Human Trafficking in Europe TodayKlara SkrivankovaKlara Skrivankova is the Trafficking Programme Officer of Anti-Slavery International.Anti-Slavery International is the oldest human rights organisation in the world, founded in 1839 in the context of the work of William Wilberforce. Today there are more slaves in the world than at the time of Abraham Lincoln: 12.3 million. Of these 2.5 million are being trafficked, and of these, 40 per cent are trafficked for sexual purposes. Trafficking is a high-profit, low-risk business, as a result of insufficient and (in cases of economic exploitation) nonexistent protection and assistance for the victims by the government. Most people who are trafficked for economic purposes come into the UK legally, but are subsequently put into an illegal position and often treated by the authorities merely as illegal immigrants, despite being victims of a serious crime. A lot of trafficking exploitation takes place behind closed doors, in domestic circumstances. There are domestic slaves to be found today in places as near to home as Hampstead and Notting Hill. A Human Trafficking Centre has been set up in Sheffield under police auspices. It is a multi-agency organisation and a centre of excellence. For more information and to act against trafficking see www.antislavery.org Jane MartinJane Martin is the Legal Counsel for Churches Alert to Sex Trafficking Across Europe (CHASTE)CHASTE was set up two and a half years ago. Despite its name it deals with non-European countries too. An increasing number of women are being trafficked from Nigeria. An important fact to note is that it is ecumenical; it is associated with CTBI. It cooperates with all other interested responsible organisations. The theological position of CHASTE is that it is not just trafficking for sexual purposes that is wrong, but any pay-as-you-go sex that demeans and abuses women, where there is no accountability or responsibility or care by the person paying. In other words, prostitution. A trafficker can make up to £70,000 per year on one woman. At the moment CHASTE is targetting Albania and Romania, encouraging local initiatives by the indigenous churches there, on an ecumenical basis The CHASTE round table on housing has inspired the opening of three safe houses in the UK generously provided by the Salvation Army and the Medaille Trust. For more information see www.chaste.org.uk DiscussionUsually the victims of trafficking are not locked up. They are physically at liberty; the bondage is psychological: showing a woman a picture of her son, for example, and telling her they know where he goes to school in Ukraine. It is particularly useful if health services are informed and on the lookout. People who are selling women want to make sure they are disease-free so that there is no interruption to income. They take them to doctors or hospitals, where frequently they can be 'surfaced'. |
