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SLAVERY IN LOCKDOWN: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

As England lockdown part two kicks in, spare a thought for people vulnerable to or living in exploitation. Many car washes and nail bars – places where forced labour is often found – disappeared or closed during the pandemic, but that’s not to say modern slavery has disappeared too. It just goes underground and, in fact, could even get worse.

Here are seven things you need to know about modern slavery during the new lockdown.

1) Those in unsteady jobs, zero-hour contracts and industries such as hospitality which will have to close during lockdown might be forced to accept work in poor conditions or be at risk of exploitation during this time.

2) People financially struggling after the first lockdown will be more badly hit the second time around and be more vulnerable to exploitation – for example, taking on risky work, sex work or working for less than minimum wage.

3) The high-risk sectors of construction and agriculture will continue to function during lockdown, and with fewer people around to notice forced labour taking place, exploiters have a free hand to operate. Find out how to spot the signs of exploitation.

4) With increased demand for goods online and some people stockpiling, online shops and supermarkets will be over-stretched. This means some businesses will have to recruit large numbers of people in a relatively short space of time to work in warehouses, distribution, logistics, transportation, on farms, and as casual workers in retail. With such pressure to recruit, normal checks might be overlooked and exploiters will take advantage of the gaps by infiltrating supply chains.

5) Closure of non-essential services, such as housing support, food banks and soup kitchens, means victims who use them for some interaction with others will lose this important contact. As a result there is less opportunity to reach out for help, and potential victims might feel that staying with exploiters is safer than ending up on the street.

6) Covid-19 and lockdown, compounded by a looming Brexit, means out-of-work EU nationals living in the UK face an uncertain future about their status. This makes them more vulnerable to offers from exploiters or threats of being reported to authorities.

7) A significant chunk of Unseen’s Modern Slavery Helpline calls come from members of the public who have observed something suspicious. But with the public staying at home, exploitation is less likely to be spotted.

Learn to spot the signs of modern slavery and help keep people safe from exploitation during the Covid-19 pandemic and during lockdowns.

SPOT THE SIGNS OF MODERN SLAVERY

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Justine Currell

As I came to understand more about the issue, including through a visit to an Unseen safehouse, I knew I needed to do more to stop this abuse and exploitation.

For the last five years of my Civil Service career, I was the Modern Slavery Senior Policy Advisor in the Home Office and led on development of the Modern Slavery Act, including the transparency in supply chains provision and business guidance.

I joined Unseen to lead the development of the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline, and Unseen’s work with businesses. I am regularly called upon to present at national and international conferences and use my experience of working with Ministers to influence other governments internationally to take action to address modern slavery and, in particular, business supply chain issues.

In my spare time I enjoy keeping fit, music, reading and travelling.

Andrew Wallis

What ultimately compelled me to act was a report on how people from Eastern Europe were being trafficked through Bristol airport to the USA. Kate Garbers, who went on to be an Unseen Director, and I wrote to all the city councillors, MPs and the Police Chief Constable challenging them on the issue. The challenge came back to us: this city needs safe housing for trafficked women. And so Unseen began.

But we never wanted Unseen to be just about safe housing. We wanted to end slavery once and for all, and that remains our driving focus.

I chaired the working group for the Centre for Social Justice’s landmark report “It Happens Here: Equipping the United Kingdom to Fight Modern Slavery”. This is now acknowledged as the catalyst behind the UK’s Modern Slavery Act of 2015. It was a great honour to be awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours that year. On the other hand, I’ve also been described as “the loveliest disrupter you could ever hope to meet”.

This job has taken me from building flat-pack furniture for safehouses, to working with businesses to address slavery in supply chains, to delivering training, raising awareness and advising governments around the world.

When not at work, I enjoy travelling, spending time with my dog Harley, cooking, supporting Liverpool and Yorkshire CC, music (I’m a former DJ) and endurance events such as the Three Peaks Challenge and Tribe Freedom Runs – which I vow never to do again. Until the next time.