Not Slaves Enough: On the Trivialization of Systemic Migrant Labor Exploitation in Tuscany, Italy

Abstract

This article focuses on the exploitation of migrant labor in Tuscany, in relation to its neglect by anti-trafficking organizations. It contends that a conceptualization of human trafficking centered on coercion, violence, and forced movement of bodies focuses only on extra-ordinary cases, dismissing the wide-ranging exploitation of migrants currently taking place in Tuscany. It contends that the structural presence of exploitation within lawful frameworks renders exploitation itself invisible and it normalizes it. This study used the extended case methodology, linking the context of labor in Italy with the analysis of interviews with migrant workers and trade union and inspection officers.