The Risks and Harms Associated with Modern Slavery during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United Kingdom: A Multi-Method Study

Such, Elizabeth; Gardner, Alison; Dang, Minh; Wright, Nicola; Bravo-Balsa, Liana; Brotherton, Vicky; Browne, Hannah; Esiovwa, Nancy; Jiménez, Erika; Lucas, Ben; Wyman, Emily; Trodd, Zoe

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has considerably affected global economies and societies, exacerbating existing social inequalities. This “syndemic” pandemic has placed people and communities affected by modern slavery and human trafficking at elevated risk of multiple harms. This paper uses a mix of methods – an evidence synthesis, a survivor survey, web-monitoring, and dialogue events – to explore how COVID-19 has affected the risks and pathways to harm associated with modern slavery/human trafficking in the UK. We use concepts of hazard, risk, exposure, and harm and the tools of public health risk and resilience assessment to examine how COVID-19 has amplified existing risks of harm and generated new pathways to further harm. We also use a novel complex systems approach to represent risk relationships and demonstrate how the economic shock of COVID-19 and mandated social isolation have led to negative outcomes for affected people. The paper provides policy and practice insight into interventions can be implemented across systems to minimize exploitation and how locally led intervention can offset the damaging effects of the pandemic (SDGs 5 & 16).

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 22, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Apr 8, 2023
• Deposit Date: Apr 17, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 20, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Human Trafficking
• Print ISSN: 2332-2705
• Electronic ISSN: 2332-2713
• Publisher: Informa UK Limited
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 1-21
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23322705.2023.2194760
• Keywords: COVID-19; modern slavery; human trafficking; complex system; risks
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/19465552
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=uhmt20; Published: 2023-04-08