A research report has just been published confirming exactly what we have observed amongst Adavu’s clients: that Covid-19 has had a huge, negative impact on the lives and wellbeing of survivors of modern slavery.
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/beacons-of-excellence/rights-lab/resources/reports-and-briefings/2021/january/impact-of-covid-19-on-modern-slavery-survivors-in-the-uk-usa.pdf
Written by the Universities of Nottingham and Sheffield and in collaboration with Survivor Alliance (fantastic, survivor-led organisation), they have noted negative consequences on the following:
- financial status
- the ability to return home/to their country of origin
- relationships with wider (rather than immediate) family and friends
- access to work/employment, and psychological health
Survivors are struggling with reduced access to medical, psychological and social services. In particular, the majority of survivors surveyed – and as we observe with our clients – expect that their psychological health will be most impacted upon.
Whilst this may be true of many other groups and individuals in our communities, we must remember that such an impact compounds layer upon layer of trauma in our particular cohort. So let’s all be kind, compassionate and aware of one another in these times.