VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING ARE VICTIMS OF CRIME, NOT CRIMINALS
Abigail Stepnitz, National Coordinator of the Poppy Project says ‘Imprisoning vulnerable victims is unfair and unjust. The traffickers take away their freedom and force them to do unimaginable things and once they escape, if they escape, the UK Government takes away their freedom yet again.’
Some of the vulnerable victims are identified and helped by Government and charities; however, due to a flawed system, an untold number are improperly detained in prisons and detention centres. Releasing victims and assisting them to return to their home countries is often not an option due to the threat of violence, torture or re-trafficking on return. UK law also entitles victims to be released from incarceration and given support to enable them to recover from their experiences; something which the Government is currently failing to do.
We call on the Government to ensure that anyone who may be a victim of trafficking is properly identified and freed from unfair detention or incarceration. We need at least 100,000 signatures to force MPs to debate the issue. http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/18933
Yemi from Nigeria says, ‘The worst thing about being trafficked is being sent to the detention centre. In detention the people in charge forget that you are a human being; the way they treat you, where they make you sleep and what they make you eat; it’s not good for you.’
For further information, contact Eaves’ communications officer Laura Craddock on 020 7840 7132 or at laura.craddock@eaveshousing.co.uk.