Parveen Ali

A human trafficker recruits, transports, transfers, harbours, or receives people to exploit them for profit, whether through force, fraud, coercion, or deception. A fundamental aspect of human trafficking is the grooming and forced sexual exploitation of individuals; tricking them into accepting risky employment offers and trapping them in forced labour. Victims of trafficking can be any age, any gender and from anywhere in the world. There are many forms of human trafficking and exploitation, including exploitation of women as domestic workers, in forced marriages, and in the sex, entertainment, and hospitality industries.

A person is recruited to work in private homes only to be exploited, abused, and trapped behind closed doors. Human Trafficking- Section 2 Modern Slavery Act 2015 is one of our four strategic priorities (along with child slavery, climate change, and responsible business). The UK deals with a significant number of cases of human trafficking each year.

While we hear about women being trafficked from abroad to the UK, human trafficking is just as prevalent here as well. It is common for women living in local authority care or hostels to be groomed by sexual predators, who offer them gifts and a promise of a better life in exchange for sex. A woman may be asked to sleep with a trafficker, who will then ask her to sleep with another man, resulting in her sexual exploitation and trafficking. Many women are likely being drugged covertly or forced to take drugs. In this cycle of perpetuating abuse, women may be trapped with no way out, as they may be threatened by traffickers or physically assaulted by them.

A woman in her twenties was trafficked across Britain. It is believed that she was abused, raped, and that the trafficking gangs threatened to pour petrol over her if she did not comply with their demands. There are numerous cases of children and women being trafficked throughout the United Kingdom.

As a result of their abuse, women who have been forced into prostitution and trafficking may end up with a criminal record. However, a new proposal asks that women not be punished for their abuse. If you search the internet, you will find article after article discussing human trafficking and modern slavery.

In the case of Emily, a young Welsh woman, the police refused to assist her because she was Welsh. She reported: “I rang the police when I was threatened with a knife when I was 14 or 15 in Telford. When they heard my Welsh accent, they advised me to contact my local police department. “But I am in Telford.” I replied. Here is another example: There is an increase in human trafficking

Human trafficking is sometimes misunderstood by the public. Trafficking in human beings is not restricted to the sex industry. It is common for people to be exploited in fields such as construction, agriculture, and even in the homes of others.

A typical profile of a person who has been trafficked is as follows:

• Having been misled about the nature of the job 
• Trafficked from another country (although people may also be trafficked within the United Kingdom)  
• A forced labor situation  
• They are closely monitored by their employers 

The first step in tackling human trafficking is to contact the police if you are aware of anyone who has been trafficked or are experiencing it.

You can also contact Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111

It is possible to speak to a number of specialist organisations if you would like confidential advice about human trafficking before calling the police. The following contact information is available:

• Salvation Army’s 24 hour confidential helpline  for reporting modern slavery on 0800 818 3733  
• Modern Day Slavery Foundation’s helpline  on 0800 0121 700, open 24 hours a day 
• NSPCC’s helpline  on 0808 800 5000 if you think a child is in danger of trafficking