Hodkinson, SN orcid.org/0000-0001-7676-5331, Lewis, H, Waite, L orcid.org/0000-0001-8664-3426 et al. (1 more author) (2021) Fighting or fuelling forced labour? The Modern Slavery Act 2015, irregular migrants and the vulnerabilising role of the UK’s hostile environment. Critical Social Policy, 41 (1). pp. 68-90. ISSN 0261-0183
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.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2020, Author(s). This is an author produced version of a paper published in Critical Social Policy. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Asylum seekers; forced labour; hostile environment; immigration; vulnerability |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Geography (Leeds) > SOG: Cities & Social Justice (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) RES-062-23-2895 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 07 May 2020 12:07 |
Last Modified: | 06 May 2021 17:35 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/0261018320904311 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:160403 |