Module Leader & Tutor: Dr Mick Wilkinson

m.d.wilkinson@hull.ac.uk

Dr Mick Wilkinson
 
In 2004, UK problems first came into media gaze as 23
cockle pickers drowned off Morecambe Bay,
Lancashire. New Labour Government commits to
acting, setting up the Human Trafficking Centre in
Sheffield, but Modern Slavery in the UK has risen
exponentially over the past 25 years, from a few
thousand victims to an estimated 136,000 today
(Global Slavery Index, 2018).  

On 23 October 2019, the bodies of

39 Vietnamese nationals were
found in the trailer of an articulated
refrigerator lorry in Grays, Essex,
 “When the Portuguese workers came to Grantham, Brazilian
gangmasters appeared, who were brutal. Then in Boston, when the
East Europeans started going there the Russian gangmasters started
to arrive – and they are brutal. This is beyond all comprehension of
brutality in terms of what they will do. The people in these situations
actually fear for their lives – it’s not about a pound an hour. We had
one person who stood up within the Portuguese community who had
their child kidnapped.”
Trade Union Official, The Midlands
“So they got married and the woman got pregnant and gave birth to a
baby girl, and the baby girl was sold to the gangmaster for, I still
remember how much it was, it was £200. Shocking. The gangmaster
has given her £200 in a wrapped envelope...”
Chinese Advocacy Centre Worker, Manchester
Dr Mick Wilkinson
 2004 study by the Poppy Project of the sex industry in London found
that 85% of women working off streets had been trafficked into the UK
(a decade earlier the figure had been nearer 10%).

Dr Mick Wilkinson
the consequences of sex trafficking:

Stolen Smiles, (2006)

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

 60% of women reported being physically and

or sexually abused prior to being trafficked;

 95% reported physical and / or sexual violence

whilst in a trafficking situation;

 58% reported injuries.

“We have seen women with black eyes, bruises, injuries from rape, and
internal bleeding, complications from botched abortions. Two thirds have
STDs and at one point 10 of 12 women at the shelter had syphilis.”

 Others had HIV and Hepatitis B. They also suffered from a myriad of
psychological traumas, such as anxiety, depression, suicidal tendencies and
post-traumatic stress disorder, sometimes this led to self-harm.
 The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (2007) Over 300
children most likely had been trafficked into the UK over a period of 9
months. Worse, 183 of those children who had been placed into care upon
arriving unaccompanied in the UK had rapidly gone missing, many within 48
hours. The pattern to these disappearances suggested that they had been
engineered by traffickers.

 UNICEF & Save The Children have estimated that there are at any one
time some 5000 child sex workers in the UK, most of them trafficked into the
country. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6960232.stm
 Your module coordinator……
Committed to linking academic research to community action and to
improving public policy…….

I currently sit on the following bodies:

o The Office of the Humberside Police & Crime Commissioner’s Scrutiny & Advice
Board
o The Humberside Police Out Of Court Disposal Scrutiny Panel
o The Humberside Police Stop & Search Scrutiny Panel
o The Humberside Police Use Of Force Scrutiny Panel
o HMP Hull Use Of Force Scrutiny Panel
o HMP Full Sutton Prisoner Equalities Forum
14 years working on modern slavery issues at
Served on the UK Human Trafficking Centre
Academic Advisory Forum
2 GROUND BREAKING REPORTS:
• 2007: Contemporary Slavery in the United Kingdom Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York.

• 2010: Forced labour in the UK and the Gangmasters Licensing Authority, Hull University.

• Numerous Journal articles, policy briefings, public talks….

• Most recent: 2018: Modern Slavery: the neoliberal UK model, in

Campaigns…..
Module learning outcomes:
•Evidence and apply sociological and criminological concepts and theories to
issues involving modern day slavery in the UK and globally.
•Demonstrate a broad awareness of the relationship between globalisation,
technological advances and contemporary slavery.
•Demonstrate an awareness of the relationship between global social,
economic and political dynamics and contemporary slavery.
•Critically evaluate national and international responses to modern day
slavery in the contest of international law and convention and develop
strategies for enhancing their efficacy and in particular for supporting and
protecting victims.
•Utilise a range of research strategies and methods to access and critically
evaluate relevant literatures.
•Develop cogent arguments and to relate them efficiently and persuasively
through a range of mediums.

Dr Mick Wilkinson
• An extensive reading list in your module handbook – DON’T
READ EVERYTHING!
• Consult a minimum of 2 sources for each session
• Use your CANVAS site
• If you don’t understand the assignment brief - DO ASK ME!

• My office drop-in hours are :

• Tues. 2.00 pm -3.00 pm
• Wed. 1.00 pm-2.00 pm
• Thursd. 1.00 pm-2.00 pm
• But they are often busy, so please email me to book a 20-30
minute slot during those times

Dr Mick Wilkinson
 Teaching programme……
• This module is policy driven, it is deliberately
not over-theoretical.

• There will be 10 x 2 hour teaching sessions, 3 of which will be

conducted by selected guests who are experienced
practitioners in the field of modern slavery – in organising
campaigns and networks to challenge modern slavery in the
UK and in supporting its victims.

Dr Mick Wilkinson
Session 1:
Introduction to the Module and the assignment briefs. Film
short ‘HOME’ by Restart Productions

Session 2:
Slavery in its Historical Context

Session 3:
Definitions of Modern Slavery & Victim Identification

Session 4:
The global scale of modern slavery & UK estimates

Dr Mick Wilkinson
Session 5:
The roots of Modern Slavery and the business model

Session 6:
Organising a campaign strategy (Assessment 2)

Session 7:
ANTI-SLAVERY ACTION - A Social Harms approach to modern
slavery: Undertaking research with victims & victim support.
Guest speaker: Anta Brachou (WISE/ Hibiscus Initiatives)

Dr Mick Wilkinson
Session 8:
ANTI-SLAVERY ACTION - UK Government approaches to modern
slavery

Session 9:
• ANTI-SLAVERY ACTION - Supply Chains and corporate
responsibility at home and abroad. Guest speaker: Christina
Talens (WISE)

Session 10:
• ANTI-SLAVERY ACTION - Coordinating local anti-trafficking
initiatives. Guest speakers: Alicia Kidd (WISE) & Andrew Smith
(HMSP)
Dr Mick Wilkinson
• ASSESSMENTS is by:

1. A 3000 word coursework essay (70%) Before 2pm, 5th MAY.

There is a choice of question and you will find the details on
your assessment brief on CANVAS.

2. A group-based tutorial presentation on a campaign strategy

around one area of modern day slavery in the UK.
(Referenced) (30%)

• In both your assignments do cite original research reports

where possible, not just newspaper commentaries on them
• Read the Harvard conventions on referencing! (CANVAS)

Dr Mick Wilkinson
Assessment 2: Group Presentation
• Friday 24th April
• 10-00-1.00 MODERN SLAVERY CAMPAIGN
PRESENTATIONS in AMB – LT1
 
• Tuesday 28th April
• 11-00-2.00 MODERN SLAVERY CAMPAIGN
PRESENTATIONS in FERENS LD

Dr Mick Wilkinson
Assessment 2: Group Presentation
• 15-20 mins Presentation
• Minimum 4 per group, Maximum 6 per group

• Provide me with a hard copy of the slides on

the day
• Provide me with an electronic copy no later
thatn 1 week after the presentation

Dr Mick Wilkinson
Assessment 2: Group Presentation
• I want to know who is in which group no
later than teaching session 4, i.e. Tuesday
18th February and which date you would like
to present on.

• You can email me that information or

provide me with a list of names in a teaching
session

Dr Mick Wilkinson
Assessment 2: Group Presentation
• The group presentation has as its focus a
campaign strategy that you will devise around
one area modern day slavery (MDS) in the UK
• Included should be:
• What form does the MDS take?
• Who are the victims? Who are the
perpetrators?
• What is the scale of the problem in the UK?
Dr Mick Wilkinson
• Why is there need of a campaign?
• What form would that campaign take?
• Feel free to illustrate your campaign instruments…
(posters, video, webpage, etc)
• How would you engage activists to join the
campaign? Who would you try to engage?
• Who would the campaign be targeted at?
• What are your ethical considerations in the
preparation of the campaign and for the duration
of the campaign itself?

Dr Mick Wilkinson
Dr Mick Wilkinson
 ‘HOME’ Restart Productions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_-z1EnEPyw&feature=youtu.be

• Do you think this is the best way to solve the

problem of Modern Slavery in the UK?
• Do we think this will solve the worker’s
problems?
• How much responsibility do we think the
farmer has for Modern Slavery in the UK?
• Who else might bear some responsibility?

Dr Mick Wilkinson