Synopses & Reviews
There are 27 million slaves alive today, more than at any point in history, and more than were stolen from Africa during four centuries of the transatlantic slave trade. Written by the worlds leading experts, this shocking and powerful examination combines original research with first-hand stories from the slaves themselves to provide a reliable account of one of the worst humanitarian crises facing us today. Conservative estimates place the number of slaves living in the US right now at 40,000 with 17,000 individuals being trafficked a year. Around half of these will be forced into the sex industry while others labour in plain sight in hotels and restaurants. Only a few slaves are reached and freed each year, but the authors offer hope for the future with a global blueprint that proposes to end slavery in our lifetime. Kevin Bales is president of Free the Slaves and advisor to the UN and the US and British governments. He lives in Takoma Park, MD. Zoe Trodd teaches in the history and literature department at Harvard University. Dr. Alex Kent Williamson works at Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard University.
Review
“Precarious Lives breaks new ground by focusing on the working experiences of new and refused asylum seekers as well as trafficked workers in the United Kingdom. It exposes the role of the state in causing and perpetuating modern slavery and makes a powerful demand for action. It should be essential reading for politicians as well as campaigners.”
Synopsis
There are 27 million slaves alive today - more than at any other point in our history.Written by the world's leading experts, this examination combines original research with first-hand accounts from actual slaves to expose one of today's worst humanitarian crises. The first introductory guide to modern slavery in all its forms, coverage includes modern slavery's history, economy, health consequences, and gender, racial, and religious dynamics, and the pressures of armed conflict and environmental disaster.
Synopsis
This groundbreaking volume presents the first detailed look at forced labor among displaced migrants who are seeking refuge in the United Kingdom. Through a critical engagement with contemporary debates about sociolegal statuses, endangerment, and degrees of freedom and its lack, the book carefully details the link between asylum and forced labor and shows how they are both part of the larger picture of modern slavery brought about by globalization.
About the Author
Hannah Lewis is a research fellow in critical human geography at the University of Leeds.Peter Dwyer is professor of social policy at the University of York.Stuart Hodkinson is a lecturer in critical urban geography at the University of Leeds.Louise Waite is a senior lecturer in human geography at the University of Leeds.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Free markets, closed borders: migration policy and entry into forced labour
Experiences of forced labour
Status matters: socio-legal status and forced labour among asylum seekers and refugees
The struggle to exit exploitation
From forced labour to unfreedom : conceptualising migrant lives
Conclusions: Hyper precarity