Fighting modern day slavery
When I talk about slavery, people think that I am talking about William Wilberforce and the slavery from Africa to the Americas that ended over two hundred years ago. I only wish that slavery was a thing of the past, but unfortunately it is a growing industry and it exists here in the UK – even here in Coventry.
In the UK people are often trafficked from poorer countries: such as Africa and Eastern Europe with the promise of a better life. They often risk their lives to travel here in the most appalling conditions. If they survive the journey they are then forced into slave labour – that exists in any low paid jobs: agriculture, hotel work, care home work, domestic work, factories and sweat shops. And of course young girls and women are forced into prostitution being moved around the country every three or four nights – sometimes forced to have sex with up to 60 clients a night.
The slaves themselves never see the income they generate – that is past onto their slave masters. Most of their personal belongings are removed, they are often dressed very poorly and unsuitably. They are afraid to talk to anyone and they will divert eye contact with people that they meet.
Slave owners control people with mental or physical threats and/or abuse, they are dehumanised and bought and sold as ‘property’, and there are restrictions placed on their freedom of movement. So their passports etc are removed. They may also be vulnerable in some way.
Having talked to the Police about slavery, some slaves believe they are paying a medical bill for a sick child or relative – that will take years to pay off. Some slaves are not aware that that is what they are. Slavery is a very lucrative business – it is now more profitable than the illegal drug trade. Slaves can be children or adults.
The Home Secretary: The Rt Hon Theresa May MP and this government announced plans to tackle this problem with new anti slavery legislation that was first announced in August 2013 and will be law before the General Election.
The new measures will ensure compensation is paid to victims and will carry a maximum jail sentence from 14 years to life.
The Anti-Slavery Day Act 2010, which established an annual anti-slavery day to raise awareness of the issue, described slavery as including:
Trafficking for sexual exploitation
Child trafficking
Trafficking for forced labour
Domestic servitude
Currently victims are liable for prosecution if there is evidence to prove that they have been involved in illegal acts such as prostitution or cultivation of drugs. The new law will change this.
Locally, in November a suburban house in Nuneaton has been raided by police as part of an investigation into allegations of human trafficking and slavery. We know that the cases that reported and known about are simply the tip of the iceberg.
For more information about modern day slavery visit: https://modernslavery.co.uk/
