logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2023
18m 48s

A story of modern slavery in the UK

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Ayo is a victim of trafficking and modern slavery and tells us his story of being taken from Nigeria to the UK and forced to work.

We also hear from Emily Kenway, a former policy adviser to the UK’s first anti-slavery commissioner and author of The Truth About Modern Slavery, who explains what modern slavery actually is.

Sara Thornton, who was the UK’s independent anti-slavery commissioner until April 2022, explains some of the reasons behind an increase in the number of people being recognised as victims of modern slavery in the UK.

We also explore some incoming changes to the UK’s world-leading anti-slavery legislation, changes that Kate Roberts, head of policy at the London-based anti-trafficking charity Focus on Labour Exploitation, tells us she is very concerned about.

Producer/presenter: Frey Lindsay

(Photo: Child behind wooden crate. Credit: Getty Images)

Up next
Yesterday
Business Daily meets: Fani Titi, Investec CEO
The South African grew up under the racist apartheid system as one of 14 children. He looked set for a life in farming, until a chance event took him down a different path – ultimately becoming CEO of the multinational banking group, Investec. Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: El ... Show More
17m 27s
Oct 8
Small country: Big tariffs
We head to Switzerland, a small but very successful country with a population of just 9 million.And now coping with some of US President Donald Trump’s highest tariffs. In August the original threat of 31% tariffs was raised to 39%. Two months on, efforts to negotiate with Washin ... Show More
17m 30s
Oct 7
Should we expect more airline delays?
Passengers are suffering more disruption as technology at airports, airlines and air traffic control is failing.But why is aviation software becoming more prone to failure and vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and what is the solution to preventing delays?Presented and produced by Rus ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
Abolition of The British Slave Trade
In the mid-17th Century, Britain dominated the Slave Trade, shipping over 3 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic. Conditions on board slave ships were inhumane, and large numbers of enslaved men, women, and children died en-route. However, during the 18th and early 19th ... Show More
55m 45s
Aug 2023
69. A Reckoning with Slavery
Slavery may have been abolished in 1838, but its legacy lives on in Britain today. A lot of the nation benefited financially from the trade, none more so than the slaveholders who were compensated during abolition. Today, William and Anita are joined by Alex Renton, whose family ... Show More
56m 42s
Oct 2023
Slave traders: the men who built a brutal empire
The trans-Atlantic slave trade expanded greatly in the 18th century, growing from a relatively small enterprise to a global business that saw millions of African people clapped in irons, forced to undergo the tortuous Middle Passage and then sold at market in the Americas. Speaki ... Show More
38m 6s
Feb 2024
#448 | Modern Slavery
  In the final part of our mini-series on slavery, we'll explore the unsettling reality of modern slavery, exploring its prevalence and forms in our world today.   From deceptive promises to exploitation and control, we uncover how slavery lurks in the shadows, but there are more ... Show More
19m 42s
Jul 2023
67. Slavery's Demise
The slave trade has been abolished, but the number of slaves within the British Empire remains colossal. Thomas Fowell Buxton, the Elephant, has taken the mantle of leadership from William Wilberforce with one singular aim: the complete abolition of slavery. But how will he fare ... Show More
51m 18s
Feb 2021
Britain's forgotten slave owners: Part one
It wasn't until recently that researchers working in the national archive in London discovered the extent to which ordinary people in Britain had been involved in the slave trade in the 18th and early 19th century. Louise Hidalgo has been talking to Dr Nick Draper, who uncovered ... Show More
9m 11s
Aug 2023
California’s hidden history of slavery
Today California is renowned worldwide as a heartland of sun-drenched luxury. But, according to Jean Pfaelzer, the state’s prosperity is in large part built on the proceeds of human bondage. Jean speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the various forms slavery has taken in the state dow ... Show More
33m 29s
Apr 2018
Roman Slavery
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the role of slavery in the Roman world, from its early conquests to the fall of the Western Empire. The system became so entrenched that no-one appeared to question it, following Aristotle's view that slavery was a natural state. Whole populations ... Show More
50m 40s
Jan 2024
Le Royaume-Uni face à son passé : plongée dans les archives de l'esclavage
En juin 2020, dans le sillage du mouvement « Black Lives Matter », une partie de la population du Royaume-Uni pousse pour déterrer le passé colonial et esclavagiste du pays. Plusieurs entreprises présentent alors leurs excuses pour leur participation à la traite d’être humains. P ... Show More
22m 18s