Police rescue man trafficked into forced labour in UK first 1 November 2007 Blog 1 November 2007 In an important first, police rescued a man trafficked to the United Kingdom for forced labour. The 22-year-old was trafficked from the Czech Republic and forced into agricultural work in Cambridgeshire, lured by the false promise of…
Two arrested in Mauritania on slavery related charges 31 October 2007 Blog 31 October 2007 Two Mauritanians were arrested in October for allegedly forcing two children to work without pay in a town about 600 miles from the capital. Slavery became a criminal offence in Mauritania last August even though the practice…
Council of Europe trafficking convention enters into force 25 October 2007 Blog 25 October 2007 In an important move forward in the fight against human trafficking, on 24 October Cyprus became the tenth country to ratify the Council of Europe’s Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. With 10 ratifications it…
UN action strengthens the fight to end slavery 2 October 2007 Blog 2 October 2007 The appointment of a United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery on 28 September marks an historic step forward in the fight against all forms of slavery. The appointment is a clear acknowledgement of the…
Blue Plaque commemorates anti-slavery legend 26 September 2007 Blog 26 September 2007 English Heritage unveiled a Blue Plaque commemorating Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, leading anti-slavery campaigner and former vice-president of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (as Anti-Slavery International was then known). Anti-Slavery International’s Deputy Chair Lucy Chandler, who…
Indian bonded labour activists arrested 18 September 2007 Blog 18 September 2007 Punjab authorities arrested Jai Singh, director of Anti-Slavery International’s partner Volunteers for Social Justice (VSJ), and around 100 bonded labourers for demonstrating against bonded labour. They were charged on 9 September with disturbing the peace as they…
French court finds Burundi ex-minister guilty of slavery 17 September 2007 Blog 17 September 2007 On 17 September, a French court found the former Prime Minister of Burundi and his wife guilty of slavery. Gabriele Mpozagara and his wife Candide were sentenced in absentia to 12 and 15 months in prison respectively…
Mayor says sorry for London slave trade role 24 August 2007 News 24 August 2007 In an important move forward, London’s Mayor Ken Livingston apologised for the capital’s role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade and declared 23 August the city’s annual slavery memorial day. Marking International Day for the Remembrance of the…
UK Government plans leave migrant domestics at risk of slavery 22 August 2007 Blog 22 August 2007 Migrant domestic workers’ vulnerability to exploitation and slavery — including human trafficking — will be greatly increased under UK Government’s proposed changes to the migration system. On 23 August, International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave…
New website exposes Transatlantic Slave Trade reality 22 August 2007 Blog 22 August 2007 On 23 August, International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, Anti-Slavery International launches its newest website. Recovered Histories: Reawakening the narratives of enslavement, resistance and the fight for freedom www.recoveredhistories.org provides insight…