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

Author: 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 and U.S. 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).

Keywords: COVID-19, modern slavery, human trafficking, complex system, risks