AIBU to think human trafficking only happens in foreign countries and not in this country?

Many organisations/businesses have modern slavery statements on their websites, to show how they address issues such as human trafficking.

There was a huge case near me a few years ago. Large traveller family (I know not all travellers are like this!) recruited ‘staff’ to work with their team. I think 8 men and 1 woman were charged. The saddest thing was the people who were trafficked were brought as witnesses and they praised those on trial! As far as they were concerned, they were ‘rescued’ - given somewhere to live (squalid caravans), work and pay (obviously not good conditions or pay but better than what they’d have got at home).

I work in healthcare and I’ve seen a few patients where there’s been concern. Usually starts with them not having ID or NHS number. Had one where a young woman came in with a man claiming to be her brother but also other men. She spoke barely any English, he spoke for her. Didn’t want her to be left alone with staff. Story of what happened didn’t add up.

It’s incredibly naive to think that there aren’t trafficked people in the UK or from the UK. Look into Hope for justice for more information. They estimate there’s more people trafficked in the world now there were people in slavery when it was abolished.

I used to be a social worker until a few years ago. Sorry OP. Human trafficking is a HUGE problem in this country. It was bad 8 years ago. I can sadly only imagine it’s worse now. A lot of it happens “underground” or hidden, but it’s prevalent.

I feel like this is a topic which crops up regularly in the local newspapers. Often to do with some poor women who have been brought over and end up in a brothel.

It doesn’t just happen in the uk.

Rife in the care industry. All sorts of home care companies appearing out of nowhere with incredibly dubious African staff. Wherever there is a gap in the market, slavery will exploit it.

County lines is drug dealing not human trafficking. I mean it could involve trafficked people but that isn't the normal meaning of the phrase

Definitely!

where do you live @Acrazybimbo ? If you are in a city then I guarantee you are within 5 miles of slaves.

There are thousands of children trafficked into the UK into the cannabis industry alone

@Upallnight2 same here, makes sense that they do.

The Chinese cockle pickers who perished in Morecambe bay were effectively slaves.

There was also an Indian fast food place in Lancaster where the owner was imprisoned for having illegal workers living in squalid conditions above the shop.

Do you mean it doesn't happen to British citizens? Because it definitely happens in Britain where people are trafficked here from overseas.

It’s not just people trafficked for sex work, but also for work in the care sector.

I'm an inner city community midwife.

Yes, it is happening here. I have seen
-sex workers
-pregnant women trafficked on student visas with the promise of work and a better life, but they end up working as servants or unpaid factory workers
-unofficial surrogacy
-forced marriages

We have training around warning signs, but it's often a gut feeling and can sometimes be very difficult to evidence. If something doesn't add up, it gets reported as a safeguarding concern and if appropriate it will be looked into by maternity safeguarding and social services.
.

I find passport control always chat to my son. call him by his name and ask where he's been on holiday etc, and judge his response

It must happen more than we think, all families travelling with children regularly have to stand in separate queues at passport control. This happens upon entering the UK.

Often come her happily themselves on the promise of a job. Then get their passports taken when they get here

@BouleDeSuif this is heartbreaking. I truly hope your safe and well now x

Which is the latest macann documentary please?

I’ve NC for this, I work for Medaille Trust, a charity for victims of modern slavery. They have safe houses all over the UK. I work in one with women and children but they have them for men as well. They’re almost all at capacity or nearly at capacity with new referrals all the time. Medaille are one of many charities offering this service as part of the contract under the Salvation Army and the Home Office.

It is a huge problem, and growing all the time.

https://www.medaille-trust.org.uk/

I met a lovely middle aged lady at a conference, you wouldn't have looked at her twice in the street, only she was wearing her Salvation Army uniform and specialised in modern slavery, she spoke about accompanying police to raids and about supporting survivors it was something I will never forget

I think it's worth pointing out, OP, that people smuggling and human trafficking are two different things. You can be trafficked with a passport, taking planes, and entering the country on some kind of pretext, before you're siphoned into organized crime.

With people smuggling, I have no idea how human bodies are moved undetected across borders apart from on small boats and through containers on trucks.

Why did this make you laugh? Yes, they are being flown through Gatwick on easyJet.

yes @VanWeezer I went to a talk probably 20 years ago and the police officer said there was nowhere in the UK untouched by modern slavery (even Ambridge)
@BouleDeSuif pleased you are in a good place now

I went on a training course at work raising awareness of this. It was by zoom and all the people on the course were in different parts of the UK

We all got told to Google human trafficking and then our home town. Every single person on that call had a story come up that was local to them.

That's the ones we know about. There is much more going on that doesn't get reported.