Spectacular stories of life in trafficking saturate the media, political speeches, and NGO fundraising campaigns. With so much focus on stories of brutality, or of dramatic escapes and rescues, there has been little attention to what happens after trafficking. The tenth issue of the Anti-Trafficking Review shines a light on trafficking outcomes – not just for those labelled as trafficked by state actors or the NGO sector but also for those whose exploitation garnered no legal protections or service provision.
The issue puts centre stage the challenges and successes after trafficking that largely have unfolded off stage. It points to contradictions, slippages, missed opportunities, and failings. It introduces cases of life after trafficking in countries with robust anti-trafficking legal and care regimes, and in those offering little or no assistance. Regardless of the context, this special issue shows that by taking back control of one’s life, and tending to ordinary tasks and chores of resettlement, formerly trafficked persons move beyond the extraordinary cruelty of forced labour.
