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Virginia Mantouvalou cited in Lords debate on Modern Slavery

15 December 2014

Research by Dr Virginia Mantouvalou on domestic labour was cited last week in a House of Lords debate on the Draft Modern Slavery Bill

Virginia Mantouvalou

During the debate, which referred to changes to the visa regime for overseas domestic workers, many members called upon the Government to reform the system in response to a reported increase in abuse and exploitation of workers by their employers.

Addressing the Chamber,聽聽said that she had been struck by an article by Dr Mantouvalou describing the history of the overseas domestic worker visa and the diplomatic visa.

She said: 鈥淲hen the concession was originally introduced, it was from concern to enable workers who had been with a family overseas to come here. The comment was made that it was for 鈥榓 humanitarian reason鈥 鈥 to look after the domestic workers 鈥 and look where we have got to.鈥

Dr Mantouvalou has been conducting research into the rights of migrant domestic workers since 2005. For her most recent research project, she interviewed workers under the Overseas Domestic Worker visa 鈥 which ties them to their employers 鈥 and has examined the living and working conditions of these workers before and after their arrival in the UK.

The interviews revealed that when exploited and abused workers escape their employers, they become undocumented and trapped in ongoing cycles of exploitation. Dr Mantouvalou argues that the visa may be in breach of the prohibition of slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour in the聽.

In November,聽Dr Mantouvalou聽presented her research聽at a panel discussion hosted by聽with the UK NGO for migrant domestic workers,聽, at the House of Lords.聽Evidence provided by Kalayaan, of which Dr Mantouvalou is also a member of the management board, showed that for the individuals registered with them, abuse and exploitation experienced at the hands of their employers has worsened since the visa rules changed in 2012.

Earlier this month, Dr Mantouvalou also聽presented ongoing聽research on Modern Slavery to the聽, and has聽聽on the Draft Modern Slavery Bill.