Responders, who have a legal duty to gather information about modern slavery, identify people in these situations, and refer them into the National Referral Mechanism to receive support.
The National Referral Mechanism is a system set up by the government to identify people in modern slavery situations. If you consent to being referred and are identified as a potential victim of modern slavery, you are entitled to support to help you recover and regain your independence.
There are many First Responder organisations you can choose to approach, depending on who you are most comfortable with and what your needs are.
Here is a chart detailing the various First Responders you can seek help from:
Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline (Unseen)
- 08000 121 700
- 8am-9pm, 365 days a year
- Online webform
If you are unable to reach out to one of these first responders but do have access to either a phone or a computer, you can contact the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline.
Helpline advisers can provide you with support and guidance, notify a first responder organisation for you with your consent, and help you make a safety plan. The Helpline is confidential and has interpreters available.
If you have more questions about how to access support, you can visit our FAQ page.