IRDR researcher co-leads one of six new projects addressing prevention of modern slavery
14 August 2023
A project co-led by the IRDR's Dr Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson will investigate the risk of human trafficking for unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children in Home Office operated hotels.
Prevention of human trafficking and exploitation is a national and global goal as it is crucial to prevent harm and exploitation to people before it occurs, and to reduce harm once it has happened. There are many factors which may make individuals more vulnerable to modern slavery and exploitation, from poverty, lack of opportunities to provide for their families, immigration status and displacement, to discrimination based on factors such as gender, ethnic background, age or disability.
However, prevention is a complex, and relatively underdeveloped aspect of the response to modern slavery, with limited evidence of what effective prevention means in principle and practice.
A collaboration between University College London's Everyday Disasters and Violences Research Group and ECPAT UK is one of six new projects investigating these issues to be funded by Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (Modern Slavery PEC), which in turn is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
The project, co-led by Dr Ayeb-Karlsson, will investigate the risk of human trafficking for unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children in Home Office operated hotels.
The study will involve interviews with unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children and young people aged 16-25 about their trafficking experiences and observations, and with support workers and experts. The research team will aim to align the findings from the interviews with current law and policies, particularly in the context of the Illegal Migration Act, and offer recommendations on how to improve prevention, early intervention, and safeguarding around unaccompanied children.
Dr Ayeb-Karlsson said: “This is a timely research area that needs urgent attention with the Illegal Migration Act and the recent High Court ruling that deemed the Home Office-practise of hotels to house unaccompanied refugee children unlawful. As of July 2023, 154 children were still missing after almost three years. Some of the missing children were as young as 12 years old at the time of disappearance. We must do better as a society to protect and safeguard these vulnerable children.”
The other projects being funded will look at:
- Investigating cultural understanding of marginalised communities by professionals in response to modern slavery in the UK.
- Exploring cultural barriers to accessing support for Albanian nationals following modern slavery.
- Analysing the links between modern slavery and homelessness in the UK.
- Improving prevention and identification of modern slavery of children and young people in the UK.
- Improving identification of disabled children and young people at risk of modern slavery.
Find out more about the projects on the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre website.