Slavery is not a relic of the past—it’s alive today.

For most people, the word “slavery” evokes images of black slaves transported to America or ancient Rome and Greece. Yet, despite its formal abolition in most countries at the end of the nineteenth century, slavery remains an insidious part of modern life. In 2023, over 50 million people worldwide are still denied freedom, exploited, and traded as commodities.

From forced labor in agriculture, fishing, clothing, construction, and catering industries to sex trafficking in Europe, slavery infiltrates industries globally—including Western countries—and often involves connections to Western companies. Even in our daily lives, as consumers buying cheap clothes, tea, cocoa, or shrimp, we unknowingly perpetuate this inhuman system.

Slavery is criminal, inhumane, and closer to us than we realize. Yet it rarely captures the attention of the media or the public. This book exposes the hidden reality of modern slavery, revealing how it continues to shape our world—and why we cannot afford to look away.