EU-Migrant Sex Work and Brexit

The project began in 2018 after securing funding via the Vice Chancellor’s Early Career Award at the University of Salford. It involved a collaboration with the English Collective of Prostitutes – a leading sex worker-led organisation in the UK – and Fez Endalaust from the Sex Worker Advocacy and Resistance Movement. Using an online survey – available in both English and Romanian language versions – EU-migrant sex workers were invited to reflect on what, if any, impact the EU Referendum had on their experiences of sex work in the UK.  

The research found that the Referendum outcome exacerbated the existing vulnerabilities of migrant sex workers; vulnerabilities that arise, in large part, from uncertain immigration status, and the quasi-criminalised and stigmatised nature of sex work. Stress and anxiety have increased amongst migrant sex workers since the Referendum, largely related to fears of being arrested, detained, and deported. In turn, this fear serves to deter migrant sex workers from reporting victimisation to the police, enabling violent clients to act with impunity. That said, EU-migrant sex workers have developed a range of resistance strategies to navigate life post-Referendum, including vetting techniques and working together to improve safety, and lobbying for the decriminalisation of sex work. 

In 2020, the project was awarded Research Impact funding from the university. Materials are being disseminated to key stakeholders to inform policy and practice in the field.  

Funder: University of Salford  Team: Laura Connelly, with the English Collective of Prostitutes and Fez Endalaust (SWARM)