BLACK-B R I G H T
RAISING AWARENESS
Out of the Darkness...
into the Light...
...and serving those abused by power and trust “The commercial sexual exploitation of children is a large and growing concern around the world. Every year, thousands of children are coerced, kidnapped or tricked by traffickers or pimps into the sex trade. Even though commercially sexually exploited children are routinely arrested as prostitutes and charged with prostitution, every act of ‘prostitution’ where a child is involved, is actually an act of child abuse, rape and sexual ex(Source: C.H.A.S.E) ploitation.”
a little insight...
Black-Bright News™ is the voice for people who have felt stigmatised because of abuse of power and trust and in this issue, the focus is on human trafficking.
Over 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln announced on 22 September 1862, that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist in America. It is, therefore, hard to believe that in 2015, countries are still having to enact laws and adopt policies to end slavery as a legal institution and as a criminal practice.
LOGO DESIGNED BY FLO AWOLAJA
Photographers - Yvonne John & Funmi O. Williams
Blackbright News
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude. The UN Palermo Protocol has made the abolition of modern slavery a part of international law and a policy-making priority. We are now seeing governments all over the world working together to bring an end to it.
TM
ISSN No. 1751-1909 Is a Not-for-Profit Publication constructed to raise awareness of Human Trafficking in Luton and surrounding areas
Due to its illegal and hidden nature, there are no robust statistics on the number of people – adults or children – trafficked to or within the UK for the purposes of labour or sexual exploitation. Regarding modern slavery in the UK, in March 2013 the Centre for Social Justice Slavery Working Group said:
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
“Our research shows that a large proportion of cases are never recognised or reported, and do not appear in any statistics, nor measures the size of the problem there is no consistent grip on the numbers. Agencies charged with such responsibility are groping in the dark for a sense of scale” In partnership with Blackbright Community Services Limited (BBCS4Luton) organisations can commission our workshops; refer to our psychosocial counselling services, or eligible persons can be referred to free counselling services. Individuals who wish to remain anonymous can ask questions privately or seek open advice by sharing their experience/situation in BlackBright News™. We also offer Life Coaching, Mentoring Programmes and motivational talks at competitive rates.
Founder & Managing Editor, Myrna Loy Photos taken from Google Images, except where supplied For previous issues, go to www.issuu.com/blackbrightnews PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.blackbrightcommunityservices.com Blackbright News is printed by Mixam (UK)
Why not help print Blackbright News by making a donation? Barclays Bank A/C No. 43911802 S/C 205333
Black-Bright News™ is an award-winning global publication, based in Bedfordshire, that can be used as an information sharing tool; a resource to promote opportunities for debates and discussions, or as a learning resource to facilitate professional curiosity.
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Blackbright News is a nonpartisan, philanthropic publication, and as such, it takes no stand on public policy issues. Any opinions expressed in its publications are those of the authors and not of the publication.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING A LOCAL DILEMMA! The Founder of Blackbright News and Director of Blackbright Community Services (aka BBCS4Luton), developed a vision and successfully put on, the first Inaugural Human Trafficking Film, Question & Answer Awareness-Raising Conference in Luton (Bedfordshire) on 19th May 2015, at the Hat Factory, with the help of an award from the Big Lottery Fund. The event was supported by the charity, Unchosen of Bristol, and enhanced by a panel of eminent experts, namely, Kevin Hyland OBE who is the United Kingdom’s first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, leading efforts to tackle slavery and
human trafficking. He was formerly head of the London Metropolitan Police Service’s Human Trafficking Unit. There was also Major Anne Read of the Salvation Army, Hannah Stott who is the Specialist Lead for Child Trafficking and Christopher Gaul from Migrant Help, all of whom effectively answered very challenging and probing questions from a professionally curious audience of 80. Delegates included frontline Practitioners, Safeguarding Leads, the Metropolitan Police, representatives from the Home Office, the Luton & Dunstable University Hospital, representatives from the Luton Clinical Commissioning Group, National Health Service, Agencies representing the homeless, while the NSPCC, Stop the Traffik were exhibitors. The event was hosted and chaired by the 3 Founder of BBCS4Luton, Myrna Loy.
Now that part of the project is over, BBCS4Luton is offering bite-sized versions of this event to further help raise awareness of how it can happen in Luton. In 2011, 2,077 victims of human trafficking were identified in the UK. Recorded figures for Luton show the town had ten cases of trafficking between 2010 and 2014, including five of sexual exploitation and one of domestic servitude. The National Crime Agency (NCA) published ‘The Nature and Scale of Human Tracking in 2014, which states that “88% of UK minors identified as potential victims have been sexually exploited, an increase of 250% on those reported in 2012, and of 55 children exploited for benefit claims, 91% originated from Slovakia”. According to Crimestoppers UK, human trafficking is the second most profitable crime after drugs and has an annual value of around £20m. Bedfordshire Police say it is ‘a hidden crime’ and ‘hard to gauge’, so with these statistics, it is important that young people, in particular, are aware of the dangers, and know the signs and symbols to look out for. It is also important to emphasise that when most people think about human trafficking, they tend to think that it happens ‘somewhere else’ - like in third world countries, but in this current climate of high unemployment and domestic abuse, anyone, of any age and anywhere, can fall prey to traffickers who are waiting for an opportunity to either groom or exploit the vulnerable by forcing them into criminality, debt bondage, prostitution or forced labour. Our community may not realise that frustrated parents ordering rebellious teenagers to ‘get out’ because they are disobedient, disrespectful or not contributing, can become easy prey for traffickers. BBCS4Luton caters to individual service needs, and offers mindfulness art therapy workshops, combined with psycho-social counselling to victims; Victim Empathy Workshops for front line practitioners and mem-
BBCS4Luton offers therapeutic counselling combined with art therapy, to victims; life-long learning/coping strategies; advice and support to those abused by power and trust (including trafficked persons and young people who have been sexually exploited or abused) so that victims can feel empowered and perpetrators realise they have lost control.
bers of the public, and also delivers awareness-raising programmes to children and young people. The lack of awareness of ‘Stranger Danger’, means that young children are likely to go off with people they don’t know and could end up being victims of child abuse or sexual exploitation. A few months ago, two young sisters were approached outside a Luton Primary School, who showed no fear of the adult who intervened and touched one of them.
www.facebook.com/blackbrightcommunityservices
ORGANISATIONS THAT SUPPORT US
If you think delivering a young-person based programme in your school would be beneficial, please let us know. Our workshops are usually 2- 3 hours depending on the level of participation and interaction. If you require more information or email bbcs4luton@gmail.com, or call 07957 540 899. Note: The latest Human Trafficking edition of Blackbright News can be found at www.issuu.com/blackbright news, and please follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Linked in. Blackbright Community Services (BBCS4Luton) is an out of hours social enterprise that serves those abused by power and trust, and is based in Luton, but workshops for schools can of course be planned during term time and term hours.
Myrna Loy, Dip C, (Inst NH) President & Founder Black-Bright Community Services Limited (BBCS4Luton) (‘Black-Bright - Out of the Darkness into the Light!’) Secure email, Please Forward to open@switch.egress.com www.facebook.com/blackbrightcommunityservices @BBCS4Luton Blackbrightnews
BLACKBRIGHT COMMUNITY SERVICES LIMITED (BBCS4Luton) BBCS4Luton is an Out-of-Hours Social Enterprise helps to prevent human trafficking in Luton by raising awareness, information sharing, delivering workshops and signposting to partners or relevant services 4
4. Fasting and self control during the holy month of Ramadhan
Reflecting on Hajj Submitted By Tafneen Sharif
5. Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, if one is able
HAJJ, a once a lifetime religious and spiritual journey for Muslims across the world. Luton born Cllr Tafheen Sharif was one of the fortunate ones to go on Hajj this year and talks about her experiences, as well as discussing issues faced by Muslims of today.
Thankfully I was able and thus embarked upon the journey recently. The highlight for me was the gathering of more than 3 million pilgrims at Mount Arafat, the Mount of Mercy, where pilgrims pray and supplicate, asking forgiveness for any wrong, and rededicating themselves to a life of obedience to God through good deeds.
Mecca is the focus of the hajj, (pilgrimage) that every Muslim must try to make at least once in their life.
Hope
For the first time in my life I, along with millions of Muslims from across the globe of different colours, ages and nationalities, have had the absolute honour of visiting the birth place of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) in Mecca and participating in the Hajj rituals he once completed 1400 years ago.
It is therefore fitting that every year, from the beginning to the end of human history, pilgrims should make this journey to seek forgiveness for their own wrongdoing and have a supreme expression of hope, that despite all our human frailties and transgressions, there is always time for sincere repentance and for the mending of our ways.
Words alone cannot express the uplifting experience and I will no doubt remain deeply touched by the humbling experience for the rest of my living years.
Hajj most importantly for me, is an inward journey to our own centre, our soul, the locus of our personality. Are we focused on the right priorities, beyond selfishness and pettiness? What is our real place in this great drama of life around us? Where have we come from, and where are we going to?
Hajj is the last of Islam’s five pillars, and it brings together all the essential aspects of a Muslim’s faith. The five basic acts in Islam are the foundation of Muslim life. These being: 1. Declaring there is one God and Muhammad is God’s messenger 2. Ritual prayers five times a day 3. Giving in charity
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When I looked around me I saw more than 3 million people, all dressed exactly the same, in 2 sheets of plain white cloth. I could not tell the difference between a prince, a millionaire, a taxi driver or a cleaner. I could only see myself and my fellow pilgrims exactly as God sees all of us: stripped of all our pretensions, stripped of all our designer clothes and our outward signs of wealth, nationality, culture and social status. We saw each other as we really are: individual human souls, distinguishable only by the purity of our hearts and the content of our character. In the end, this is all that matters. Hajj for me was a reminder that our earthly life is short, and it should be spent on good work, striving to fulfill the needs of others, purely out of love and gratitude to God. I am extremely fortunate and have so much to thank for. I saw countless people striving in the rituals, but with no limbs, no shelter and perhaps no food. If only we would sit down and reflect on our good fortune.
spoke to his detractors with kindness and wisdom. He knew that his conduct would be meticulously studied and emulated for all time to come.
Hajj has some important lessons for us in these difficult times. Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) declared that all believers are brothers of one another, and that there is no superiority of one race or one person over another. The only distinction between people is in their good deeds. The highest and noblest of us are those who serve others selflessly out of love and gratitude to God.
It is therefore essential that in challenging times for Muslims and non-Mulsims alike that in Luton we remain harmonious, patient, understanding and continue to have mutual respect between the diverse communities flourishing in our town. We should be the best that we can be, individually and collectively, and if any issues do come to light, then together we deal with this through calmness, intelligence and wisdom.
Today we can hardly open a newspaper or turn on the TV, or see a comment on social media without hearing more bad news about Islam and the Muslims. We find conflicting and contradictory messages. Islam is Violent. Islam is Peace. Muslims are terrorists. Muslims are okay. Some people even attack Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) in the most hateful and offensive language. We also have the English Defence League at our own doorstep in Luton with countless demonstrations and protests against Muslims.
Discover Islam, based in George Street Luton, was set up in 2011 to tackle misconceptions on Islam and to build mutual respect and understanding across the town’s diverse communities; to make Luton a better place to live for all. They are running a Hajj exhibition each year, which gives a further insight as well as educates others on Hajj. Exhibitions are open to all. ByTafneen Sharif
The response to this challenge should be modelled on Prophet Muhammad’s own example. He did not throw tantrums, burn flags or have counter-demonstrations. When abused, insulted and physically injured, he remained calm, dignified and completely self assured. He
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work because of crushing debts they owe to recruit-
ment agents, to women and girls exploited as unpaid, abused domestic workers, modern slavery has many
faces,” the report said.
“It still exists today, in every country – modern slavery affects us all.”
The index defines slavery as the control or possession
36m Slaves By Katie Nguyen LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Almost
36 million people are living as slaves across the globe
with an index on Monday listing Mauritania, Uzbekistan, Haiti, Qatar and India as the nations where modern-day slavery is most prevalent.
The Walk Free Foundation, an Australian-based
human rights group, estimated in its inaugural slavery
index last year that 29.8 million people were born into servitude, trafficked for sex work, trapped in debt bondage or exploited for forced labour.
Releasing its second annual index, Walk Free in-
creased its estimate of the number of slaves to 35.8
million, saying this was due to better data collection
and slavery being uncovered in areas where it had not been found previously.
For the second year, the index of 167 countries found
India had by far the greatest number of slaves. Up to
14.3 million people in its population of 1.25 billion were victims of slavery, ranging from prostitution to
bonded labour.
Mauritania was again the country where slavery was
most prevalent by head of population while Qatar,
host of the 2022 World Cup, rose up the rank from
96th place to be listed as the fourth worst country by
percentage of the population.
“From children denied an education by being forced
to work or marry early, to men unable to leave their 7
of people in such a way as to deprive them of their
freedom with the intention of exploiting them for profit or sex, usually through violence, coercion or de-
ception.
The definition includes indentured servitude, forced
marriage and the abduction of children to serve in wars.
BORN INTO SERVITUDE Hereditary slavery is deeply entrenched in the West African country of Mauritania, where four percent of
the population of 3.9 million is estimated to be enslaved, the report said.
After Mauritania, slavery was most prevalent in
Uzbekistan, where citizens are forced to pick cotton
every year to meet state-imposed cotton quotas, and
Haiti, where the practice of sending poor children to
stay with richer acquaintances or relatives routinely
leads to abuse and forced labour, it said. Ranked fourth was Qatar.
The tiny Gulf state relies heavily on migrants to build its mega-projects including soccer stadiums for the
2022 World Cup. It has come under scrutiny by rights groups over its treatment of migrant workers, most
from Asia, who come to toil on construction sites, oil
projects or work as domestic help.
The next highest prevalence rates were found in India, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Syria
and Central African Republic.
The index showed that 10 countries alone account for 71 percent of the world’s slaves.
After India, China has the most with 3.2 million, then Pakistan (2.1 million), Uzbekistan (1.2 million), Russia
(1.05 million), Nigeria (834,200), Democratic Repub-
lic of Congo (762,900), Indonesia (714,100), Bangladesh (680,900) and Thailand (475,300).
UK Statistics
Due to its illegal and hidden nature, there are no robust statistics on the number of people – adults or children – trafficked to or within the UK for the purposes of labour or sexual exploitation. Regarding modern slavery in the UK, in March 2013 the Centre for Social Justice Slavery Working Group said: Our research shows that a large proportion of cases are never recognised or reported, and do not appear in any statistics or measures the size of the problem. There is no consistent grip on the numbers; agencies charged with such responsibility are groping in the dark for a sense of scale.
also striking that … out of 167 countries we could only
find three (Australia, Brazil and the United States)
where governments have put things in place on supply chains.”
The report showed that conflict had a direct impact on
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE For the first time, the index rated governments on
their response to slavery. It found the Netherlands, followed by Sweden, the United States, Australia,
Switzerland, Ireland, Norway, Britain, Georgia and Austria had the strongest response.
At the opposite end of the scale, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Eritrea, Central African Republic, Libya,
Equatorial Guinea, Uzbekistan, Republic of Congo
and Iraq had the worst responses.
Every country in the world apart from North Korea has laws that criminalise some form of slavery, yet
most governments could do more to assist victims
and root out slavery from supply chains, Walk Free
Foundation’s head of global research said.
“What the results show is that a lot is being done on
paper but it’s not necessarily translating into re-
sults,” Fiona David told the Thomson Reuters Foun-
dation by telephone from Canberra.
“Most countries got 50 percent or less when we looked at the strength of their victim assistance regime. It’s
the prevalence of slavery, David said, citing the exam-
ple of the Islamic State militant group which has abducted women and girls in Iraq and Syria for use as
sex slaves.
“What our numbers show is the correlation really is
quite strong so as an international community, we
need to make planning for this kind of problem part
of the humanitarian response to crisis situations,” David said.
(Editing by Belinda Goldsmith) WWW.REUTERS.COM
CAPRECON is a not-for-profit and non governmental organisation dedicated to Poverty Alleviation, Conflict Management, Transfor- mation, Peace-building, Community and Youth Development, Education and Training, Humanitarian Assistance, Reconciliation & Post-Conflict Recovery/Stabilisation. Caprecon’s volunteers are able to provide psychosocial assistance, working alongside local providers and stakeholders. Caprecon’s primary objective is to alleviate suffering and help maintain human dignity At Caprecon, they believe in inspiring people imprisoned by poverty to secure their freedom from it. They encourage and support them to transcend their circumstances and live in dignity.
DID YOU KNOW... The Universal Declaration of Human Rights declared over 60 years ago, that all humans were born free and equal with rights common to all, and exclusive to none. 60 + years later, in spite of the clear and express prohibition of slavery, trafficking in humans stands at an astoundingly and eerily high level, eclipsing all other eras. In other words, with 30 million people, mostly women and girls, currently being exploited and violated in the sex/human trafficking trade, at this moment in time, there have never been more people enslaved in global history. BBCS4Luton is committed to preventing domestic human trafficking (including sexual exploitation) by raising awareness, changing individual lives through psychosocial counselling, transforming public perception and assisting in revolutionising the systems and policies that impact the exploited survivor. www.blackbrightcommunityservices.com
Caprecon’s poverty alleviation initiatives include the provision of small grants and loans to individuals or groups; to set up small scale businesses and improve their living conditions, and in view of Capreon’s commitment to gender equality and belief that the empowerment of women is a significant poverty alleviation strategy, they encourage women to avail themselves of every opportunity Caprecon is supports BBCS4Luton.. www.caprecon.org
Know Something? Call the 24 Hours
National Trafficking Helpline 9
0300 303 8151
JOBS TO HELP IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING & OTHER AREAS International Opportunities Working with Women
NEPAL: Sex Trafficking
What is Stockholm Syndrome?
5 - 10,000 Nepalese women are trafficked to the brothels of India per year.
“First, people would experience something terrifying that just comes at them out of the blue. They are certain they are going to die.
Trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world, exceeding the drug trade.
“Then they experience a type of infantilisation - where, like a child, they are unable to eat, speak or go to the toilet without permission.
Come work in the shelter: help women learn alternative livelihoods and/or counsel. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Uganda, Tanzania, Costa Rica Work in the shelter; do community education; help women become economically independent so they can leave abusive relationships; and/or help develop counseling programs for women, men and kids.
“In their mind, they think this is the person who is going to let them live.” Psychiatrist Dr Frank Ochberg, National Institute of Mental Health
WOMEN & LITERACY: Morocco Women have been excluded from education in Morocco and many countries in the world. Come help teach women to read and write, thus empowering to have more voice in their homes & society. FAMILY PLANNING: Uganda, Tanzania For women that have 10 kids, they will tell you that contraception is life changing.
UK Trafficking Facts:
If families had fewer kids, they would have fewer mouths to feed and be less poor.
389 - the number of human trafficking cases identified by police in London this year
Melinda Gates of the Gates Foundation believes this is one of most important goals in the world for women.
Only 36, or 9% of those victims have been picked up by police
Now there is a groundswell in Africa and they are asking for help with this.
76% of UK victims are female The most common age of victims in the UK is 21-30
WOMEN’S RIGHTS CAMPAIGNS & LEGAL EMPOWERMENT: Uganda, Morocco, Tanzania:
Sexual exploitation is the most common cause of trafficking in the UK, followed by labour exploitation and domestic service
Many places women do not know their rights and consciousness raising is essential. In Tanzania, the work revolves around implementing the new laws that protect women, esp GBV.
Source: www.stopthetraffik.org.uk
MICRO-FINANCE: Costa Rica, Rwanda, Ecuador, Tanzania Micro-finance has helped women all over the world lift out of poverty. Spanish, a background in Business, Finance or Entrepreneurship are helpful in Costa Rica. Rwanda has a very sophisticated program; while Ecuador and Tanzania are more grassroots. ORAL HISTORY OF SEX SLAVES: Gulu, Uganda Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) took kids as child soldiers and made girls sex slaves of LRA commanders. 10
The war is over and now these women have been urged to collect their stories into a book.
SEXUAL ABUSE: Kenya This is the first organization that we know of in Africa that is addressing sexual abuse. A background in Social Work or Psychology is helpful so you can counsel these girls and youth. PROSTITUTION: Tanzania Women prostitute themselves because they are poor and have few choices. Help empower these women personally & economically so they can succeed in other life styles. WOMEN & AGRICULTURE: Ecuador Ecuador’s indigenous people have gained more clout in the last 20 years. Come teach farming or join indigenous women in the fields to help feed their families. WOMEN & APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY: Bolivia The altiplano of Bolivia is very high and dry. Women forage for hours each day to find firewood for cooking food. Some of the these new technologies have been life changing...by helping women not have to forage endlessly. Interested? Please read NGOabroad website; http://www.ngoabroad.com/ and send answered Questionnaire and resume to: info@NGOabroad.com These are volunteer opportunities. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
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SOME ORGANISATIONS AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
DANGERS OF SELFIES/SEXTING Children and young people are more inclined to take risks and experiment on the internet while developing their sexuality. ‘Selfies’ are a growing trend, and young people may not realise that taking naked photographs of themselves and posting them online is illegal and may harm them in the future.
Do you know how domestic child/teen gets into the life of prostitution? It is usually because they have no place to go and usually, no choice. These victims are sometimes referred to as the ‘thrown away’ youths, whose parent(s) or families have abandoned them to fend for themselves and are thus subected to the harsh reality of street life - crime, prostitution and slavery.
There is a growing trend of young people taking and sharing indecent photos, not only of themselves but also of friends and partners through SMS and mobile phones.
A runaway child/teen, like the thrown away youth, is at very high risk of becoming trapped into prostitution slavery. A ‘father figure’ showers the runaway with what s/he needs and wants most, which is positive attention, affection, love and acceptance.
Self-taken indecent images (which were not produced as a result of grooming or facilitation) have ended up on paedophile chat sites and forums.
The latest research has shown the importance of early intervention - professional counselling provided to the abused child as soon as possible after the traumatic event(s) has the best chance of minimising the psychological emotional harm; whereas delayed or no intervention, results in teens and adults with many significant mental, emotional and physical health disorders.
Adapted from Association of Chief Police Offices of England (ACPO) ACPO Child Protection and Abuse Investigation (CPAI) Group.
Police officers must learn to control their anger and frustration when the child/teen prostitutes repeatedly refuse their help and instead protect the pimp [called ‘Stockholm Syndrome’]. The child/victims cannot help it, as the fear of abandonment is so deeply engrained into their psyche that the victims don’t have much choice, if at all.
Source: Tobey Leung MD, FAAPMR.
BBCS4Luton OFFERS
Therapeutic Counselling (for victims of abuse of power and trust) ENQUIRE ABOUT OUR VICTIM EMPATHY WORKSHOPS 13
07957 540 899
WORKING IN THE UK?
RIGHTS
As an employee you are entitled to: Fair and equal treatment
Written confirmation of main terms and conditions of employment Be paid the minimum wage A wage slip
Have only what is legal and fair deducted from pay
WRONGS
Have you:
Been forced to work against your will?
Not been paid the agreed amount for your work?
Had your identification documents taken away?
Safe working conditions
Been badly treated by your employer or agent?
Paid holidays
Been threatened?
Safe accommodation
If some of these are missing from your list, your employer may be exploiting you!
For confidential help and support call the Citizen’s Advice Bureau on 08444
111444
Been deceived or misled?
Been under constant control?
If this is happening to you, you may be in forced labour. Forced Labour is a Crime. 14
IDENTIFYING AND SUPPORTING VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING What is Human Trafficking? The NHS Guidance for Health Staff defines human trafficking as ‘the recruitment, movement, harbouring or receiving of children, women or men through the use of force, coercion, abuse of vulnerability, deception or other means for the purpose of exploitation.’ Who attracts Human Traffickers? Anyone who is vulnerable, from migrants travelling, to those seeking employment, homeless; drug users; runaways/missing children; domestic workers, children in care; re-gifted adoptees; those who don’t have recourse to public funds; visitors who do not speak the language properly - all are easy bait for traffickers who are watching and waiting! Why are humans trafficked? People are trafficked for power and money including: - Sexual Exploitation - Domestic Servitude - Forced labour (garment factories, mobile phones, food processing, factories) - Criminal Activity (cultivating marijuana; street crime; forced begging, fraud) - Organ trafficking Where might we encounter trafficked victims? - A victim might disclose their experience to you; - A trafficked victim might be referred to you by a GP or Agency - You might observe signs that indicate a person has been trafficked.
(Source: NHS Guidelines for Health Staff)
A person who is accompanied all of the time by someone who appears aggressive, controlling, intrusive and who constantly speaks on behalf of the victim; The victim may appear nervous, jittery, afraid to speak, allows the person who is with them to speak on their behalf; The victim may answer incoherently; be apprehensive about answering questions; they may resist explaining where they live or what they do; Might have injuries that need treatment; and unwilling to explain how they came by the injuries; They attend Walk-in Centres or Accident & Emergency rather than registering with a GP - young people may not attend school; Tends to either move from one accommodation to another or they move around quite a bit, nationally, regionally and locally; They may look dirty, neglected and tired; sometimes they have a generally untidy appearance; English language may be poor, or they may not speak English at all.
Key Entitlements of the Trafficked Victim
(Adapted from NHS Guidelines for Health Staff)
Summary of key entitlements
This non-exhaustive list of key entitlements that victims of criminal conduct are entitled to, has been extracted from the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime.
You are entitled to:
An enhanced service if you are a victim of serious crime, a persistently targeted victim or a vulnerable or intimidated victim; •A needs assessment to help work out what support you need; •Information on what to expect from the criminal justice system; •Be referred to organisations supporting victims of crime; •Be informed about the police investigation, such as if a suspect is arrested and charged and any bail conditions imposed; •Make a Victim Personal Statement (VPS) to explain how the crime affected you; •Read your VPS aloud or have it read aloud on your behalf, subject to the views of the court, if a defendant is found guilty; •Be informed if the suspect is to be prosecuted or not or given an out of court disposal; 16 •Be informed about how you can seek a review of CPS
Act Recruitment Transport Transfer
Harbouring
Receipt of Persons
Means
Threat Use of Force Coercion Abduction Fraud Deception
Abuse of Power Abuse of Vulnerability
Giving Payments or Benefits
Purpose Exploitation, incl:
Prostitution of others; Sexual Exploitation; Forced Labour Slavery or similar practices;
Removal of organs Other types of exploitation
Source above: UNDOC
decisions not to prosecute, to discontinue or offer no evidence in all proceedings; •Be informed of the time, date and location and outcome of any court hearings; •Be informed if you need to give evidence in court, what to expect and discuss what help and support you might need with the Witness Care Unit; •Arrange a court familiarisation visit and enter the court through a different entrance from the suspect and sit in a separate waiting area where possible •Meet the CPS Prosecutor and ask him or her questions about the court process; •Be informed of any appeal against the offender’s conviction or sentence; •To opt into the Victim Contact Scheme (VCS) if the offender is sentenced to 12 months or more for a specified violent or sexual offence.
If you opt in to the VCS to:
= Trafficking
•Make a VPS for consideration by the Parole Board if the offender is considered for release or transfer and apply to 17 the Parole Board to read it out at the hearing;
•Make representations about the conditions attached to the offender’s licence on release and be informed about any licence conditions relating to you; •Apply for compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme; •Receive information about Restorative Justice and how you can take part; •Make a complaint if you do not receive the information and services you are entitled to, and to receive a full response from the relevant service provider. NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HELPLINE: 0300 303 8151
“Islamophobia” Behind the Veil GIVING A VOICE TO THE WOMEN Former Councillor Tafheen Sharif talks to Blackbright News about a series of Islamophobia focus groups capturing real stories from Muslim Women of Luton
“What a stranger in our country sighed one woman as she walked passed me.” “He took out his camera and started filming me in the presence of my children, calling me names and insulting me because of the way I was dressed.” “The word ‘Terrorist’ had been painted onto my elderly grandmother’s door. I had to break the news to her. ” “The men followed me as I was making my way into town, speaking in hushed tones, one then approached me and stuck his fingers at me, and they ran away laughing.” “I had my scarf pulled at a park and was verbally abused.” These are just some of the shocking and saddening stories we heard from women at the Islamophobia focus groups held across Luton over the last few months. Organised by Luton Council of Mosques (LCM), Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND) and supported by Bedfordshire Police. The objective of the focus groups was to listen to women on issues they face, and learn from them in their own words the barriers and concerns around reporting Islamophobic hate crimes. In recent years, we are witnessing the increase of hate, prejudice and intolerance against Muslims. Given that mainstream media remains the major source of information regarding Muslims in Britain and abroad, its continuous negative and stereotypical portrayal of Islam and Muslims has had serious consequences for British Muslims. You just have to open a newspaper or flick onto a mainstream news channel to see the constant bombardment against 18 Muslims. Horrific and unjustified acts across the
globe are hastily linked back to Islam and Muslims, creating confusion, fear, hostility and hate.
We have discredited anti-Semitism, we have fought against the discrimination of black people, and we have discredited prejudice towards the Irish. However the response to Islamophobia, the new racism, one can argue, shows a worrying degree of uncertainty, confusion and uneasiness. Islamohobia has now come to exist as a social norm that provides a clear context for verbal or physical attacks on Muslims because racists create safe spaces for themselves to validate their own racism, which some women from the focus expressed as an “acceptable part of their daily life”.
Particularly concerning are the views expressed from the likes of EDL, Britain First and others; hateful towards Muslims, all Muslims, and hateful towards those of us who do not share the antipathy. We are immediately damned as sympathisers of extremists, despising our country, ‘living in a bubble’, not understanding how most people feel, and being ignorant of ‘reality’. Our opposition to Islamophobia should in no way be weakened or mitigated on account of such skewered views, nor would I argue, on account of Islamic beliefs or the cultural behaviour of states in the Muslim. Further, singling out Islam for special criticism as being particularly reactionary among religions is false and itself a manifestation of Islamophobia. Islamophobia is one of the most important forms of racism in the world today and one of the main ideological weapons of divide and rule internationally for both the fascists and the far right.
Women in Hijab or Nikab are more likely to fall victims to Islamophobic hate crimes due to being visibily Muslim. The majority of incidents however go unreported due to a number of factors and barriers; including mistrust of Police and the lack of confidence amongst communities to report lslamophobic hate crime. Bedfordshire Police and other support agencies are now encouraging victims of hate crime, including victims of Islamophobia, to come forward and report. If matters go unreported unfortunately the hate incident is evidentially non-existent to authorities. Hence, the importance of reporting cannot be stressed enough. Police, and partners, need to know that Muslims are experiencing Islamophobia in order to tackle this hate crime.
Islamophobia is seized on and used by the actual fascists. For the fascists racism, anti-muslim hatred, anti-semitism is a means to this end, a tool to be used in the building of support and the mobilisation of masses behind its anti-working class banners. From their point of view the question of who are the targets of their racism does not matter. Their strategy is to pick on whoever is selected by the wider society as the scapegoat of the day and present themselves as those who will push the struggle against this ‘enemy’ to the limit. In Britain in the 1930s the target was Jews. In the 1970s for the National Front it became Afro-Caribbeans. In the 1990s it was Asians. Today it is ‘Muslims’.
There is an attempt being made by Bedfordshire Police to break down barriers, such as building trust and confidence, improving their service, making access and reporting easier, creating Hate Crime champions; this is both commendable and necessary. However there is still some way to go. Specific training on Islamophobia needs to be delivered to frontline officers, awareness needs to be raised amongst all communities and this should be priority, best practice should be considered, data analysis and sharing with communities should be actioned in combating the ever growing Islamophobic campaign based on misconceptions and bigotry.
It may come as a surprise to some that this hate, bigotry and racism comes at an era where diversity should be celebrated, people from all walks of lives, despite their background, should be thriving, not judged or hated because of their religion and way they look.
Of course the burden does not fall on organisations alone, communities must too come together and work together. This is not the life that we would want for our mothers, sisters, wives and daughters regardless of race or faith. It is now time we all stand up and say we will no longer tolerate hate towards Muslims. We must say no to Islamophobia, we must say no to hate. by Tafneen Sharif 19
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