What should we debate next?

Beyond Trafficking and Slavery is launching a new debate series geared to allow all those working on trafficking, modern slavery, and forced labour to think through questions of principle, strategy, and tactic together. We're hoping for a productive conversation, and that begins by letting you choose what should be discussed. We warmly invite you to submit debate topics or questions that you believe need a hearing so that everyone working to end exploitation can move forward with more understanding and common purpose.

Please give this some thought. If you got to choose, which questions would you bring to the floor?

Submit a topic

Read the complete call

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Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery
Three years of the inhumane EU-Turkey deal

17 April 2019

Written by: Wassim Omar All articles by Wassim Omar

People continue to flee to the Greek islands from Turkey despite the hellish conditions that await them there.
Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery
Feeling a failure: returning home a ‘trafficked’ man in Indonesia

18 April 2019

Written by: Rebecca Surtees All articles by Rebecca Surtees

The after-stories of trafficked men get little attention, and both the men and their families are suffering as a result.
Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery
Re-empowering Thai fishermen after trafficking

18 April 2019

Written by: David Rousseau All articles by David Rousseau

The Thai criminal justice system is unlikely to help fishermen start afresh after trafficking, but simply giving them money to pay off debts might.
Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery
What happens after victims of trafficking return to Nigeria?

16 April 2019

Written by: Sine Plambech All articles by Sine Plambech

Written by: May-Len Skilbrei All articles by May-Len Skilbrei

Written by: Erlend Paasche All articles by Erlend Paasche

States are increasingly relying on ‘assisted voluntary return’ to control migration, but the way those programmes are executed can exacerbate vulnerabilities rather than help returnees overcome them.
Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery
Moving forward: life after trafficking

16 April 2019

Written by: Sine Plambech All articles by Sine Plambech

Written by: Denise Brennan All articles by Denise Brennan

What happens after someone ‘stops’ being trafficked?
Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery
Scandals in sex worker rescue shelters: is ‘awful’ distracting from ‘lawful’?

12 December 2018

Written by: Kimberly Walters All articles by Kimberly Walters

How should we channel concern over the growing number of anti-trafficking scandals?

Latest

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Trafficked women in Denmark: falling through the cracks

Published on: 26 April 2019

Written by: Kira West All articles by Kira West

Denmark’s claim to want to help ‘victims of trafficking’ will ring hollow as long as Danish legislation does not match the reality faced by migrant women in prostitution.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Life after trafficking in the UK: uncertainty, destitution and neglect

Published on: 24 April 2019

Written by: Kate Roberts All articles by Kate Roberts

The UK claims to lead the fight against trafficking, but its policies on immigration, right to work, and access to benefits make it hard for survivors to recover.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Re-empowering Thai fishermen after trafficking

Published on: 18 April 2019

Written by: David Rousseau All articles by David Rousseau

The Thai criminal justice system is unlikely to help fishermen start afresh after trafficking, but simply giving them money to pay off debts might.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Feeling a failure: returning home a ‘trafficked’ man in Indonesia

Published on: 18 April 2019

Written by: Rebecca Surtees All articles by Rebecca Surtees

The after-stories of trafficked men get little attention, and both the men and their families are suffering as a result.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Three years of the inhumane EU-Turkey deal

Published on: 17 April 2019

Written by: Wassim Omar All articles by Wassim Omar

People continue to flee to the Greek islands from Turkey despite the hellish conditions that await them there.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Moving forward: life after trafficking

Published on: 16 April 2019

Written by: Sine Plambech All articles by Sine Plambech

Written by: Denise Brennan All articles by Denise Brennan

What happens after someone ‘stops’ being trafficked?

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

What happens after victims of trafficking return to Nigeria?

Published on: 16 April 2019

Written by: Sine Plambech All articles by Sine Plambech

Written by: May-Len Skilbrei All articles by May-Len Skilbrei

Written by: Erlend Paasche All articles by Erlend Paasche

States are increasingly relying on ‘assisted voluntary return’ to control migration, but the way those programmes are executed can exacerbate vulnerabilities rather than help returnees overcome them.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

The UK Modern Slavery Act: more for the ‘saviours’ than the ‘saved’

Published on: 28 March 2019

Written by: Caroline Robinson All articles by Caroline Robinson

As the UK Modern Slavery Act turns four years old, we ask why the government still refuses to speak to workers about the effects of its policies.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

The human smugglers round table

Published on: None

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Sex workers speak: who listens?

Published on: None

Gendered, racist, classist, homophobic, and transphobic violence haunts the world of sex work, and many of us believe that states, intergovernmental organisations, and NGOs should do more to help. Yet a lot is being done, the problem is the efficacy of these interventions. This volume addresses the violence, exploitation, abuse, and trafficking present in the sex industries, but it does so from the perspective of sex workers themselves. These are the women, men, and transgender people who are directly touched by interventions made ‘in their name’, and they are the people who actively and collectively resist all forms of violence against them. By publishing their voices directly we hope to help readers resist indifference, on the one hand, and to become more critical of states’ interventions, which are widely regarded and legitimated as necessary to combat ‘trafficking’, on the other.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Confronting the root causes of forced labour: where do we go from here?

Published on: 19 March 2019

Written by: Cameron Thibos All articles by Cameron Thibos

Written by: Neil Howard All articles by Neil Howard

Written by: Penelope Kyritsis All articles by Penelope Kyritsis

Written by: Genevieve LeBaron All articles by Genevieve LeBaron

A lot of work remains to be done in order to end forced labour. Thankfully, organisers and advocates around the globe are pioneering promising solutions. It's time to follow their lead.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Confronting the root causes of forced labour: governance gaps

Published on: 19 March 2019

Written by: Neil Howard All articles by Neil Howard

Written by: Cameron Thibos All articles by Cameron Thibos

Written by: Penelope Kyritsis All articles by Penelope Kyritsis

Written by: Genevieve LeBaron All articles by Genevieve LeBaron

Governance gaps help employers push problems of forced labour even deeper into the shadows of supply chains.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Confronting the root causes of forced labour: irresponsible sourcing practices

Published on: 19 March 2019

Written by: Neil Howard All articles by Neil Howard

Written by: Cameron Thibos All articles by Cameron Thibos

Written by: Penelope Kyritsis All articles by Penelope Kyritsis

Written by: Genevieve LeBaron All articles by Genevieve LeBaron

Forced labour is illegal and its risks are widely documented. Yet so many companies continue to use irresponsible sourcing practices – established triggers of forced labour. Why is this the case?

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Confronting the root causes of forced labour: outsourcing

Published on: 19 March 2019

Written by: Neil Howard All articles by Neil Howard

Written by: Cameron Thibos All articles by Cameron Thibos

Written by: Penelope Kyritsis All articles by Penelope Kyritsis

Written by: Genevieve LeBaron All articles by Genevieve LeBaron

Outsourcing allows big brands to distance themselves from big human rights abuses, including forced labour.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Confronting the root causes of forced labour: concentrated corporate power and ownership

Published on: 19 March 2019

Written by: Neil Howard All articles by Neil Howard

Written by: Cameron Thibos All articles by Cameron Thibos

Written by: Penelope Kyritsis All articles by Penelope Kyritsis

Written by: Genevieve LeBaron All articles by Genevieve LeBaron

Multinational corporations are becoming increasingly powerful – and this has serious implications for workers at the bottom of supply chains.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Confronting the root causes of forced labour: restrictive mobility regimes

Published on: 19 March 2019

Written by: Neil Howard All articles by Neil Howard

Written by: Cameron Thibos All articles by Cameron Thibos

Written by: Penelope Kyritsis All articles by Penelope Kyritsis

Written by: Genevieve LeBaron All articles by Genevieve LeBaron

Border restrictions are often justified as measures to protect migrants from "trafficking", but borders actually increase migrants' vulnerability to forced labour and labour exploitation.