Overlooked and unaccounted for – the realities of migrant women's involvement in selling sex in the UK
Although it is estimated that a large proportion of migrant women are involved in the UK ‘sex industry’, their realities are often overlooked. In Scotland we know very little about migrant women’s experiences of selling sex – and what we do know is that few attend services specialising in supporting those involved in the ‘sex industry’ and even fewer disclose their involvement to generic services.
As we have discussed in our insights articles, every woman involved in selling or exchanging sex can face multiple barriers and challenges due to their involvement. However, migrant women can face a unique set of vulnerabilities and issues related to their ethnicity, nationality, language, and immigration status. In this article we explore key aspects of migrant women’s experiences of involvement.
What do we mean by migrant women?
In this article, we use the term ‘migrant women’ to refer to women who have arrived into the UK through a variety of routes. This includes women from across Europe and all continents around the world, women from all ethnicities as well as women who speak English as a first language and those who don’t.
Women involved in the ‘sex industry’ are a diverse group with a range of experiences and backgrounds, and the same can be said of migrant women involved in selling sex. Many migrant women were trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation, but not all of them were. Some may have arrived in the UK as students, family members, workers, asylum-seekers or undocumented migrants and it was months or even years after arriving and settling in the UK that they became involved in selling or exchanging sex. Other women may have started selling sex in their home countries or en route to the UK.
Later on we will explore some factors that can lead migrant women to become involved, but suffice to say that migrant women’s journeys into the ‘sex industry’ cannot be categorised in a single way.
Migrant women who sell sex – what are the numbers?
There are no official figures that can tell us how many migrant women are involved in the Scottish ‘sex industry.’ However, through different local reports and international data we can paint a picture of the possible extent of migrant women’s involvement in selling sex in Scotland.
Overall, the European Union reports that 70% of those involved in prostitution in Europe are migrant women. Closer to Scotland, the English Collective of Prostitutes has estimated that 41% of women in the UK’s ‘sex industry’ are non-British. Meanwhile, figures in Ireland put the presence of migrant women at 97% and a study on prostitution in Northern Ireland found that 67% of women surveyed came from outside Northern Ireland – with evidence of women “touring” to offer sexual services as far as Glasgow.
In Scotland, researchers have identified the presence of migrant women in different settings. For example, a 2017 study commissioned by the Scottish Government mentions a high proportion of migrant women selling sex on the streets of Aberdeen and indoors in Dundee and Edinburgh. Similarly, the 2022 Encompass Snapshot reported that 35 out 101 women supported by specialist services in Scotland were not British. Lastly, a 2022 NUMbrella Lane needs assessment reported that 9 out of 27 sex workers surveyed identified as migrants. These numbers confirm the presence of migrant women in Scotland’s ‘sex industry,’ but they also highlight the low numbers attending and engaging with services.
In terms of the nationalities of women selling sex in the UK, although there is no conclusive census, a recent study exploring the migration trajectories of people involved in escorting found that the main nationalities represented in this activity in the UK were Romanian, Russian, Italian, Spanish and Hungarian. Although, as we will see below, some women may be advertised with a nationality different to their own.
How do migrant women become involved in the UK’s sex industry?
There is no one single defined path that pushes migrant women into selling sex. However, factors in both their home countries and in the UK can contribute to women’s involvement in selling or exchanging sex in the UK.
Vulnerability and inequality in women’s home countries
For some women, entry into the ‘sex industry’ can be the result of the socioeconomic context, inequality and hardship they face in their own countries. These can include poverty, pressure to provide for the family, limited employment and education opportunities, abuse and violence, as well as war and conflict. Women may find they have no choice but to start selling sex or in some cases they may be pushed into the ‘sex industry’ when seeking opportunities abroad. For Iris, poverty and a broken family led her to start selling sex first in Brazil and then in Ireland:
As we have discussed in our insights articles, every woman involved in selling or exchanging sex can face multiple barriers and challenges due to their involvement. However, migrant women can face a unique set of vulnerabilities and issues related to their ethnicity, nationality, language, and immigration status. In this article we explore key aspects of migrant women’s experiences of involvement.
What do we mean by migrant women?
In this article, we use the term ‘migrant women’ to refer to women who have arrived into the UK through a variety of routes. This includes women from across Europe and all continents around the world, women from all ethnicities as well as women who speak English as a first language and those who don’t.
Women involved in the ‘sex industry’ are a diverse group with a range of experiences and backgrounds, and the same can be said of migrant women involved in selling sex. Many migrant women were trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation, but not all of them were. Some may have arrived in the UK as students, family members, workers, asylum-seekers or undocumented migrants and it was months or even years after arriving and settling in the UK that they became involved in selling or exchanging sex. Other women may have started selling sex in their home countries or en route to the UK.
Later on we will explore some factors that can lead migrant women to become involved, but suffice to say that migrant women’s journeys into the ‘sex industry’ cannot be categorised in a single way.
Migrant women who sell sex – what are the numbers?
There are no official figures that can tell us how many migrant women are involved in the Scottish ‘sex industry.’ However, through different local reports and international data we can paint a picture of the possible extent of migrant women’s involvement in selling sex in Scotland.
Overall, the European Union reports that 70% of those involved in prostitution in Europe are migrant women. Closer to Scotland, the English Collective of Prostitutes has estimated that 41% of women in the UK’s ‘sex industry’ are non-British. Meanwhile, figures in Ireland put the presence of migrant women at 97% and a study on prostitution in Northern Ireland found that 67% of women surveyed came from outside Northern Ireland – with evidence of women “touring” to offer sexual services as far as Glasgow.
In Scotland, researchers have identified the presence of migrant women in different settings. For example, a 2017 study commissioned by the Scottish Government mentions a high proportion of migrant women selling sex on the streets of Aberdeen and indoors in Dundee and Edinburgh. Similarly, the 2022 Encompass Snapshot reported that 35 out 101 women supported by specialist services in Scotland were not British. Lastly, a 2022 NUMbrella Lane needs assessment reported that 9 out of 27 sex workers surveyed identified as migrants. These numbers confirm the presence of migrant women in Scotland’s ‘sex industry,’ but they also highlight the low numbers attending and engaging with services.
In terms of the nationalities of women selling sex in the UK, although there is no conclusive census, a recent study exploring the migration trajectories of people involved in escorting found that the main nationalities represented in this activity in the UK were Romanian, Russian, Italian, Spanish and Hungarian. Although, as we will see below, some women may be advertised with a nationality different to their own.
How do migrant women become involved in the UK’s sex industry?
There is no one single defined path that pushes migrant women into selling sex. However, factors in both their home countries and in the UK can contribute to women’s involvement in selling or exchanging sex in the UK.
Vulnerability and inequality in women’s home countries
For some women, entry into the ‘sex industry’ can be the result of the socioeconomic context, inequality and hardship they face in their own countries. These can include poverty, pressure to provide for the family, limited employment and education opportunities, abuse and violence, as well as war and conflict. Women may find they have no choice but to start selling sex or in some cases they may be pushed into the ‘sex industry’ when seeking opportunities abroad. For Iris, poverty and a broken family led her to start selling sex first in Brazil and then in Ireland:
“I started to do this 19 years [old, in Brazil]. I start because I need to go out of my house because my mother fight with me, she don’t want to stay with me…my father is die ... I’m from very poor place… in my country is more bad, you know, situation. Money, everything … So, I come from Brazil. My family’s poor people…I come here because here people say, ‘You’re going to have wings and oh, yes, money, enough for you buy house!’ I wanted this in my country because I don’t have. You understand? So, I had dreams."
Family obligations have been consistently highlighted as a reason for women to start selling sex. Women might be expected to lift their families out of poverty and pay for things like health treatments, celebrations, education among other things. In our report on migrant women, support workers also identified debt as a push factor:
“Debt is a major factor for families. That the family has borrowed money or there’s been political unrest and the women are being sold to meet these debts.
We also must not underestimate the role of conflict and war in driving women into selling and exchanging sex – especially as employment and other economic activities become disrupted, limited or completely inexistent. A clear example is evidence of punters’ demand for women from conflict zones – as highlighted by the OSCE, at the onset of the war in Ukraine, there was a spike in globalsearches for “Ukrainian escorts” and “Ukrainian porn.”
Finally, third parties can play an important role in women’s entry into the UK ‘sex industry.’ Researchers in the UK found that the majority of migrant women they interviewed “were introduced to the possibility of working in the sex industry by friends and colleagues they met through non sexual jobs.” In Inside Outside, Natasha, for example, described how a friend linked her to an escort agency in Scotland:
Finally, third parties can play an important role in women’s entry into the UK ‘sex industry.’ Researchers in the UK found that the majority of migrant women they interviewed “were introduced to the possibility of working in the sex industry by friends and colleagues they met through non sexual jobs.” In Inside Outside, Natasha, for example, described how a friend linked her to an escort agency in Scotland:
“I had a girl who I was dancing with and I told her, ‘I really need to work.’ She said, ‘Oh, I think I can help you with that. Let's meet next week. I have a friend and he can help you somewhere in Scotland.’ Next week she phoned, she was with her boyfriend and he said, Look, I can help you to go Scotland work as an escort. It's very, very good money, you can make the eight thousand in like a month or so and of course, I was like, ‘Really?’ Yeah. I was like, 'Wow.'"
In some cases, these ‘friends’ or acquaintances can in fact be organised pimps, traffickers and controllers who deceive women and exploit them upon arrival in Europe. As a support worker interviewed for our report explained:
“Women often come to our service through being coerced and believe they are coming to the UK to work in nail salons/ as nanny's and other forms of employment to find when traveling or on arrival this not to be the case."
Vulnerability and exclusion in the UK
The exclusion and hardship that migrant women face in the UK can also lead to their involvement in selling or exchanging many years after settling in the country. These inequalities are often linked to women’s gender, ethnicity, language, and immigration status.
One of the major push factors highlighted by women and services is the immigration system. The UK’s ‘hostile immigration’ policy introduced in recent years has increased the vulnerabilities for women that can lead to involvement in selling sex. As an example, services have emphasised that the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) immigration condition (which applies to most migrants and prevents access to services and basic supports) has put women at higher risk of destitution, and consequently, led women to sell sex for survival:
The exclusion and hardship that migrant women face in the UK can also lead to their involvement in selling or exchanging many years after settling in the country. These inequalities are often linked to women’s gender, ethnicity, language, and immigration status.
One of the major push factors highlighted by women and services is the immigration system. The UK’s ‘hostile immigration’ policy introduced in recent years has increased the vulnerabilities for women that can lead to involvement in selling sex. As an example, services have emphasised that the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) immigration condition (which applies to most migrants and prevents access to services and basic supports) has put women at higher risk of destitution, and consequently, led women to sell sex for survival:
“For women with NRPF [selling sex] is a way to avoid homelessness, is a way to have a roof over their heads even if that roof is exploitative, because if you’re a woman with NRPF you only would qualify for homelessness if you have children or a disability."
In another example, Southhall Black Sisters shared a case of a woman whose asylum claim was rejected and the high legal fees she needed to pay for immigration advice led to her involvement:
“… she was forced to pay for legal advice that landed her with a bill of £1500 which she simply could not afford to pay. … As a result of her growing desperation, Ms B confided to a male acquaintance that she had financial problems and asked for help. He offered to ‘help’ her in return for sex with men. Ms B found it difficult to consent to the request, but ultimately felt she had no choice but to accept as she needed to pay the solicitor’s fees.”
Undocumented women and those in the asylum process may not be able to access mainstream employment, which can add pressures to find money. However, even women who are allowed to work in the UK can face system inequalities that exclude them from working. Discrimination, lacking the language and not having their qualifications recognised in the country have been identified as some issues that can exclude women from more formal and stable jobs. Moreover, women from ethnic minority, many of whom are migrants, are overrepresented in low-paid, unstable and informal jobs.
Some women have mentioned how the low pay and instability of working as cleaners, waitresses, shop assistants and other similar jobs led them to consider selling sex. In our report, services also explained that during the pandemic, many women in this type of precarious jobs were forced to start selling sex:
Some women have mentioned how the low pay and instability of working as cleaners, waitresses, shop assistants and other similar jobs led them to consider selling sex. In our report, services also explained that during the pandemic, many women in this type of precarious jobs were forced to start selling sex:
“We’ve got women who were working under the counter, cash-in-hand jobs, like cleaning jobs and then those dried out during COVID. So what we’ve found is that a fair few women were pushed into prostitution during COVID …”
Paired with the above vulnerabilities, the fact that migrant women have reduced connections and support networks in the UK can mean they are particularly targeted by exploiters. Pimps, punters, abusive partners and family members can force or push women into selling sex. Organisations have, for example, described how other male and female residents in asylum accommodation and homeless hostels have lured women into selling sex or exchanging sex for housing and drugs:
“When women are already involved in selling sex, the punters then do try to become that ‘I’ll protect you’ and then [women] go and live with them and they’re at risk of obviously exploitation from that male. But also to sustain the tenancy with that male then they are also pimped out by the male to friends and other people.”
In the Irish study, Iris described how another woman exploited the fact that she didn’t speak English and took a cut from her appointments with clients:
“… every day I am working…and she takes half [the money]…she put her number. People [buyers] call her, because she speak English, I don’t speak.”
Experiences of involvement in the sex industry
Women involved in selling or exchanging sex can face a range of challenges, but migrant women can face unique additional issues an harms due to their ethnicity, immigration status and connection to a different country. Below we highlight some of the main ones.
Racism, stereotyping and discrimination
It is well known that the sex industry relies on racial stereotypes to attract punters. Thus, punters attitudes toward migrants and ethnic minorities can determine their treatment of the migrant women they have paid for sex. For instance, a UK survey found that punters view non-British women as being “more flexible, willing and cheaper” than local women. These attitudes can then translate into behaviours ranging from problematic to violent.
Women of colour have recounted how racism is a common feature of their experiences of violence, with some clients specifically targeting women of colour to enact their racism. Black women involved in webcamming shared instances where they got requests for so-called “race play,” a type of “fetish” focused on racial abuse and subjugation of the person of colour:
Women involved in selling or exchanging sex can face a range of challenges, but migrant women can face unique additional issues an harms due to their ethnicity, immigration status and connection to a different country. Below we highlight some of the main ones.
Racism, stereotyping and discrimination
It is well known that the sex industry relies on racial stereotypes to attract punters. Thus, punters attitudes toward migrants and ethnic minorities can determine their treatment of the migrant women they have paid for sex. For instance, a UK survey found that punters view non-British women as being “more flexible, willing and cheaper” than local women. These attitudes can then translate into behaviours ranging from problematic to violent.
Women of colour have recounted how racism is a common feature of their experiences of violence, with some clients specifically targeting women of colour to enact their racism. Black women involved in webcamming shared instances where they got requests for so-called “race play,” a type of “fetish” focused on racial abuse and subjugation of the person of colour:
“I’ve had people asking for race play at which point I block them because I don’t like to encourage that type of behaviour.”
In her research with Black African women trafficked into the Irish sex trade, Dr Okeke emphasised how migrant women can be specifically targeted by punters to enact racial violence. On of her interviewees described an encounter with a racist punter who in addition to calling her racist slurs:
“also told her how much he hated her kind [black women] and that ‘she was nothing’ before doing ‘things’ to her that she did not wish to divulge, aside from telling me that he really wanted her to feel humiliated and peed on her.”
For migrant women of colour, the violence faced in the sex industry can range from dehumanising comments such as “I’ve never tried a black girl” to racial slurs like using the N-word in sexual encounters through to racial violence and threats of murder. A woman interviewed in a Swedish study described how an encounter with a wealthy punter almost resulted in her murder:
“[the punter and his friend] discussed, in a rather sociopathic way how worthy it would be to let me live and it is a conversation that I overhear somewhere as I am lying on the floor and they decide that I was … I was really just ‘a black slut’. […] to them, it would not have mattered like that’s it, [we] can let her live, ‘it would be a bit more troublesome if we kill her’.”
Moreover, it is also well established that migrant women will at times be advertised as being from a different nationality or ethnicity in order to attract punters. As a worker explained in our report, this is often fuelled by punters demand for specific nationalities and a derision of others:
“… what we see from those women in the brothels is that they clearly are from the Roma community, they’re also from a darker complexion. And something that will always stay with me is that apparently … there’s something about [the women] looking Asian, that’s something that the men want … which is why those particularly young Roma women are brought over so much.”
Another worker in our report mentioned the impact that having to use a different nationality can have on some women:
“Quite a number of the women that were involved there would have been from the Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) and they would say that they had to be advertised as something else and it felt quite demeaning to them, that it felt dehumanising in a way because they couldn’t say ‘I’m a Latvian and I’m proud to be a Latvian’ they had to say I’m Icelandic or a Norwegian or something different.”
Meeting the financial expectations of families abroad
While supporting families in their home country can be a driver into selling sex, the pressure to continue sending money abroad can remain and even grow as women continue their involvement. For example, migrant women interviewed for the Irish study “found it very difficult to reduce or cut off this financial support.”
This family responsibility poses a huge challenge for women when making decisions around their involvement and can become a barrier to exiting the ‘sex industry’ in her own terms. Workers in our report described the “shame of failure” that some migrant women feel when considering stopping their involvement and, as a result, cutting the financial support to their families and returning to their countries:
While supporting families in their home country can be a driver into selling sex, the pressure to continue sending money abroad can remain and even grow as women continue their involvement. For example, migrant women interviewed for the Irish study “found it very difficult to reduce or cut off this financial support.”
This family responsibility poses a huge challenge for women when making decisions around their involvement and can become a barrier to exiting the ‘sex industry’ in her own terms. Workers in our report described the “shame of failure” that some migrant women feel when considering stopping their involvement and, as a result, cutting the financial support to their families and returning to their countries:
“… [Nigerian women] to take help that was offered to help them exit their situation or identify as a victim of trafficking and to be returned to their country would mean the shame of failure. And it’s a cultural thing within the Edo states or Abuja for you to come back there having failed as a migrant. It’s quite similar for some of the Vietnamese women that we see – there’s the shame that you bring to your family if you don’t work hard, save money and send money back home.”
Yet, as researchers have found, the issues like the cost of being involved in selling sex (which we described in our Money and poverty insights) and the presence of pimps and controllers can in fact make it harder for women to send money home. Natasha described the following interaction with another migrant woman involved in escorting:
“One of them, she had a baby girl in Spain. She was here I think a year or so in a pimps’ house. I ask her, ‘Okay, how much money did you send for your daughter home?’ and she say, ‘None, nothing.’ and I say, ‘How because somebody has the money?’ It was the guy, she fall in love with a pimp and he was taking all the money.”
Increased risk of other forms of abuse
We have written about the links between involvement in the selling or exchanging sex and other forms of abuse such as rape, sexual violence and domestic abuse. While these forms of abuse can also intersect with the experiences of migrant women who sell sex, there are other, lesser addressed forms of abuse that can be particularly impact women from certain communities.
Workers in our report pointed out not only how abuse and coercion from parents, partners or in some cases in-laws can lead to women’s involvement in selling sex. They also talked about cases where women’s involvement has lead to instances of honour-based abuse and forced marriage:
We have written about the links between involvement in the selling or exchanging sex and other forms of abuse such as rape, sexual violence and domestic abuse. While these forms of abuse can also intersect with the experiences of migrant women who sell sex, there are other, lesser addressed forms of abuse that can be particularly impact women from certain communities.
Workers in our report pointed out not only how abuse and coercion from parents, partners or in some cases in-laws can lead to women’s involvement in selling sex. They also talked about cases where women’s involvement has lead to instances of honour-based abuse and forced marriage:
“We have seen scenarios where women come to the UK on tourist visa or as an international student thinking they’re coming to a job that falls through, doesn’t exist or isn’t what they thought it was going to be. They’re then brought into exploitation and their families find out about that or the family that they’re staying with finds out about that as part of their community and that puts [the women] at risk of ‘if we marry her off it will stop this behaviour’ or it puts her at risk of honour violence depending on what country she is due to return to.”
Touring, mobility and isolation
Women in escorting are known to regularly move between regions and countries to sell sex. This is called ‘touring’ and it is a phenomenon in which migrant and non-migrant women may be in rented accommodation for a few weeks to see punters, before moving to a different area of the country. Women have been documented to ‘tour’ between Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Scotland to meet clients.
However, this transient nature of women’s involvement can have a particular negative impact on migrant women. It has been found to make it harder for women to establish networks, feel settled, engage with services and build the supports needed if they ever wish to stop selling sex. Elena, a woman interviewed for the Irish study, explained how touring impacted on her ability to open a bank account:
Women in escorting are known to regularly move between regions and countries to sell sex. This is called ‘touring’ and it is a phenomenon in which migrant and non-migrant women may be in rented accommodation for a few weeks to see punters, before moving to a different area of the country. Women have been documented to ‘tour’ between Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Scotland to meet clients.
However, this transient nature of women’s involvement can have a particular negative impact on migrant women. It has been found to make it harder for women to establish networks, feel settled, engage with services and build the supports needed if they ever wish to stop selling sex. Elena, a woman interviewed for the Irish study, explained how touring impacted on her ability to open a bank account:
“Always I’m travelling. Moving, moving, because, you know, you can’t sit down, you know. [Dublin, Cork], Galway, Northern Ireland. And here also it’s difficult when you go to – like I have been for open the bank account. Everything is difficult because you need to provide the address and where your money comes from, you know.”
Beyond touring, women have described how their involvement in selling sex can be all-consuming and very isolating when they have no established communities of friends and families to rely on. Having to stay home or in a brothel all day to receive clients, paired with not having many trusted friends and the language barrier can contribute to this isolation. This was the case for Romana:
“I came to Ireland because I had a friend here and she’s arrived one month before…I came to Ireland for study English…And the first six months everything was new here for me…I never speak English before… And [then] my friend left…She’s had enough in Ireland…And I was here alone…I feel lonely, no speaking English.”
Fear of deportation
A common thread in migrant women’s experiences is the fear of interacting with people in positions of authority (whether it is police, social work or anyone perceived to be in a position to make decisions about a woman’s life). Deportation is often their key worry regardless of whether women are newly arrived or have been in the UK for years. National Ugly Mugs found that almost one third (32%) of 88 sex workers surveyed said they do not contact police because of their status as migrants and a fear of being deported. And women have expressed how this distrust is even greater for those who are undocumented:
A common thread in migrant women’s experiences is the fear of interacting with people in positions of authority (whether it is police, social work or anyone perceived to be in a position to make decisions about a woman’s life). Deportation is often their key worry regardless of whether women are newly arrived or have been in the UK for years. National Ugly Mugs found that almost one third (32%) of 88 sex workers surveyed said they do not contact police because of their status as migrants and a fear of being deported. And women have expressed how this distrust is even greater for those who are undocumented:
“One of my sex worker friends is an undocumented migrant. . . She has no right to access healthcare. She is very distrustful of police and the authorities. She guards her privacy and anonymity more than other sex workers I know.”
Previous negative experiences with services, coming from a country where there is distrust of authorities, their own journey into prostitution (e.g. if there has been coercion and violence from controllers and traffickers) and lack of knowledge of their rights can contribute to migrant women’s reluctance to engage with services.
Women’s immigration situation and lack of knowledge of their rights can be used by punters, abusers and controllers as a threat and a method of coercion. European women, for example, reported an increase in threats from punters in the period following Brexit, when there was an increase in misinformation about European migrants’ rights.
Women’s immigration situation and lack of knowledge of their rights can be used by punters, abusers and controllers as a threat and a method of coercion. European women, for example, reported an increase in threats from punters in the period following Brexit, when there was an increase in misinformation about European migrants’ rights.
“Punters are more confident to report us to the police and home office, their threats sound like ‘I am going to get you deported if you don't give me my money back.’”
Lastly, recent changes in immigration legislation in the UK have heightened negative attitudes toward migrants and reinforced some of women’s fears around deportation. For this reason, human rights organisations have campaigned on this issue and emphasised the importance of migrant women having access to knowledgeable immigration advise from trusted providers.
Additional barriers when leaving the ‘sex industry’
In our Exiting insights we explored the challenges women face when they want or have to stop selling or exchanging sex. It is essential to recognise that migrant women face additional intersecting barriers that can make it harder to exit the ‘sex industry.’ Among those are the isolation and lack of social networks that we discussed above. Not being able to fully take part in their community due to a lack of social connections can prevent women from envisioning a life outside of their involvement.
Additionally, as Okeke pointed out, women will often not be aware that support is available because they have not received any information and because in many cases such supports do not exist in their own countries.
Finally, there is the issue of women’s immigration condition. Women who arrive undocumented or became undocumented whilst being here (because they overstayed their visa or had an application rejected, for example) are not able to access formal employment. Concerns about regularising their status and lack of knowledge of their immigration rights and fear of deportation can trap women in the ‘sex industry’.
As we have seen throughout this article, migrant women’s experiences of selling or exchanging point to the global nature of the ‘sex industry.’ Above all, that women from all countries and ethnicities can become involved in the UK’s sex industry. Yet, migrant women face challenges specific to their nationality, ethnicity, cultural background and immigration status that services must be equipped to respond to. Cultural awareness and an openness to understanding the unique journeys and stories of migrant women involved in selling or exchanging sex are essential to provide adequate support. As the STAGE toolkit explains:
Additional barriers when leaving the ‘sex industry’
In our Exiting insights we explored the challenges women face when they want or have to stop selling or exchanging sex. It is essential to recognise that migrant women face additional intersecting barriers that can make it harder to exit the ‘sex industry.’ Among those are the isolation and lack of social networks that we discussed above. Not being able to fully take part in their community due to a lack of social connections can prevent women from envisioning a life outside of their involvement.
Additionally, as Okeke pointed out, women will often not be aware that support is available because they have not received any information and because in many cases such supports do not exist in their own countries.
Finally, there is the issue of women’s immigration condition. Women who arrive undocumented or became undocumented whilst being here (because they overstayed their visa or had an application rejected, for example) are not able to access formal employment. Concerns about regularising their status and lack of knowledge of their immigration rights and fear of deportation can trap women in the ‘sex industry’.
As we have seen throughout this article, migrant women’s experiences of selling or exchanging point to the global nature of the ‘sex industry.’ Above all, that women from all countries and ethnicities can become involved in the UK’s sex industry. Yet, migrant women face challenges specific to their nationality, ethnicity, cultural background and immigration status that services must be equipped to respond to. Cultural awareness and an openness to understanding the unique journeys and stories of migrant women involved in selling or exchanging sex are essential to provide adequate support. As the STAGE toolkit explains:
“Much of the public narrative on sexual exploitation is centred on female, white-British children in urban geographies who are being exploited through the night-time economy … The impact of this, despite best intentions, is that services and individual professionals are likely to be missing women who might otherwise access support. [And] once women are engaging in support, services might not fully appreciate how a women’s multiple identities intersect with her experiences, therefore not recognise the support she needs to best meet her needs and prolong her journey towards recovery.”
To learn more about what services can to do become more inclusive of migrant women involved in selling or exchanging sex, read our interview with Dr Jennifer Okeke from the Immigrant Council of Ireland.
And check our practice points to find out some practical things you can do to better respond to the needs of migrant women involved in selling or exchanging sex.
And check our practice points to find out some practical things you can do to better respond to the needs of migrant women involved in selling or exchanging sex.
