Cameron Thibos

Beyond Trafficking and Slavery (BTS) started as many projects do – by doubling down on an idea from the pub the night before. Our (very nerdy) founders decided that they were fed up with policymakers and activists blaming trafficking on individual ‘bad apples’ – on evil criminal syndicates who exploit people because they’re criminals and that’s just what criminals do. This, they knew, was a wholly insufficient explanation for why so many people around the world end up in highly exploitative work.

Hatred of migrants and outsiders is a defining feature of our current political moment. Far-right racists are gaining power by blaming outsiders for deeply rooted social and economic problems, while social media algorithms fuel our divisions to profit off our attention. Budgets for detention, deportation, and surveillance increase year on year, and well-connected companies and political cronies get fat on government contracts.

In recent decades, neoliberal policies have transformed both the world economy and the world of work. Hard-won rights and protections have been eroded by deregulation, outsourcing, and subcontracting. New forms of unstable, isolated, and insecure work have emerged.