SPA Conference 2014: Migration and Human Trafficking How do you enforce human trafficking policy when victims are difficult to identify?

“Its very difficult, prevention [of human trafficking]. Especially as, the majority of victims don’t know they’re a victim on the way here, do they? They think they’re coming to work in a bar, or be a servant in a really lovely house where they get every Saturday and Sunday off. So they have no idea. So how do you prevent that? How do you say to someone, or how do you say to a whole country, if you’re offered a job, please be careful because when you come here you’re going to be a prostitute, and they would be like, that’s not going to happen! So prevention is very difficult...at the other end, because of the mindset.” (Officer in the Human Trafficking Unit, Metropolitan Police Service)

Aims of Talk Human trafficking as a possible outcome of a migratory project Invisibility of human trafficking victims: the case of Andeans Police responses to human trafficking – identifying and protecting victims The State’s complicity in human trafficking, as well as its responsibility to protect and prevent trafficking.

Migration Experiences Voluntary Compulsory or Coercive Productive and rewarding Exploitative and abusive

Migratory routes and statuses Legal route into UK Legal route into UK but become irregular and subject to deportation. Illegal entry ▫Use of human smugglers to gain entry, and if identified are subject to deportation, unless smuggling is transformed into a trafficking experience. Human Trafficking where a person is brought to the UK, through coercion or deception for the purpose of exploitation which gives victims’ rights to protection from the State.

Table 1: Referrals and Decisions by NRM Geographical origin of persons referred to the NRM Referrals between 1 st April 2009 and 31 st March Referrals March to July Numbers referred Positive Conclusive Grounds Numbers (percentages) Numbers referred Positive Conclusive Grounds Numbers (percentages) United Kingdom5245 (86.5%)2422 (91.7%) EU (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania) (71.6)12566 (52.8%) Europe Non-EU (Albania, former parts of Soviet Union, Turkey) 5516 (29.1%)748 (10.8%) Asia and Middle East (e.g. Bangladesh,, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Iran, Thailand, ) (19.5%)9412 (12.8%) Africa (Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda (22.4%)9715 (15.5%) South America and Caribbean124 (33.3%)

“... We have the first meeting [with the victim where] you are not demanding. You are almost putting the control in their court and a lot of them have never had control. We have had people before that keep saying, what do you want? And I say, it doesn’t matter what I want, it’s what you want. And that’s what I say about the interview... you have to make sure they know that to a certain degree they are in control. I would say to [the victim]... If you need to leave the room to go to the toilet or have some tea, you tell me and we’ll stop. If you need to leave the room and go away and want to come back another day because this is too difficult we will do that. We do not have to sit here for 2 hours, but I’ll also say we’ll do it in your time.” (HTU Officer 2) Victim-centred Police Interaction

Table 2: Outcomes of Police Investigations by the MPS Human Trafficking Unit (numbers) Total Arrested Charged Convictions Operations Victims

Strategies to improve the identification of victims of human trafficking On-line referral system Freephone Training of front line police Partnership working, particularly with NGOs who refer possible victims or who help support them. Joint Investigative Teams with police in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

“ Yesterday [we went to an NGO that supports victims]... to speak to a girl who is a Thai victim of trafficking and she’s been within this prostitution sphere for some time and we said to her, ’Why has it taken you so long?’, and she said she didn’t trust the police. Not just the police, she didn’t trust authorities full stop and that’s why she’s taken so long. And that is something we hear all the time....[she has been with the NGO about 7 months] and yesterday was happy to talk to us. So that’s kind of good work on their part as well. And that’s because we’ve built up a good relationship with them. And they now know they can confidently say, speak to these officers, and you’re not going to get carted off, because of drug offenses,.... You’re going to be ok.” (HTU Officer 4 Partnership Working with NGOS

Table 3 : Combined Victim Data Held by MPS Human Trafficking Unit for 2011 and 2014 (January to May) Type of Trafficking *United Kingdom EU (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania) Europe Non- EU (Albania) Asia (Bangladesh, Burma, China, India, Indonesia, New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam) Africa (Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda Sexual Exploitation (SE) Domestic Servitude (DS) 1717 SE and DS2 Labour Exploitation91**1 Exploitation113 Forced Labour1 Sham Marriage1 To commit crimes (theft) 1 Cannabis cultivation1 Organ Donation1