The Impacts of Covid-19 on Modern Slavery in Transition: A Case Study of Sudan

 

Funder: Arts and Humanities Research Centre (AHRC)
Duration: January 2021-March 2021
Project Lead: Dr Katarina Schwarz
Programme: Law and Policy
Partner: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, Global Partners Governance

About the project

Covid-19 has had dramatic impacts on the scale and dynamics of modern slavery around the world, with a myriad of implications arising in different sectors and contexts. Yet, the impacts of the pandemic on modern slavery in transitional and post-conflict contexts remains under-explored. These contexts are critical contexts for interrogation, not only because of existing high levels of risk and vulnerability to modern slavery, but also because transition provides an important opportunity to embed robust evidence-based antislavery measures in new structures of governance. This project will investigate the impacts of Covid-19 on modern slavery dynamics and responses in Sudan— a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office priority for Covid aid as a site of current and ongoing transition and a critical source, destination, and transit country for people experiencing or at risk of modern slavery.