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Look around – modern slavery is more common than you might think Look around – modern slavery is more common than you might think
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There has been universal shock at the discovery of three women in south London who police believe have been enslaved for 30 years, "hidden in plain sight" as one commentator put it. Thirty years is a shockingly long time, but modern slavery is more prevalent than we realise. The details that have emerged so far are scant; some of it fits into the picture of modern slavery in Britain and some of it doesn't. As I have previously argued, the defining feature of modern slavery is entrapment – physical, psychological and financial – often sustained through violence or threats of violence. The purpose is to extract free or almost free labour: domestic or sexual slavery or jobs described as dirty, difficult and dangerous in construction, catering, cleaning and caring.There has been universal shock at the discovery of three women in south London who police believe have been enslaved for 30 years, "hidden in plain sight" as one commentator put it. Thirty years is a shockingly long time, but modern slavery is more prevalent than we realise. The details that have emerged so far are scant; some of it fits into the picture of modern slavery in Britain and some of it doesn't. As I have previously argued, the defining feature of modern slavery is entrapment – physical, psychological and financial – often sustained through violence or threats of violence. The purpose is to extract free or almost free labour: domestic or sexual slavery or jobs described as dirty, difficult and dangerous in construction, catering, cleaning and caring.
Aneeta Prem, founder of the Freedom Charity, who was involved in helping the women to freedom and safety, says that they lived in "an ordinary house in an ordinary street". That is the paradox of slavery in Britain: it is both hidden and visible. If you take a walk on a Sunday in London's Hyde Park, you will spot many a family with a domestic worker in tow, perhaps of a Filipina or south Asian background, lagging behind with a sense of deference. She may be a domestic worker on a work visa with satisfactory working conditions or she may be working long hours for little or no money – even being beaten or starved or sexually abused, and in some cases, all three. The boundaries between slavery and employment becoming very blurred indeed.Aneeta Prem, founder of the Freedom Charity, who was involved in helping the women to freedom and safety, says that they lived in "an ordinary house in an ordinary street". That is the paradox of slavery in Britain: it is both hidden and visible. If you take a walk on a Sunday in London's Hyde Park, you will spot many a family with a domestic worker in tow, perhaps of a Filipina or south Asian background, lagging behind with a sense of deference. She may be a domestic worker on a work visa with satisfactory working conditions or she may be working long hours for little or no money – even being beaten or starved or sexually abused, and in some cases, all three. The boundaries between slavery and employment becoming very blurred indeed.
According to the police, this is the first time they have come across a case where the victims have been imprisoned for so long. This is more about detection (or lack of) than the fact that slavery is a short-lived phenomenon. Denise Marshall, director of Eaves Housing, which supports trafficked women, tells the story of a Chinese woman who was kept in a flat to service Chinese men: "The only way we got wind of her was her trafficker tried to murder her, and she ended up in hospital on a life-support system. They thought she was dead." It is quite possible that there are people who live an entire lifetime, undetected, in such circumstances.According to the police, this is the first time they have come across a case where the victims have been imprisoned for so long. This is more about detection (or lack of) than the fact that slavery is a short-lived phenomenon. Denise Marshall, director of Eaves Housing, which supports trafficked women, tells the story of a Chinese woman who was kept in a flat to service Chinese men: "The only way we got wind of her was her trafficker tried to murder her, and she ended up in hospital on a life-support system. They thought she was dead." It is quite possible that there are people who live an entire lifetime, undetected, in such circumstances.
There has also been a fair amount of bewilderment in the media that the women had apparently had "some controlled freedom", which may seem at odds with slavery. But if you have been isolated for 30 years, have no friends, family or money and live in terror of your persecutors, then the bars that have been erected inside your mind will be as effective as any physical restraint. This state of mind has been described by one of the homeless men who had been enslaved in another well-publicised case earlier this year. "It was like being an animal in a cage. The animal tended to fly about, then automatically go back to the cage because it was used to it." The men had been recruited from soup kitchens with promises of paid work and lodgings: they were vulnerable to exploitation because they were homeless and alcohol dependent. And that is another key feature of slavery – the victims are vulnerable by virtue of poverty, learning difficulties or most frequently through their lack of immigration status. There has also been a fair amount of bewilderment in the media that the women had apparently had "some controlled freedom", which may seem at odds with slavery. But if you have been isolated for 30 years, have no friends, family or money and live in terror of your persecutors, then the bars that have been erected inside your mind will be as effective as any physical restraint. This state of mind has been described by one of the homeless men who had been enslaved in another well-publicised case last year. "It was like being an animal in a cage. The animal tended to fly about, then automatically go back to the cage because it was used to it." The men had been recruited from soup kitchens with promises of paid work and lodgings: they were vulnerable to exploitation because they were homeless and alcohol dependent. And that is another key feature of slavery – the victims are vulnerable by virtue of poverty, learning difficulties or most frequently through their lack of immigration status.
We do not know enough about these women yet to understand what made them so ripe for the picking. The nationalities of the three women are reported to be British, Irish and Malaysian. It is possible that the Malaysian woman did not have the right to remain here; we will have to wait and see. To that extent, these cases are atypical of modern slavery: the vast majority of people who find themselves in situations of extreme exploitation are usually those whose immigration status is uncertain, whose passports are held by unscrupulous employers, violent husbands, traffickers, or pimps. If you add a lack of papers, a lack of English and lack of knowledge of how this society works, you see how indestructible their shackles become.We do not know enough about these women yet to understand what made them so ripe for the picking. The nationalities of the three women are reported to be British, Irish and Malaysian. It is possible that the Malaysian woman did not have the right to remain here; we will have to wait and see. To that extent, these cases are atypical of modern slavery: the vast majority of people who find themselves in situations of extreme exploitation are usually those whose immigration status is uncertain, whose passports are held by unscrupulous employers, violent husbands, traffickers, or pimps. If you add a lack of papers, a lack of English and lack of knowledge of how this society works, you see how indestructible their shackles become.
Cases like this really highlight the need to set up alternative neighbourhood watches – not the kind that criminalise non-conformists/outsiders – but those that keep an eye out for people in need of our support. There are some heartwarming stories about neighbours coming to the rescue of "failed" asylum seekers in dawn raids by the Border Force staff, but there is no systematic network for those locked away in homes and who may be known to their neighbours.Cases like this really highlight the need to set up alternative neighbourhood watches – not the kind that criminalise non-conformists/outsiders – but those that keep an eye out for people in need of our support. There are some heartwarming stories about neighbours coming to the rescue of "failed" asylum seekers in dawn raids by the Border Force staff, but there is no systematic network for those locked away in homes and who may be known to their neighbours.
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