Modern Slavery

Every person on the planet has the inherent right to a life free of slavery. However, millions of adults and children are enslaved in every country on the planet. One of the most common and hidden crimes that affect the world – modern slavery. So, what is modern slavery? This is a question we must ask and educate ourselves on this problematic issue. 

Forced labour is defined as work done against one’s will and under the threat of punishment. It refers to circumstances in which people are forced to work by the use of violence or coercion, as well as more subtle methods such as manipulative debt, the detention of identity papers, or threats. Slavery in modern times refers to the systematic exploitation of others for private or business gain. Modern slavery is everywhere, although it is typically unrecognised.

Different Types of Modern Slavery

Throughout history, enslavement has evolved in various forms. Some historical forms of slavery exist today in their traditional forms, whereas others have evolved into new types. Some of the types of forced labour are discussed below. 

1. Human trafficking – Human trafficking is one of the major causes of forced labour in India. The UN Trafficking in People Protocol defines it as the threat of force or other coercion in the recruitment, transit, harbouring, transfer, or receipt of people to exploit them for forced labour, sexual exploitation, or slavery, among others other things. The main idea behind human trafficking is the exploitation and enslavement of victims. Forced labour may or may not involve movement. 

Trafficking is the mass transit, recruitment, harbouring, transfer, or receipt of people for the purpose of exploitation using the danger of the use of force or threat of coercion. Others’ prostitution or other types of sexual abuse, forced contracted work, slavery or practices comparable to slavery, servitude, or organ removal are all examples of exploitation. The consent of the individual being exploited is irrelevant. To sum it up, human trafficking is transporting, recruiting, or harbouring people using threats, violence, or compulsion in order to exploit them for reasons such as labour, forced prostitution, marriage, criminality, or organ removal.

2. Forced labour and debt bondage in India – Forced labour involves anything that an individual is made to do without his will to do so. The person uses different forms of force like physical threats, psychological coercion, deception, abuse of legal processes, and other coercive means in order to compel someone to work for them. Forced labour and debt bondage in India are widespread forms of modern slavery. Forced labour is not necessarily expressed. It can also be implied. Once a person’s labour is exploited to the extent that the consent of the employee becomes irrelevant. 

Individuals may be compelled into labour in their home nations, but migrants are especially vulnerable to this type of human trafficking. Sexual assault and exploitation are common among women subjected to forced or bonded labour, particularly girls and women in domestic service. Along with traditional forms of forced labour, such as debt bondage in India, there are now more modern forms of bonded labour, including migrant workers, who have been trafficked for economic oppression of all kinds in the global economy: domestic servitude, construction, food and garment manufacturing, agriculture, and forced prostitution. What is modern slavery then becomes an even more prominent question when one doesn’t realise that they have become a victim of evil. Forced labour is often mistaken and not realised. People continue to be a victim as they do not know how to escape their oppressors.

3. Debt Bondage ­– When an individual borrows a sum of money from another individual, he is said to be a debtor of the latter. Debt bondage is the action of exploiting someone on the mere fact that they have borrowed money and owe a handful to the creditors. When one person has made a pledge of their labour or services (or the labour or services with someone under their control) in situations where the market value of that manual labour or service is not fairly applied to reducing debt or duration of debt, or the duration and efficiency of the activity is not limited or defined, the status or condition is called a pledge and amounts to debt bondage. 

These are the most prominent causes of forced labour in India. These may, however, include more forms of modern slavery-like child labour, sex trafficking, forced marriage, and descent-based slavery. 

Conclusion 

People become victims of modern slavery as a result of their vulnerability to being duped, trapped, and exploited, which is often the outcome of poverty and isolation. People are driven into unsafe situations in order to provide for their families or are simply pushed into exploitative occupations as a result of other circumstances. We can bring true freedom to people all across the world by working together and removing the mechanisms that enable exploitation.