Combating Human Trafficking Combat THB is a Project of: This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Cabdi’s Story

Gabdi’s Story: A Summary Gabdi from Somalia is promised by an ‘employment agency’ a fantastic hotel maintenance job in UK He pays a fee of £4,000 for his travel arrangements and employment documents Put in a truck with other Somalis promised similar jobs in construction Smuggled in UK with fake passports that minder retains all the time Lines in a two-flat bedroom with the other thirteen Minder drops the crew off and picks it up on a daily basis. Works for a minimum of 14 hours per day in construction projects for £4 per hour – the rest are fees for the minder Worked in ten hotels

What is Human Trafficking (THB)? “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation”. Movement Coercion Deception Abuse Control Exploitation Art 2, Directive 2011/36/EU; Art. 4, Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking 2005; Art. 3 UN 2000, page 42.

What type of THB? Forced prostitution Forced /bonded labour Forced criminality Domestic servitude Forced organ removal Exploitation of children (begging, sex trade & warfare)

The Victim’s Journey

Spotting Signals What are the signals that might have been spotted in Cabdi’s case?

Potential Signals The person is not in possession of their legal documents (passport, identification and their own bank account details) or these are being held by someone else There is a group of workers who have their wages paid into the same bank account Works longer hours than usual for a long period of time. Wages taken off them for accommodation, food or to repay supposed debt A group of workers dropped off or picked up by the same person and all taken to the same property Persons look malnourished, unkempt, or appear withdrawn The person is withdrawn or appears frightened, unable to answer questions directed at them or speak for themselves and/or an accompanying third party speaks for them. The person is afraid of the authorities (police, immigration, the tax office

Erecting Barriers What procedures could have been implemented to act as barriers to this type of THB?

Potential Barriers A Code of Business Conduct setting out an anti-THB policy framework with which all suppliers including construction contractors and their sub-contractors should comply Carrying out human rights due diligence to all construction contractors and employment agencies Checking all the documentation (i.e., vetting) all construction workers in a hotel building or renovation project. Conducting on-site audits and talking to workers about work and living conditions as well aswage payments. Regularly engage with workers to build trust e.g., eating together, exchanging language lessons, organising social events.