Few sexworkers coerced, claims research

LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX...WORK!

With the expenses scandal bringing Whitehall to its knees, the government might now be trying to reinstate Britain's moral virginity in quite a different way - by cleaning up the sex industry. The new Policing and Crime Bill being currently discussed in Parliament aims at making it illegal to buy sex and at making it easier to close down commercial sex avenues as a means to stamp out trafficking and sexual exploitation.

But new ESRC-funded research ‘Migrant Workers in the UK Sex Industry’ by Dr Nick Mai of the Institute for the Study of European Transformations (ISET) at London Metropolitan University raises concerns that the government might be going down the wrong path.

The research draws on the life experiences of 100 women, men and transgender people working in all commercial-sex businesses. These included, among others, strippers, flat workers, maids and escorts, from the main areas of origin of migrants working in the sex industry.

‘Most interviewees thought that making it illegal to buy sex and closing down commercial premises will not stop migrants and UK citizens from working in the sex industry,’ said Dr Nick Mai – ‘the majority felt that these provisions would merely push the sex industry further underground and that they and the communities within which they work would be less safe as a result’.

The research project was presented for the first time on Friday 10 July at London Metropolitan University to an audience of over 100 people, including representatives of the Home Office, the Police, the UK Human Trafficking Centre, the UK Border Agency, the Greater London Authority, the press, representatives of the main UK associations and organisations working on sex work and trafficking, as well as academics and research participants.

The research was also presented at the ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) National Vice Conference on 30 June 2009 and is informing the parliamentary discussion of the new Policing and Crime Bill, which should be passed in October 2009.

Popular concepts of ‘trafficking’ and ‘exploitation’ did not match the personal experiences of the majority of interviewees. Dr Nick Mai from ISET said: ’Very few of the migrants we interviewed felt they were forced to work in the UK sex industry. On the contrary, for the majority working in the sex industry was a way to avoid the exploitative working conditions they had met in their previous non sexual jobs.’

Dr Mai concluded: ‘The findings of this research go against the grain of the idea that the majority of migrants working in the sex industry are exploited or trafficked and that further criminalisation of the sex industry, including clients, or restrictive migration measures are the best ways to fight cases of violence and abuse’. Rather, ‘the legalisation of the sex industry and the provision of legal immigration status to migrant workers are the best ways to decrease their potential vulnerability to exploitation in the sex industry as in any other sector they might choose to work in’.*

-Ends-*

*_______________________________________________________

Notes

1. The findings of the ‘Migrants in the UK Sex Industry’ project can be found on the project webpage:

ww.londonmet.ac.uk/research-units/iset/projects/esrc-migrant-workers.cfm_

2. The presentation of the research was filmed and is available to view at: _mms://streamwm.londonmet.ac.uk/Iset1.wmv_
3. The project is funded by the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council - RES-062-23-0137)

4. Dr Nick Mai is a member of the Institute for the Study of European Transformations (ISET) at London Metropolitan University. ISET is an interdisciplinary team researching social, economic, cultural and political transformations in contemporary Europe.

www.londonmet.ac.uk/research-units/iset/_

*For further information please contact:*

Madeleine Kingston
Institute for the Study of European Transformations (ISET)
London Metropolitan University
Phone: 020 7133 2927
Email: iset@londonmet.ac.uk