It remains obvious the endless trail of impacts the pandemic is having across the world, but there are also many that remain on a seemingly endless lockdown across the U.K. It has been reported by Al Jazeera that legions of domestic workers are seeking to flee the modern slavery and abuse they are subjected to whilst working abroad.

Since lockdown began in the U.K in March, Sheila Tilan of the Filipino Domestic Workers’ Association (DPWA) has been extremely busy rescuing women who are desperate to flee their employers across London. Rescued worker Florence explained through broken English that although embarrassed, “a year and six months, I don’t go out” after relocating from Kuwait to London with the family who employed her. Things turned sour once they installed cameras to monitor Florence, withholding her pay and passport, and only allowing her to leave the home on accompanied visits to the supermarket.

The U.K in 2019 granted 23, 000 Overseas Domestic Worker Visas, meaning workers were able to accompany their employers abroad temporarily, with about half of these workers from the Philippines. In 2017, a freedom of information request revealed more than 70% of these applications are made from Gulf countries using the kafala migrant sponsorship system that has been declared problematic by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

The kafala system provides an employer with undue power relating to forced labor given the difficulty in monitoring this in private homes. The ILO highlighted that indicators may include withholding passports and restricting their movements. For “Josephine”, she was subjected to public beatings by her employer and humiliated on the streets of London.

Although the reports of suspected modern slavery have dipped during the pandemic, campaigners hold concerns it is due to potential victims being unable to seek assistance due to the lockdown. Many potential victims have had limited opportunities to seek help due to the resources allocated to frontline COVID services, and increasingly fearful of escaping due to the increased likelihood their captors are home.

Roughly 2, 870 potential victims were referred to the U.K government in the first quarter of 2020, which is down 14% from 2019. The anti-slavery organisation Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority acknowledged that whilst they are operating at full capacity, they will target sectors that are most at risk of exploiting its workers. Anti-slavery commissioner Sara Thornton believes the hospitality industry will be eager to recruit as lockdown regulations ease.

The Human Trafficking Foundation has reported that many victims continue to work whilst injured and suffering illness, as they are too fearful they will be detained as many are sent to immigration centres rather than be given support. In addition, a lack of job opportunities as a result of the Coronavirus prevents many slaves seeking employment to pay off their debt.

Worse yet, financial support to victims have been reduced by the Home Office and now leaving many unable to afford the basic essentials. For one Ethiopian woman identified as a trafficking victim earlier this year, she was unable to afford basic needs and self isolate when she presented as having symptoms of COVID-19. Victims like this are therefore again left vulnerable to further exploitation by seeking money elsewhere.

Similarly, victims of domestic violence are at more risk than ever during lockdown, with a 50% increase of calls made to the National Domestic Abuse hotline seen in just 3 weeks of lockdown beginning. Many hold fears that they will be breaking the law by breaching these lockdown regulations through seeking assistance, leading to an increase in homelessness. However many public figures are seeking to draw attention to the cause with J.K Rowling pledging £500,000 to Refuge, an organisation that supports victims of domestic abuse.

But for Florence, she remains in a safe house allocated to other rescued Filipino workers. There are great difficulties faced by law enforcement in determining victims of human trafficking, and is also equally as difficult for victims to provide evidence to support their claim. She explains her frustration as “if you are telling me that it's so hard to establish a case, and if I am the victim, then I will feel like you're not helping me”.