Anti-Slavery Week 2021

During Anti-slavery Week 2021 we will be using our blog to share about Hope For Justice as well as their incredible work in fighting against exploitation, rescuing victims, restoring lives and reforming our society.

Thanks for joining us with our daily posts, you can view our previous blogs from this week in our main blog menu.

Awareness can save lives

Human trafficking is happening all around us. Victims are often hidden away, but it is possible you will encounter individuals or situations of concern. Knowing how to ‘spot the signs’ could save lives.

The indicators below should be considered together and even if you are able to apply one or two or even three of the indicators to a person they are not necessarily trafficked. However, if you have any suspicions about human trafficking in your area you should report it.

1. General Indicators

Trafficking victims are often lured into another country by false promises and so may not easily trust others. They may:

Be fearful of police/authorities

Be fearful of the trafficker, believing their lives or family members’ lives are at risk if they escape

Exhibit signs of physical and psychological trauma e.g. anxiety, lack of memory of recent events, bruising, untreated conditions

Be fearful of telling others about their situation

Be unaware they have been trafficked and believe they are simply in a bad job

Have limited freedom of movement

Be unpaid or paid very little

Have limited access to medical care

Seem to be in debt to someone

Have no passport or mention that someone else is holding their passport

Be regularly moved to avoid detection

Believe they are being controlled by use of witchcraft

2. Sexual Exploitation

Be aware: ordinary residential housing/hotels are being used more and more for brothels. People forced into sexual exploitation may:

Be moved between brothels, sometimes from city to city

Sleeping on work premises

Display a limited amount of clothing, of which a large proportion is sexual

Display substance misuse

Be forced, intimidated or coerced into providing sexual services

Be subjected to abduction, assault or rape

Be unable to travel freely e.g. picked up and dropped off at work location by another person

Have money for their services provided collected by another person

5. Forced Labor

Where all the work is done under the menace of a penalty or the person has not offered himself voluntarily and is now unable to leave. They may experience:

Threat or actual physical harm

Restriction of movement or confinement

Debt bondage i.e. working to pay off a debt or loan, often the victim is paid very little or nothing at all for their services because of deductions

Withholding of pay or excessive reductions

Withholding of documents e.g. passport/security card

Threat of revealing to authorities an irregular immigration status

Their employer is unable to produce documents required

Poor or non-existent health and safety standards

Requirement to pay for tools and food

Imposed place of accommodation (and deductions made for it)

Pay that is less than minimum wage

Dependence on employer for services

No access to labor contract

Excessive work hours/few breaks

4. Child Abuse

“An abuse of a child’s vulnerability by a person’s position of power or trust, exploiting that position to obtain sexual services in exchange for some form of favour such as alcohol, drugs, attention or gifts” – Hope for Justice Engage Team, Blackburn

You may notice a child that is:

Often going missing/truanting

Secretive

Has unexplained money/presents

Experimenting with drugs/alcohol

Associating with/being groomed by older people (not in normal networks)

In relationships with significantly older people

Taking part in social activities with no plausible explanation

Seen entering or leaving vehicles with unknown adults

Showing evidence of physical/sexual assault (including STD’s)

Showing signs of low self image/self harm/eating disorder

Criminal Activities

The person is recruited and forced/deceived into conducting some form of criminal activity such as pick pocketing, begging, cannabis cultivation and benefit fraud.

Same indicators as for forced labour but for cannabis cultivation you may also notice:

Windows of property are permanently covered from the inside

Visits to property are at unusual times

Property may be residential

Unusual noises coming from the property e.g. machinery

Pungent smells coming from the property

Domestic Servitude

A particularly serious form of denial of freedom; this includes the obligation to provide certain services and the obligation to live on another person property without the possibility of changing those circumstances. They may:

Be living and working for a family in a private home

Not be eating with the rest of the family

Have no bedroom or proper sleeping place

Have no private space

Be forced to work excessive hours; “on call” 24 hours a day

Never leave the house without the ‘employer’

Be malnourished

Be reported as missing or accused of crime by their ‘employer’ if they try to escape

Download and share this flyer for spotting the signs of modern-slavery: Click Here