Britain must be vigilant against human traffickers when it eases the coronavirus lockdown, the country’s anti-slavery chief said, warning of potential exploitation in industries such as hospitality that will be in a rush to recruit new workers.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to present this week a possible way out of the lockdown to revive the economy and allow people to return to work without triggering a second spike in COVID-19 cases. Yet traffickers could capitalise as businesses race to recruit low-paid workers, said Sara Thornton, who took up the post of independent anti-slavery commissioner a year ago.
Major hotels in Britain are failing to protect workers from debt bondage and sexual exploitation, according to a study last year by the human rights group Walk Free that found 75% of hospitality businesses were flouting anti-slavery legislation. Thornton said she was also concerned about the whereabouts and wellbeing of people who had been trafficked to Britain to work in informal sectors such as car washes and beauty salons.
Academics and activists have said trafficking victims who fall ill with COVID-19 are unlikely to seek help for fear of being exposed to authorities, while others may be driven further into debt as they can no longer work to pay off what they owe. A record 10,627 possible slavery victims were identified last year in Britain – up 52% from 2018. Labour exploitation was the most common form of abuse and victims came from countries such as Albania, Vietnam, China, Nigeria and India. People who say they have been enslaved enter the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and access care, from housing and healthcare to legal aid, while their claim is considered.
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
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