More people are living in slavery today than at any other time in modern history. And according to a recent BBC report, far from being tucked away, it is often hiding in plain sight, even at your local McDonald’s.  

Invisible handcuffs keeping victims in slavery 

A Czech trafficking ring was recently uncovered in the U.K. after an investigation that spanned years. Victims had been trafficked into the country and were working under modern slavery at a McDonald’s and a pita bread factory. But obvious warning signs that things were not right were missed for at least four years by both employers, such as employees’ pay not going into their own bank accounts. 

Dame Sara Thornton, the former independent anti-slavery commissioner said: 

“It really concerns me that so many red flags were missed, and that maybe the companies didn’t do enough to protect vulnerable workers.”  

Another obvious sign was the long hours victims were required to work, sometimes up to 30-hour shifts. According to one of the investigators, the traffickers basically “treated their victims like livestock” feeding them just enough “to keep them going.” When not at work victims were monitored by CCTV and cut off from the outside world as they were not allowed to use phones or the internet.  

On top of that, none of them spoke English. It took one brave victim coming forward to start the investigation that eventually led to the 6-person trafficking ring being uncovered and arrested.  

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