Julie Shanley and Sam Henderson of The Medaille Trust spoke to the club about the work of the Trust in supporting victims of human trafficking and modern slavery. The Trust provides safe, supported housing for victims and is also involved in raising awareness and preventative work. In total the Trust has ten safe houses across the country three of which are in Southampton.
First some definitions. Human trafficking is the act of recruitment or transportation of persons by means of deception or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. Modern slavery is when a person owns or controls another person and deprives that person of their freedom with the intention of exploiting them. These activities are going on all around us and we may even have used the services of trafficked people without even realising it. For example, victims have been found in car washes and nail bars which many of us use without a second thought. Other forms of exploitation include sexual exploitation, forced labour, organ harvesting, domestic servitude. Portsmouth, with its ferry port, is an important entry point to the UK for traffickers.
There can be signs of potential exploitation. For example, in car washes, workers may look unkempt, malnourished, have bruised bodies. Sexual exploitation may be occurring where faces appear at a window but are not seen outside, men going to and from a property at all hours, people not appearing to sleep at the property.
The Medaille Trust works in partnership with the police, social services and the Home Office, amongst others, to identify potential victims, support them and, where possible, prosecute the perpetrators. In Hampshire last year 40 potential victims were identified, five of whom were children but this is only a fraction of the total. The legislation surrounding the treatment of these people, most of whom are in the country illegally, means the Trust has a very limited period of time in which to support these, usually very traumatised and often very young, individuals before they are deported. The Trust is also trying to build relations with countries such as Vietnam and Albania, where a large proportion of victims come from, to set up safe houses and support networks for deportees.
The examples Julie and Sam gave were harrowing but this is the nature of human trafficking and modern slavery. It is a very real issue for the UK and the Portsmouth area and it is only going to get worse regardless of the impact of Brexit.
Any concerns should be reported to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by calling 999 or 101 (the police non-emergency number).
Further information about The Medaille Trust can be found on their website: www.medaille.co.uk