Everyday abuse in the global economy

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. The new issue of Anti-Trafficking Review examines the driving forces behind the increasing prominence of precarious work, the accelerating role of migrant labour within global economy, and the relationship between everyday abuses and forms of severe exploitation which have come to be defined as human trafficking and modern slavery. It shows that a singular focus on individual cases can draw attention away from the larger systems, interests, and abuses associated with the smooth operations of the global economy. It also shows that some of the energy which has been directed towards combating ‘modern slavery’ could be usefully redirected towards lower profile interventions concerned with worker and migrant rights.