Trafficking has many guises…

Often trafficking strikes us as something terrible and shocking, but not necessarily as something that would ever happen to us. Chapter 3 of Steve Chalke’s book STOP THE TRAFFIK opens by exploring the story of a mother living in the UK, who never imagined that her thirteen year old daughter would be at risk from sexual exploitation by traffickers…

The experience of Mary Rogers*, is absolutely harrowing. She tells of her 13 year old daughter, Jessica, as a normal hard working, energetic teenager before she was targeted by a group of men who saw vulnerability in her age and exploited this. They groomed her – taking her for car rides, giving her lots of attention and gifts like mobile phones, jewellery and they eventually encouraged her to drink alcohol and take drugs.

Jessica went missing on numerous occasions, and would sometimes be found alone, such as on the hard shoulder of the motorway, where she had been dumped by the group of men after being drugged. She became distant and unrecognisable to her family, was arrested for shoplifting for the men, and of taking class A drugs – as the group used these substances to guarantee she returned to them and did as she was instructed. Jessica was moved about by the gang, forced to visit other men, where she would be sexually exploited and beaten.

Mary Rogers campaigned endlessly to authorities, her MP, even considered going to the press to get help after Jessica was abducted from foster care. The experience clearly has changed the family’s life forever and the story is such an eye opener about the need for people and authorities to be more aware about trafficking in their local communities and the various guises this takes on…

The chapter goes on to discuss the differences and similarities between internal trafficking and trafficking across international borders. A key similarity is that traffickers exploit need, and target vulnerability, they prey on people with hopes, needs and dreams – who are most susceptible to jump at the offer of a great exciting opportunity elsewhere. Not knowing that the promises are lies and what their trafficker has in store for them is unimaginable. The book describes various real life experiences, from people in Colombia, USA, Japan, Moldova, Cambodia…and what strikes me the most is the range of different situations of these people, the ways the traffickers tricked them, and the less talked about forms of trafficking….organ trafficking, child soldiers for warfare, illicit adoption and begging…

We have the means to inform ourselves about these occurrences, and we should do so, in order to start a dialogue within our community and help others learn and become aware of the dangers. Previously I said that what traffickers do is ‘unimaginable’ – it is, and the stories in the book are not easy to read about because they are dreadful, but I feel that we have a duty to know, in order to STOP it.

(*names had been changed)

HORAY! KRAFT FOODS COMMITS TO RAINFOREST ALLIANCE RANGES!

HOORAY! KRAFT FOODS COMMITS TO RAINFOREST ALLIANCE RANGES!

Yes – that’s right, Kraft have committed to traffik free ranges by 2012! Kraft plan to increase current purchases of cocoa beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms ten-fold – that means 30,000 tons of sustainable cocoa beans – in order for its entire Cote D’or and Marabou range to carry the Rainforest Alliance certification by the end of 2012.

Independent verification, including certification by Rainforest Alliance, is one of the best assurances we have to indicate that cocoa is traffik-free. This certification on Kraft chocolate will first be spotted in France and Belgium on Cote d’Or premium dark chocolate, but soon certified ranges will be available in the UK, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Canada and the US. The Suchard brand in Austria and Switzerland, and the Marabou brand in Sweden, Denmark and Finland will similarly become available as Rainforest Alliance. By 2012 the entire Cote D’or and Marabou range will be traffik free! Great news!

Cote D’Or is the biggest brand of chocolate in Belgium. The STOP THE TRAFFIK office in Belgium is really excited that the chocolate that ordinary people buy from the supermarket is at last going to be certified. STOP THE TRAFFIK is keen to make sure that Kraft live up to their promise, and also answer how communities and families will be supported so that the root causes of trafficking such as poverty are removed.

For more on the details of Kraft’s announcement take a look at their report here.

Thank you everyone who has helped in the chocolate campaign so far! We are seeing wonderful progress but let’s keep up the pressure on the other companies….such as Nestlé!!

Georgia

Local artist raises awareness in Northern Ireland

Local artist, Miriam Marshall is displaying a charity art exhibition “Sold” in Millennium Court Arts Centre, from the 12th – 18th of November. The exhibition is to raise awareness about Human Trafficking, which she explains is now the “fastest growing crime in the world, now making twice as much revenue as Coca Cola!”

Miriam is also raising funds to go on an “Arts and Justice” mission project with YWAM, (more info at www.ywampismobeach.org).

“I will be leaving on the 10th of January to live with a team of artists for 5 months, putting on art exhibitions around California to raise awareness and funds to support the victims of Human Trafficking as well as outreach and rehabilitation ministry”

The exhibition launch night takes place on Thursday the 12th of November and she says to “come along any time between 5:30 and 8:30pm for refreshments, merchandise and to get informed and be inspired.”

www.millenniumcourt.org 
William Street, Portadown, Northern Ireland BT62 3NX

(Written by Miriam)

Global News Summary 02/11/09

NEW INTELLIGENCE CENTRE IN SCOTLAND TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The creation of the Scottish Intelligence Co-ordination Unit (SICU) was announced, with plans to lead the fight against human trafficking, serious fraud, and gangster criminal activity. The unit will be staffed by 40 officers, made up of a combination of prison service staff, UK Border Agency and Customs staff, aiming to gain a better understanding of the 4,000 individuals involved in serious organized crime. The Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) has worked alongside academics to produce a series of specific questions that aim to gather important information about key criminals and their operations – this intelligence will be used in conjunction with information collated from police forces, agencies and members of the public. The aim is to help more efficiently tackle criminal activity such as human trafficking, money laundering and drug related crime. (Source: 02/10/09)

 

SECOND HUMAN TRAFFICKER TO ESCAPE DUTCH PRISON

Following our report a month ago about Saban Baran, notorious human trafficker who escaped from prison after being granted compassionate leave to bond with his new born child, it appears a second human trafficker has also escaped. The man (who has not been named) was serving a four year prison sentence, and was declared missing after being granted a weekend’s leave. Dutch justice minister revealed that the authorities failed to check with the public prosecution department to see if the request should be granted. The department said the recommendation would have been refused. No more has been released as of yet. (Source: 30/10/09) 

 

ATLANTAN SEX TRAFFICKER PLEADS GUILTY

Mexican national Miguel Rugerio pleaded guilty to charges of transporting, and conspiracy to transport young women from Mexico to the USA for purposes of prostitution and sexual exploitation. Rugerio is said to have targeted young, impoverished and vulnerable women, tricking them to comply with his instructions on the promise of better money, job opportunities and marriage. Five women in particular were trafficked into Atlanta from Meixo, and then later transported to states outside including Florida and Alabama. The plot was uncovered due to the dual cooperation of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other state law enforcement agencies in both Mexico and the US. The victims are said to be in recovery. Rugerio faces a sentence of 5 years in prison. (Source: 29/10/09)

 

2,000 CHILDREN RESCUED IN CHINESE ANTI-TRAFFICKING CAMPAIGN

During a six-month anti-human trafficking campaign Chinese police have rescued over 2,000 children, ranging from babies to young adults. They are thought to be only a small percentage of the thousands that go missing in China every year, many of whom are kidnapped by traffickers and criminal gangs wanting to profit from selling them on to other couples. Some of the rescued children have been reunited with their families, whereas pictures of some of the remaining children have been displayed on the Ministry’s website in the hope that families will come forward. Apparently, particular targets are the children of migrant workers, with baby boys selling for up to $6,000 compared to the price sought for girls, averaging $500. Whilst 42 suspects were arrested last week for related crimes in Northern China, human trafficking is seen as a growing problem, that is often met with official indifference. (Source: 28/10/09)

 

 

 

 

AMSTERDAM: Stunt happening RIGHT NOW!

Well everybody, this is pretty special.

On this chilly Friday evening, in Amsterdam’s red-light district there is something very eye opening going on. If you’re nearby, go check it out.

STOP THE TRAFFIK were offered an opportunity to take part in a real-happening-right -now-awareness-raising-stunt.

If you don’t know what it looks like, Amsterdam’s red light district is full of shop widows filled by girls. boys and any combination of the two, sitting and awaiting customers.

At this moment, one shop window which has been split in two has a woman one side (our actress) and next to her a short video is being projected of how she came to be there – a story of being bought, sold and exploited.

Antonie (heads up Amsterdam’s office) is there as I type and he just posted a little 10 second clip on the STOP THE TRAFFIK twitter site. Check it out.

(I am not sure this link works if you are not on twitter http://www.twitvid.com/CC0E1)

Happy Friday everyone!

Bristol ‘Unchosen’ film festival against trafficking

We’ve caught news of a fantastic project happening in Bristol, (UK) which will be showcasing award-winning films concerned with modern day slavery. Admission is completely free, and the films will be shown throughout November, with the added bonus of director talks, great live performances incorporating dance and music, and literature for the audience to read…

The first film of the season is called ‘Victoria Terminus’, and tells the alternative story of Mumbai’s busy train station – which was the scene of Slum Dog Millionaire’s plot. The story explores the real-life tragedy, abuse and violence that street children experience, and follow the various paths of the children…

The diversity and richness of stories explored throughout the season are fascinating; week two shows the film ‘La Forteresse’, which delves into the darker side of Swiss immigration and asylum laws, the third week showcases ‘Lilja4-Ever’ detailing the life of a young Estonian girl who moves to Sweden, the fourth (Ghosts) looks at the horror behind the tragic story of Chinese migrants who drowned in Britain whilst working in Morecombe Bay…with the final week culminating in a refreshing look at the strength of a group of women working in South Africa (Rough Aunties).

Please check out the website here for details of venue and times…

 

News summary 22/10/09

GLOBAL TRAFFICKING CASES

BULGARIAN COUPLE ARRESTED FOR TRAFFICKING EXPECTED MOTHERS
A husband and wife have been arrested in Sliven, Bulgaria on charges of trafficking pregnant women from Bulgaria to Greece for the alleged purpose of selling their babies. The smuggling operation is thought to have been organised by the couple, who make up to 10,000 euros for each for arranging the babies to be taken and sold. The couple have been formally charged and await hearing. (22/10/09 Source)

CANADIAN FACES HUMAN TRAFFICKING CHARGES
A man from Ontario, Canada, faces charges of trafficking, forcible confinement and assault, following accusations from a 19 year old woman. The victim claims the 24-year-old man forced her to work as a stripper, whilst he took her wages, restricted her freedom and subjected her to violent physical assault. The accused will appear Oct. 23 in Newmarket court. (19/10/09 Source)

SIX ICELANDICS ARRESTED IN RELATION TO SUSPECTED TRAFFICKING
Six men were arrested within the course of a week by the Sudurnes Police in relation to the same case regarding suspicion of human trafficking. The case concerns a Lithuanian woman who arrived in Iceland on fake ID, and was hospitalised after being found near unconsciousness. She told police she was in fear of being forced into prostitution, and the alarm was raised when she was declared missing last week. With the help of a public appeal the Lithuanian lady was found again later. She is a suspected victim of human trafficking, but little more information has been released at this stage due to the sensitivity of the case. (19/10/09 Source)

NAVY RECRUITER IS FIRST TO BE JAILED UNDER US TRAFFICKING VICTIMS PROTECTION ACT
A Navy recruiter was given 15 years in jail, without parole, for attempting to have sex with an 11-year-old child. Shane Allan Childers, from Kansas, America, paid $60 to have sex with a child adding an additional $20 for intercourse without protection, using the internet and phone calls in his attempt to induce the child to meet. He was caught by an undercover FBI officer working for Operation Guardian Angel – targeting child prostitution demand in Kansas City. The investigation led to the indictment of seven defendants, in America’s first federal prosecution of alleged customers of child prostitution under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. (20/10/09 Source)

 

ADDITIONAL TRAFFICKING NEWS

POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS TO HELP TRAFFICKING VICTIMS IN IRELAND
A conference organised by Act to Prevent Trafficking (APT) in Ireland this week heard calls from Becker, a solicitor from the Immigrant Council of Ireland, for the State to compensate victims of human trafficking, when their traffickers cannot be found and made liable. The obligation of the State would be to cover out of pocket expenses, and victims should also be able to sue under employment law – though this issue is complicated by sexual exploitation which the State does not recognise as legitimate employment. Suggestions were raised in light of worries that trafficking victims rarely have enough recovery time or time to engage with the police in preventative action. The conference heard a lot of criticism against the prevalent attitudes of distrust towards trafficked women’s experiences (20/10/09 Source)

THE GUARDIAN INVESTIGATES TRAFFICKING OPERATION
A key British newspaper gained access to a report concerning the UK’s biggest ever operation concerning sex trafficking, and found that the number of prosecutions against people who had forced others into prostitution stood at zero. The newspaper thus declared that the scale of sex trafficking in the UK had been exaggerated, and detailed the various distortions of statistics that have been banded about by different agencies. Far from suggesting that sex trafficking within the UK is non-existent, the newspaper’s investigation really threw light on the problems of relying on statistics as a measure for a crime that is by nature covert. Similarly, the difficulties of prosecuting suspects under trafficking legislation – an argument that is explored here. (20/10/09 Source)

In response to The Guardian report…

Today’s Guardian article reaffirms STOP THE TRAFFIK’s belief that accurate information on trafficking is difficult to find.

There is an urgent need for people within their communities, who see and recognise the signs of trafficking, to gather local information.

STOP THE TRAFFIK set up ACT groups (active communities against trafficking) to equip local volunteers in every community to raise awareness of the issue so that trafficking could be identified and responded to at a local level.

We are currently piloting specific ACT groups which are gathering local information around the issues of trafficking for sexual exploitation, which we believe contributes critically to understanding the scale in the UK.

Every community is affected by trafficking whether by the exploitation through trafficked forced labour, trafficked children and adults for forced street crime, those trafficked for domestic servitude, the use of people trafficked for sexual exploitation, or the consumer buying a chocolate bar that is not traffik free.

STOP THE TRAFFIK is committed to community action against trafficking to stop the traffik here and around the world. 

Thank you to everyone out there, whatever city, whatever country, who supports us in this effort!

NEWS SUMMARY 15/10/09

EIGHTEEN BURMESE HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS RESCUED            

Thai police and human rights activists raided two boats and broker houses in a fishing town South East of Bangkok on Tuesday and freed eighteen human trafficking victims. It was revealed that the victims – all Burmese nationals – had been promised jobs in Thai factories but were actually sold as fisherman to Thai boat captains. It is alleged that the victims were sold on three times, and were informed that they would have to work for seven months without pay to cover the travelling costs of 22,000 baht (US$650). The victims were said to have looked exhausted and were overwhelmed about being rescued from their ordeal, retelling of how they were beaten, locked up, not given medicine when sick, and also of how some workers had drowned whilst attempting to escape from the fishing boat. They were sent to government safe houses for trafficking victims. Three people were arrested, and the police are said to be working with the rescue victims to save others. (Source, 13/10/09)

 

CHILD TRAFFICKING IN GUATEMALA ON THE RISE

In Guatemala, despite new human trafficking laws enforced this year, there are only ten agents working for the government against human trafficking across the entire country. Worryingly, evidence suggests that child sex tourism is growing, and activist Leonel Dubón (of the Asociación El Refugio de la Niñez) claims that trafficking of children is significant in border areas, particularly affecting Central American migrants attempting to pass through to the USA. The Guatemalan justice system is notorious for corruption, which can be seen as a factor in the existence of diverse illicit networks – such as the ‘known’ group of taxi drivers who help tourists find, and have sex with, street children. Some link the fact that over 15,000 Guatemalan children under 18 are victims of child sex trafficking to the dire economic situation in the country – the World Bank places Guatemala as one of the poorest in Latin America, with about 75 percent of the population living below the poverty line. The recent US Trafficking in Persons Report put Guatemala on ‘Tier 2 Watch List’, with four other Latin American nations, which represents worries about digression to the lowest Tier 3. Director of ECPAT International in Guatemala relates the lack of state action and prosecution to failure to classify trafficking. Part of the problem is lack of training, but also lack of resources, state interest and funds – evidenced by the recent closure of Casa Alianza, the Latin American branch of the New York-based Covenant House. (Source, 13/10/09)

 

HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON THE AGENDA IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

The government in Trinidad and Tobago has approved a nine-month plan to counter human trafficking. This will be enforced with the help of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), various government ministries, NGOs, and faith-based organizations with a focus on prevention and protection of victims, and a move to criminalise and prosecute the perpetrators. The multi-agency approach is hoped to be a successful in establishing a strong long term plan and will include a referral procedure enabling identification of victims and required services, a ‘hotline’ for reporting suspected cases and a nationwide campaign. New legislation is expected to be enacted criminalizing trafficking and preventing the spread of this crime. (Source 14/10/09)

 

SPECIALIST HUMAN TRAFFICKING TEAM ESTABLISHED IN DUBAI

A permanent team of specialists has been established in Dubai to investigate human trafficking, including female public prosecutors, legal researchers, social workers and psychological advisors. The team is thought to be a logical result of the success of the 2006 anti-human trafficking law, which this year alone has seen up to 20 cases referred to the Dubai Court of First Instance. Whilst the two core priorities of the team are said to be victim support and case investigation there will also be an emphasis on the role of ‘enlightening the public’. Chair of the team, Kalifa Bin Deemas, sees this new measure as significant in strengthening the UAE’s role in international judicial cooperation – a seriousness reflected in the sentences for traffickers – possible life imprisonment and fines of up to Dh1 million. (Source 15/10/09)

 

NEW JERSEY CONVICTION

In a previous news summary we mentioned the case of Akouavi Kpade Afolabi, a West African Woman accused of human trafficking, and forced labour in New Jersey, USA. Today after less than five hours deliberation the jury found her guilty on all counts of human trafficking. Read the full story here: Source 15/10/09

SOME INTERESTING THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR

Hello…just have some interesting bits and pieces to update you on;

Firstly, for all those theatre fans out there we’ve caught news of a new production by Clean Break called ‘It felt empty when the heart went at first but it is alright now’ by Lucy Kirkwood. The theatre company works with women who have been affected by the criminal justice system, and the play itself is the product of interviews with women who were trafficked into the UK, some into the sex industry, and some of whom experienced periods in the UK prison system. The play takes the audience on a journey which is extremely emotional and insightful and at times very candid – and example of which is Dijana Polančec remark;

“I know exactly how much I am worth. I am worth 1000 Euros because that is how much Babac paid for me. To put this in easy language, that is like two and a half iPhones.”

It is no wonder the play received a five star review from the Evening Standard. If you are interested, check out the website or the e-flyer below.

 

 

Secondly the British Association for Adoption and Fostering have published two new guides which focus on care and support for children and young people who have been trafficked into the UK. The first is ‘the guide for foster carers’ and the second is called ‘the guide for social workers’. The team here have had a look through both and think they provide tons of insightful and practical information for professionals – both for those already familiar with the complexities associated with human trafficking and its victims, and also for those who have not yet explored this important area. The guides cover a range of issues giving recommendations for caring for trafficking children, to the local authority’s legal duty, how to keep children safe, and also how to initially identify trafficking victims. Both guides are also illustrated with real case studies, and quotations from individuals who have experienced trafficking. If you think these guides could be useful for you, or simply because you are interested to find out more, then get in contact with the BAAF who will be able to help.

And to all you out there who thinks the recent UK-focused blogs could benefit from some international enrichment (I know I do!) – please feel free to send us updates of great events in your city, or any information that could be of benefit to readers.

Thanks, and that’s all for now!

Georgia