Not Your Rescue Project is a groundbreaking exploration of the challenges faced by migrant sex workers, offering a vital critique of the carceral "anti-trafficking" industry and the white savior narratives that perpetuate harm. Chanelle Gallant and Elene Lam not only lay bare the systemic exploitation of migrant sex workers but also provides a powerful vision for justice and change—led by the workers themselves.
One of the book's greatest strengths lies in its accessibility. The authors skillfully break down complex topics like border imperialism, the Nordic model, and the intersections of capitalism and patriarchy, ensuring the arguments are deeply informed and easy to follow. Whether you're new to these discussions or already engaged in abolitionist and socialist movements, this book offers a clear and compelling call to action.
The core argument is simple yet profound: the state's "sex trafficking" narrative, often couched in white savior rhetoric, does more harm than good. By criminalizing migration and sex work under the guise of protection, these policies leave workers trapped in exploitative labor conditions and vulnerable to state violence. The authors particularly excel in dismantling the Nordic model of partial legalization, demonstrating how it exacerbates the challenges faced by migrant workers, especially those without visas, by overcriminalizing other aspects of their lives.
The experience narratives woven throughout the text make Not Your Rescue Project stand out. These firsthand accounts ground the arguments in reality, illustrating the human cost of carceral approaches and the resilience of migrant sex workers organizing for their rights. Gallant and Lam remind us who should lead the fight for justice by centering the voices of those directly impacted.
The actionable steps outlined toward the end of the book are another highlight. They provide concrete pathways for allies to support the abolitionist movement and dismantle the systems of oppression that harm migrant sex workers. This pragmatic approach, combined with the book's broader theoretical framework, makes it an indispensable resource for activists.
I would recommend Not Your Rescue Project to every leftist, especially given the ongoing debates around sex work within socialist spaces. It's a necessary read for anyone committed to dismantling capitalism, patriarchy, and carceral systems—and to building a world rooted in true liberation.

Thank you so much for letting me have n ARC of this book. It contains perspectives I have never considered before. It is an absolute must read. I need some time to sit with this one.

An essential read for anyone interested in world building by those routinely targeted for state violence because they create networks of safety and care outside its imagination. Will definitely be returning to this excellent book time and again.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Firstly, I’d like to thank Haymarket Books, NetGalley and the authors for the opportunity to read Not Your Rescue Project: Migrant Sex Workers Fighting for Justice. This book is a thought-provoking and incredibly important work, and I’m giving it 5 out of 5 stars. Gallant and Lam have crafted a powerful, well-researched, and eye-opening examination of migrant sex workers’ experiences, especially within the framework of North America’s unique societal mentality and systemic prejudices. While this regional focus could be clarified in the description, it doesn’t detract from the universal value of their insights.

This book is both educational and profoundly engaging, breaking down the language of the topic and the terminology used around migrant sex work. The careful exploration of language emphasizes how words shape perceptions and policy, making it a crucial foundation for understanding the broader issues at hand. The book is accessible to readers with varying levels of prior knowledge—whether you're an expert or completely new to the topic, Gallant and Lam write with clarity and respect, never sounding condescending.

One of the most striking aspects of this book is its in-depth class and racial analysis. Gallant and Lam shed light on the racial dimensions of North America’s policies toward migrant sex work, providing essential historical context that makes the current issues all the more understandable. The authors openly explore how systemic inequalities have led to the alienation and dehumanization of migrant sex workers, making it clear that this is not just a question of individual prejudice but a result of entrenched societal and legal structures.

Stories from real individuals are woven throughout the narrative, lending a deeply human perspective that greatly amplifies the book’s impact. These personal accounts help readers empathize with the challenges migrant sex workers face and highlight the courage and resilience of those pushing back against a hostile system. I particularly appreciated the book’s coverage of the Butterfly network—a support system for Asian and migrant sex workers in North America—which serves as a beacon of hope and a call to action for creating a more just society.

Gallant and Lam don’t shy away from the complexities and nuances of sex work, breaking down common misconceptions and illustrating the systemic problems that migrant sex workers encounter daily. Not Your Rescue Project is a powerful critique of North American policies that alienate sex workers, and the book raises an important challenge for readers: to advocate for a system more aligned with progressive policies. (Like the ones found in many European countries, where sex work is better understood and regulated.) This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to educate themselves on this topic and reconsider their perspectives on migrant sex work.

This book challenges conventional narratives surrounding migration, sex work, and the often misguided anti-trafficking industry; recognizing the voices and agency of migrant sex workers themselves, advocating for their rights, safety, and autonomy.
This is a well-researched critique of the carceral approaches to migration and sex work, illuminating how these methods not only fail to protect vulnerable populations but often make it worse.
Highly recommended for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding migration and sex work in contemporary society.
Thank you Net Galley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for a review.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in November. This book is an activist must read. Sex workers rights, especially those of migrant sex workers rights, is an important part of the work that is too often overlooked. If you are a disability activist like me let me remind you: sex workers rights are disability rights.

*Not Your Rescue Project: Migrant Sex Workers Fighting for Justice* by Chanelle Gallant and Elene Lam is a groundbreaking and vital contribution to the discourse on migration, sex work, and the broader fight against systemic oppression. This book challenges deeply entrenched narratives surrounding the so-called "anti-trafficking" industry and offers a powerful, first-hand perspective on the struggles and activism of migrant sex workers.

In this meticulously researched and passionately argued work, Gallant and Lam expose the devastating impacts of criminalization, particularly in the name of anti-trafficking efforts. They reveal how policies ostensibly designed to protect vulnerable individuals often end up perpetuating harm, particularly for those they claim to help—migrant sex workers. The authors argue that the true path to justice lies not in top-down, carceral approaches but in empowering those who are most affected by these issues: the migrant sex workers themselves.

Gallant and Lam center the voices and experiences of migrant sex workers, who are often silenced or marginalized in mainstream discussions. They argue convincingly that these workers are not passive victims in need of rescue, but rather powerful agents of change who are leading the fight for their rights, safety, and autonomy. The book provides a compelling critique of the anti-trafficking industry, which the authors describe as a driver of criminalization and state violence, rather than a force for liberation.

The authors delve into the broader societal conditions that fuel the injustices faced by migrant sex workers, including the white supremacist securitization of borders, the criminalization of migration and sex work, the devaluation of women’s labor, and the displacement caused by climate disaster, war, and poverty. Gallant and Lam draw clear connections between these issues and the global forces of racial capitalism, illustrating how they intersect to create a hostile environment for migrant sex workers.

One of the book’s most powerful contributions is its emphasis on the grassroots organizing and emancipatory politics being practiced by migrant sex workers. Gallant and Lam showcase the innovative and effective ways in which these workers are fighting back against the systems that oppress them, building coalitions, and advocating for their rights on their own terms. This focus on migrant-led activism serves as both an indictment of current approaches and an inspiring blueprint for how true justice might be achieved.

*Not Your Rescue Project* is also a thorough dismantling of the myths and misconceptions that surround sex work and migration. Gallant and Lam deftly debunk the idea that all sex work is inherently exploitative or that all migrant sex workers are trafficked individuals in need of saving. Instead, they provide a nuanced and compassionate portrayal of the complexities of sex work, arguing for the decriminalization and destigmatization of the profession as essential steps toward justice.

The book is both an eye-opening critique and a call to action. Gallant and Lam invite readers to rethink their assumptions and to consider the ways in which they might support the struggles of migrant sex workers. They make a compelling case for the importance of building alliances across movements to dismantle the carceral systems that perpetuate injustice.

In *Not Your Rescue Project*, Chanelle Gallant and Elene Lam have crafted an indispensable exploration of the intersection of migration, sex work, and carceralism. Their work is a necessary corrective to decades of harmful policies and practices, and it serves as a rallying cry for a future in which migrant sex workers are not just heard, but are at the forefront of the fight for justice. For anyone interested in social justice, human rights, or the abolition of oppressive systems, this book is a must-read.