Acknowledgments

Introduction

COVID-19 has presented the world with unprecedented constraints, leading to new ways of carrying out our day-to-day activities. To reduce the spread of the virus, measures have been introduced including lockdowns, social distancing, travel restrictions and limitations on economic and public activities.

Although these enforcements have increased police visibility and possibly discouraged crimes, criminal activity continues behind closed doors. With respect to the trafficking of persons, criminals are adjusting their approaches, in particular by abusing modern technologies. Given the restriction of movement, the reduction of social and public services and the diversion of law enforcement resources, victims of human trafficking have less chance of escape and of receiving help.

Negative effects of the virus are exacerbated in countries with high population densities, weak health services, significant numbers of returning migrants, corruption at various political levels and a high proportion of the population working in manufacturing.

Anti-trafficking organisations fear that once restrictions are lifted there will be a massive increase in migration and exploitation as people try to support their families, and this influx of labour will drive down wages and working conditions (Carvalho, 2020).

This fear was also discussed by NGOs taking part in a webinar organised by the IAHTN in May 2020, attended by its member organisations. One participant based in India said that as lockdown lifts he has a very strong sense that trafficking and modern slavery crimes will increase. He estimated that in India, about 70% of businesses use migrant labourers, and that out of 130 million migrant workers 60 million are displaced or have lost their jobs so now are returning home. To cope with compounded conditions of poverty, these migrants are borrowing more from contractors and agents to survive, which will lead to a major crisis in debt bondage nationwide, potentially the biggest ever seen, and more people will be forced into modern-day slavery.

Since the COVID-19 crisis began in early 2020, there has been a flurry of articles and reports reflecting concerns over the increased vulnerability of people to trafficking and modern slavery, and responses to this. These range from online articles on the websites of agencies and organisations that focus on human trafficking and modern slavery, as well as from newspapers and blogs (eg Carvalho 2020; Al Jazeera 2020; Redfern 2020), to longer reports and briefings (UNDOC 2020; Anti-Slavery International 2020; Sanchez and Achilli 2020; Hope for Justice 2020; Wagner and Hoang 2020; Walk Free Foundation 2020; Giammarinaro 2020) and peer-reviewed academic journal articles (Armitage and Nellums 2020; Molobe et al 2020; Trautrims et al 2020; Asongo and Usman 2020; Rafferty 2020; Somma de Castro 2020; Punaks and Lama 2020; Offa 2020; Kondrad 2020).

In Appendix 1 we provide an annotated bibliography. As the months have moved on, short impressionistic and responsive articles have been accompanied by reports and journal articles based on primary research, including surveys and other online research methods, and new research that has been funded is in the pipeline. For instance, in the UK the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy Evidence Centre has recently funded 17 research projects on human trafficking, modern slavery and COVID-19.6

6 https://modernslaverypec.org/all-projects