Unwanted work: the new slavery, according to the debate

Unwanted work: the new slavery, according to the debate

The debate on immigration and employment has taken a disturbing turn: what some call "jobs Spaniards don't want to do" is now being described as a form of modern slavery. At the centre of the controversy is an African man, allegedly hired for companionship and personal services, who according to the harshest comments "is only there for the papers and the money", but at the cost of enduring degrading situations and having to smile for the camera.

It is argued that this practice amounts to "the new slavery", where poor people from Africa are used as objects of service, not only domestic but also sensual, by women with purchasing power and political affinity. The accusations claim that these men send the money to their families in Africa, supporting their wives, while enduring degrading conditions. One comment goes as far as to say: "Pleasing that woman isn't a job, it's a sentence".

The discussion goes beyond this specific case and delves into hidden labour exploitation, human trafficking for exploitation and the hypocrisy of certain pogre rhetoric. Some argue it is yet another manifestation of modern colonialism, where the migrant's body becomes a commodity. Others, however, downplay the scale of the problem or ridicule it, comparing the situation to memes or bringing up the "freeing of Willy", a reference to the film 'Free Willy'.

While some see a sentence, others see a business. The debate shows no consensus, but it does reveal a common denominator: the suspicion that behind the supposed job opportunity lies a relationship of exploitation that nobody wants to name openly. And in the meantime, the uncomfortable question hangs in the air: how many of these "unwanted jobs" are in fact modern forms of slavery?