About the project

This research project maps the business of anti-slavery in the United Kingdom by exploring how funding streams and funder priorities have influenced the language, approaches, and deliverables adopted by academic researchers, civil society organisations, and government agencies working on various forms of vulnerability and exploitation. The primary focus is the concept of ‘modern slavery’, which was formally enshrined as a legal category by the British government via the Modern Slavery Act of 2015.

This official endorsement of modern slavery in the United Kingdom has led to incentives to (re)classify forms of exploitation and vulnerability as cases of modern slavery. Various stakeholders, including government officials, professionals in charitable organisations, consultants, and even several academics within the United Kingdom, have started to engage with the language of modern slavery, driven by the emergence of new funding streams that prioritise work using this language. By exploring the effects of funding streams and funding priorities, this project aims to shed new light on the conceptual, political, and professional impacts of modern slavery funding.

Despite numerous concerns raised by critical scholars and activists regarding the efficacy of this flawed agenda, the United Kingdom persists in positioning itself as a global leader in the fight against modern slavery. The government continues to allocate substantial amounts of money to steer global efforts against 'Modern Slavery', an umbrella term which includes slavery, human trafficking, forced labour, and servitude, through various funding institutions like The Modern Slavery Fund, Global Fund to End Modern Slavery (GFEMS), and Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (MSPEC).

The research project aims to follow the money mobilised and distributed from the United Kingdom to investigate its impact on shaping the global anti-slavery agenda. Drawing on critical anti-slavery literature that challenges dominant narratives influenced by powerful Western institutions, this study highlights the hidden costs of anti-slavery funding in the United Kingdom, revealing its role in fostering a global business dedicated to combating 'modern slavery'.

The project critically examines two key aspects:

• The impact of funding streams on shaping the global discourse surrounding modern slavery
• The influence of funding strategies on the priorities of diverse stakeholders across different geographical regions engaged in addressing the issue of labour exploitation.

About the "Modern Slavery" concept

‘Modern Slavery’ is an umbrella term that brings together politically charged concepts such as slavery, servitude, forced labour, and ‘human trafficking’. While the term holds legal significance primarily in the UK and Australia, stakeholders frequently employ it rhetorically for various social, political, and economic reasons. Initiatives to combat modern slavery encompass a range of approaches worldwide, ranging from awareness-raising efforts to investing in border controls, conducting raids and rescue operations, and providing support for survivors.

Critical scholars have problematised several dimensions of the imperial politics of the anti-slavery project, often regarding its effects as 'collateral damage'. Amidst the clamour of debates and disagreements over which terms or approaches are most effective, the funding that enables these interventions often remains silent. Despite extensive critical literature, global funding aimed at addressing the issue of so-called modern slavery continues unabated.

Through this project we aim to showcase the political and spatial background of modern slavery funding – this means critically interrogating where the money is coming from and has travelled to, examining various stages of its passages, to understand the network of relations underpinning its ongoing movement and metamorphosis and to ascertain what this money is doing.

This study advances the limited attention given to the anti-slavery/trafficking funding by critical scholars and activists.

The main objectives of the project are therefore to:  

1. 1. Identify and better understand the key institutions and individuals who have been involved in funding work on modern slavery within the United Kingdom.
   2. Draw out financial and intellectual connections between different individuals and institutions working on modern slavery.
   3. Explore the political and conceptual effects of reclassifying acute forms of exploitation and vulnerability as examples of modern slavery.
   4. Interrogate the effects of funding streams, funding calls, and funder priorities upon both research and researchers working on issues relating to modern slavery.
   5. Identify the specific financial instruments, such as grants, donations, and contracts, which structure relationships between different individuals and/or institutions.
   6. Develop an integrated approach that connects funding streams to government policies, research networks, and professional hierarchies within higher education institutions.

Research team

Ethics Approval

Approval for this project has been obtained from the Wits University Human Research Ethics Committee (Non-Medical).

Funding Declaration

We would like to clarify that this project has not received any financial support from any sources.