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