Identification of people who are suspected of being trafficked for the purposes of SE

[GOSHH]

Hi Everyone,

It seems there are lots of comments being made in various threads about the potential of meeting a person who has been trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
I understand that as members of this site, you would honestly chose to believe that people are independent and self employed professionals, and in many cases, this is true.

I have been reading a lot of what i would call "myths" about how to identify a person who has been trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
As a result i have decided to try and post something that might guide our thinking in a more accurate direction.

The main issues are around how the person was recruited. There are three recognised types of recruitment in a trafficking situation, and i am posting these because i think it is more likely you might have these conversations with people.
They are recruitment through deception, force or abuse of a vulnerable situation.

Here is the actual list, taken from here of what indicators are taken into consideration when identifying a victim of trafficking:

9.2.1 Indicators of recruitment by way of deception:

Strong indicator:

• Deception regarding the type of employment, employer or the country/location,

Medium indicators:

• Deception regarding the content or the legality of the employment contract,
• Deception regarding family reunification,
• Deception regarding housing and living conditions,
• Deception about the legal documentation or obtaining legal migration status,
• Deception about the journey and working conditions,
• Deception regarding wage/income,
• Deception through promises of marriage or adoption.

Weak indicator:

• Deception regarding the access to educational opportunities.

9.2.2 Indicators of forced recruitment:
Strong indicators:

• Kidnapping, forced marriages, illegal adoption or selling of the victim,
• Slavery/servitude due to debt,
• Threats of violence against the victim,
• Violence against the victims.

Medium indicators:

• Confiscation of documents,
• Isolation, lock-up and control over their movement,
• Threatening to report them to the authorities about their illegal status,
• Threatening to inform the family, community or the public,
• Violence against the family (threats or actual violence),
• Isolation/Confiscation of money.

9.2.2 Indicators of recruitment by abuse of vulnerable situation:
Medium indicators:

• Abuse of difficult financial situation of the family,
• Abuse of illegal status,
• Abuse of lack of education (language),
• Abuse of lack of information,
• Control by the traffickers/exploiters,
• Difficulties in the past,
• Difficulties in terms of independently organizing the journey,
• Economic reasons,
• False information about the legal regulations in the country of destination and the treatment by the authorities in the country of destination,
• False information about successful migration in the country of destination,
• Family circumstances.

General context:

• Personal situation,
• Psychological and emotional dependency,
• Relation with the authorities/legal status.

Weak indicator:

• Abuse of cultural/religious beliefs

[philipkntz]

Many of my friends have been forced to emigrate for work, and half of that list could be applied to them, even though none are in sexwork as far as I know.
Using their experiences as a guide it is quite conceivable that many foreign sexworkers might come here, lured by high earnings. But the agency that helps them get settled might hold their passports as security deposit for a loan. The end result might be that a willing sexworker might have to stay and work much longer than intended.

[johnwin530]

Red mist obscures red light statistics
Belinda Brooks-Gordon
From 2009 but worth reading

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...mantrafficking

Sex wokers campaigned and argued in the Declaration for Rights of Sex Workers (pdf) to be treated as ordinary workers deserving of rights rather than helpless victims or evil wrong-doers. Sex workers have campaigned for trafficking laws here to resemble the Palermo protocol rather than the broad definitions in the Sex Offences Act 2003 which allows friends giving lifts to be prosecuted for "trafficking". Trafficking definitions need to align with the Palermo protocol so that the "three Fs" of fear, force or fraud are incorporated into legislation. Sex workers have also campaigned for "control" to be tightened up so the innocent maids and receptionists are not falsely imprisoned.

[GOSHH]

Many of my friends have been forced to emigrate for work, and half of that list could be applied to them, even though none are in sexwork as far as I know.
Using their experiences as a guide it is quite conceivable that many foreign sexworkers might come here, lured by high earnings. But the agency that helps them get settled might hold their passports as security deposit for a loan. The end result might be that a willing sexworker might have to stay and work much longer than intended.

I think the key thing here is that someone may start off willing and independent and then become coerced. At that point they are no longer willing and independent.

[GOSHH]

Red mist obscures red light statistics
Belinda Brooks-Gordon
From 2009 but worth reading

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...mantrafficking

Sex wokers campaigned and argued in the Declaration for Rights of Sex Workers (pdf) to be treated as ordinary workers deserving of rights rather than helpless victims or evil wrong-doers. Sex workers have campaigned for trafficking laws here to resemble the Palermo protocol rather than the broad definitions in the Sex Offences Act 2003 which allows friends giving lifts to be prosecuted for "trafficking". Trafficking definitions need to align with the Palermo protocol so that the "three Fs" of fear, force or fraud are incorporated into legislation. Sex workers have also campaigned for "control" to be tightened up so the innocent maids and receptionists are not falsely imprisoned.

I agree. I think the current anti trafficking legislation is not fit for purpose.

[philipkntz]

There's a fly in my house. Instead of swatting it, I think I'll burn the house down.

[GOSHH]

IDF...i don't know everything.

The purpose of this thread was to inform the discussion about how a suspected victim of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation might be identified.

Everyone has their own way of looking at this, but generally, the above information is what the authorities would look for in a persons experience.

If you have ever heard a person say "I thought i was coming here to work in a restaurant...and now i'm doing this" then trafficking could be suspected but more information would be required to determine if they were a victim of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation -

If the restaurant job fell through and that person decided to sex work....not trafficked
If the restaurant job never existed and the person that had helped that person come here for the non existent job, tells them they have to sex work now or go home....that could be trafficking
If the person gets here, the restaurant job was never mentioned again and they are left in a space and checked on and told what to do.....that is trafficking.

I have met some sex workers that i have suspected were trafficked in my role here.
I have met lots of sex workers who are independent business people who love the job.
I have met some sex workers who needed the money and hated the job.

I think you need to trust your own instinct IDF.

[philipkntz]

IDF...i don't know everything.

The purpose of this thread was to inform the discussion about how a suspected victim of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation might be identified.

Everyone has their own way of looking at this, but generally, the above information is what the authorities would look for in a persons experience.

If you have ever heard a person say "I thought i was coming here to work in a restaurant...and now i'm doing this" then trafficking could be suspected but more information would be required to determine if they were a victim of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation -

If the restaurant job fell through and that person decided to sex work....not trafficked
If the restaurant job never existed and the person that had helped that person come here for the non existent job, tells them they have to sex work now or go home....that could be trafficking
If the person gets here, the restaurant job was never mentioned again and they are left in a space and checked on and told what to do.....that is trafficking.

I have met some sex workers that i have suspected were trafficked in my role here.
I have met lots of sex workers who are independent business people who love the job.
I have met some sex workers who needed the money and hated the job.

I think you need to trust your own instinct IDF.

I recon that I have encountered more trafficked persons working in restaurants than in sexwork.

[GOSHH]

I recon that I have encountered more trafficked persons working in restaurants than in sexwork.

Entirely possible Phil. That is exactly why i have been clear about stating 'Trafficked for the purposes of Sexual Exploitation'.
Trafficking as a means for labour exploitation is a completely different ball game!

[johnwin530]

Operation Netwing

Operation Netwing was the largest and longest lasting of the three investigations and resulted in the first Section 71 convictions. Bedfordshire Constabulary launched Operation Netwing in Spring 2011, after a man alleged that an Irish Traveller family had promised him paid labour only to enslave, assault, and threaten him. He claimed other victims were still being exploited.

A 6-month intelligence-gathering exercise followed, including extensive covert investigation. During a coordinated strike day in September 2011, five suspects were arrested and 24 potential victims were removed from the site. Two additional arrest days ensued.

Six men and one woman were tried together in Spring 2012, primarily on charges of conspiracy to hold people in servitude and require them to perform forced labour (plus some assault charges). Of the seven, four were convicted, one was found not guilty and the jury was hung on the final two (a retrial was planned but later dropped).
Operation Tundra

Operation Tundra was the earliest of the three operations. Gloucestershire Constabulary began the investigation in Spring 2010, after several individuals came forward alleging labour exploitation at the hands of a local Irish Traveller family and the body of another suspected former victim was discovered.7

The alleged exploitation predated the entry into force of the Section 71 offence. There was, however, intelligence suggesting other victims were still being exploited and a covert strategy was pursued to amass evidence of prosecutable offences. A coordinated strike day took place in March 2011, involving simultaneous arrests at eight locations across the UK. Five suspects were arrested and 19 potential victims removed from the sites.

Four men and one woman were tried together in Autumn 2012. All were convicted of conspiracy to hold people in servitude and conspiracy to require them to perform forced labour.
Operation Helm

Hampshire Constabulary launched Operation Helm in June 2011, after a man sought help from his local police station to return home to Romania. He claimed that he—and others—had been held by an Irish Traveller family and forced to work long hours for no pay.

Since the suspects had no fixed domain and travelled frequently around the country, investigators favoured a short-term operation aimed at rapid disruption and enforcement. The strike day took place just 10 days after the initial contact with the police. Three suspects were arrested and 13 potential victims removed from the site. A fourth suspect was later arrested.

One man was tried alone for a public order offence and two others faced a joint trial on charges of requiring people to perform forced or compulsory labour. The former was acquitted and the latter were eventually both convicted in early 2013 following a guilty plea in their retrial.