Fighting or fuelling forced labour? The Modern Slavery Act 2015, irregular migrants and the vulnerabilising role of the UK’s hostile environment

Stuart Hodkinson; Hannah Lewis; Louise Waite; Peter James Dwyer

doi:10.1177/0261018320904311

Fighting or fuelling forced labour? The Modern Slavery Act 2015, irregular migrants and the vulnerabilising role of the UK’s hostile environment

Stuart Hodkinson, Hannah Lewis, Louise Waite, Peter James Dwyer

Social Policy and Social Work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Abolishing ‘modern slavery’ has now achieved international policy consensus. The most recent UK initiative – the 2015 Modern Slavery Act (MSA) – includes amongst other aspects tougher prison sentencing for perpetrators and the creation of an independent anti-slavery commissioner to oversee its implementation. However, drawing on research into forced labour among people seeking asylum in England, this article argues that when considered alongside the UK government’s deliberate creation of a ‘hostile environment’ towards migrants, not least in the Immigration Acts of 2014 and 2016, state action to outlaw modern slavery is flawed, counter-productive and disingenuous. We show how the MSA focuses only on the immediate act of coercion between ‘victim’ and ‘criminal’, ignoring how the hostile state vulnerabilises migrants in ways that compel their entry into and continued entrapment within severe labour exploitation.

Original language	English
Number of pages	26
Journal	Critical Social Policy
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0261018320904311
Publication status	Published - 14 Mar 2020

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Peter James Dwyer
- pd660york.acuk
- Social Policy and Social Work - Professor, Former employee
Person: Academic

Cite this

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Fighting or fuelling forced labour? The Modern Slavery Act 2015, irregular migrants and the vulnerabilising role of the UK’s hostile environment

Abstract

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Peter James Dwyer

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