Policy & Research

Often, the term forced or compulsory labour conjures up images of child labour in cocoa farmsin Africa or the state-imposed exploitation of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang Province, China. However, the recent high profile case of victims exploited by a Czech crime family in a CambridgeshireMcDonald’s fast food restaurant and…

The introduction of the Modern Slavery Act in 2015 established the UK as a clear global leader in the fight against modern slavery. Nearly ten years on, despite some initial progress, overall, we are moving in the wrong direction. This report sets out six priority recommendations for how the…

New analysis from a study conducted by Justice and Care, with Dublin City University, and De La Salle University, Manila shows that the trafficking of children through Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) in the Philippines, has reached epidemic levels, sustained by global demand and a – ‘cottage industry’…

New analysis from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and Justice and Care reveals that almosthalf (45 per cent) of those suffering from criminal exploitation are British boys aged 17 andunder. The new report, “Criminal Exploitation: Modern slavery by another name”, found that criminalexploitation is the most common type of…

In 2020 the UN declared that, ‘Trafficking in persons remains one of the largest human rights violations exacerbated in times of crises where the humanitarian community does not have a predictable, at-scale way to respond.’ Today – when the world is experiencing multiple crises with devastating humanitarian consequences, and a…

While rapid growth in Internet connectivity and technological innovation has brought children around the world increased opportunities for educational and social development, it has also made them vulnerable to online sexual abuse and exploitation (OSAEC). Vulnerability to OSAEC has only heightened throughout the COVID19 lockdown, with foreign customers and local facilitators enjoying an unprecedented level…

Rapid technological change has provided exponential growth of internet connectivity worldwide, ready access to advanced technology and online payment mechanisms, and opportunities to operate online with anonymity. In many countries, protections for vulnerable children from related harms have not kept pace with these advancements, resulting in an epidemic of cases…

Forced scamming has emerged in the last few years as a new form of modern slavery. In the post-pandemic landscape, hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world have been lured to scamming compounds in Southeast Asia and Africa via false job advertisements. Upon their arrival, the victims…

Labour migration is a key driver of the growth in international migration flows. While migrant workers contribute to the economic development of both their origin and host societies, the characteristics of labour migrants, the predominance of temporary migration cycles and the prevalence of fraudulent practices in the overseas labour recruitment…

Climate change and armed conflict are becoming increasingly important drivers of internal displacement and cross-national migratory flows. Individuals displaced due to environmental disasters and conflict lack family and community networks in their new destinations, have limited opportunities for employment and income generation, and limited access to legal and labour protection.