MODERN SLAVERY
Modern slavery often happens in plain sight, with workers coerced into labour against their will – and sadly, the construction industry is a hotbed for such practices HIDDEN VICTIMS
I magine someone forced you to work for little or no money and to stay in dirty, inadequate accommodation while they regularly abused you physically and emotionally. The shocking truth is that this is a reality for more than 122,000 people in the UK, according to Unseen. It is known as modern slavery and it is a major social issue globally. Just a few months ago in September, the BBC reported on a gang that held 16 people captive as modern slaves. The gang forced them to work at a Cambridgeshire McDonald’s restaurant and a factory supplying bread to major food retailers. This lasted years without anyone finding out. Further back in 2017, the Rooney gang from Lincolnshire was convicted of trafficking 18 men into hard labour for their driveway resurfacing company. The Rooneys regularly beat and victimised their captives. Perhaps more familiar to many will be BBC Radio’s The Archers, which tackled the issue of modern slavery, this time in the construction industry. The victims were British nationals who had been living on the streets. Vulnerable, unable to read and write, with learning disabilities and/or mental health issues, these men were lured into slavery with the promises of housing, food and even a PlayStation. The United Nations estimates there are around 50 million people trapped in modern slavery worldwide, and the Global Slavery Index puts the number in the UK alone at 136,000 victims. The National Crime Agency says most victims are trafficked from overseas, frequently from eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa
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