Toby Shelley is a journalist and researcher. In August 2007, Zed Books published his book 'Exploited: migrant labour in the new global economy', which draws on interviews and discussions with trade union organisers and community activists. The book deals primarily with migrant labour in the British economy but makes extensive reference to Europe and the US. It looks at migrants in both the formal and informal economies. It argues that British government policy exacerbates the gross exploitation of migrant workers who prop up important sectors of the economy as they come under increasing domestic and global competition.

Currently Toby Shelley works part time for the Financial Times. Previous books have covered the conflict in the Western Sahara, oil and geopolitics, and the social implications of nanotechnology.