Human trafficking in the UK

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There are more people enslaved worldwide today than there were 200 years ago in the lead up to the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. Human trafficking, the modern day slave trade, is the fastest growing form of international crime with an estimated 600,000 – 800,000 people trafficked across international borders each year. The number of people trafficked internally is currently unknown.

People are bought and sold into the sex industry, forced labour, domestic servitude and forced organ donation.

Every year men, women and children are bought and sold. Often traffickers will use threats, manipulation and debt bondage to ensure that their victims do not escape. CARE is focussing on the plight of women, children and men trafficked into prostitution in the UK and across the world. Many are kept in appalling conditions and are forced to see dozens of clients a day. Research shows that those who are rescued often share similar symptoms with survivors of torture.

Trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is currently a high profit, low risk venture for those who trade in people. It has been reported that some drug trafficking gangs have switched to people trafficking as there is more money to be made and less risk of being caught. The number of British people buying sexual services has more than doubled in a recent ten year period, fuelling demand for prostitution. There is a ready made market for pimps, gangs and traffickers to exploit and make high levels of profit.

Although Kerb crawling in England and Wales has been an offence since 1985, at present there is no deterrent in the law to deal with demand in an off-street context. Until the root cause is addressed, a significant reduction in sex trafficking and other forms of prostitution will not be realised.

In order to reduce trafficking in the UK it is vital that people are aware that it is happening and know how to spot the signs. Police, BIA staff, social workers, teachers and healthcare staff may come across victims of trafficking. However, it is not just members of the above professions who may come into contact with trafficking situations. People are trafficked into towns and cities all over the UK. There may be trafficked people being held on your street!

Human Trafficking

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WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?

Human Trafficking is modern day slavery. This is not a metaphor; it is the holding of people through force, fraud or coercion. The two most common kinds of slavery involve forced commercial sex or forced labor. It is usually a hidden crime and victims rarely escape or go to law enforcement for help. They are dependent on others to help them.

The UN describes trafficking as a form of “slavery”. It knows of victims from 127 countries and of their exploitation in 137.

Major destinations for victims include wealthy countries in Western Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

Women are involved in 77% of trafficking cases worldwide, with sexual exploitation a factor in 87%. Forced labour is also a motive behind trafficking.

WHO ARE THE VICTIMS?

80% of the victims are women and over 50% are children. Even labor trafficking, often considered a male dominated problem, is now considered to be dominated by women. Most victims are so ashamed at what they have been forced to do or so fearful of law enforcement, they will not admit that they are victims.

Many trafficking victims in the UK are from Eastern European countries including Lithuania, Russia, Albania and Ukraine. Others are from the Far East, South America and Africa.

Often, women are lured by adverts in their home countries for jobs such as restaurant staff, maids and child minders.

Some expect to work as lap dancers or escorts, but not to be prostitutes. Others do know they are going to work as prostitutes, but are lied to about conditions.

The age of victims varies widely, but most are between 18 and 24. Police have also rescued a number of children.

Many victims are “from poor backgrounds with little or no education”, the UK Human Trafficking Centre reports.

WHAT IS THE UK SITURATION?

The UK is a major destination for trafficked women. Police believe that about 4,000 have been brought in to the country and forced to work as prostitutes.

Criminal gangs bring them into the country individually or in small, escorted groups. The routes used can change quickly, although some broad routes have been identified.

Victims are found “all over the UK, not just in metropolitan areas”, police say.

The gangs behind the trade buy and sell the women for between £2,000 and £8,000. Some have been forced to work 16 hours and have sex with 30 men a day.

WHAT ABOUT ONCE THEY ARE IN THE UK?

Victims can end up in any town or city where brothels operate. The Poppy Project, which offers victims support and accommodation, says more may now be working on the streets.

The women are moved about the country frequently and may be sold and exchanged between a number of different gangs.

The fate of many victims is unclear, although it is known that some have been sent home after falling ill or becoming pregnant.

Others are released once they have been allowed to pay off their “debts” to the traffickers.