Memorandum submitted by the British Red
Cross
We welcome the opportunity to contribute to
this inquiry on human trafficking. We have only responded to the
question on which we have particular experience.
BACKGROUND ON
THE BRITISH
RED CROSS
1. The British Red Cross helps people in
crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global
network that responds to conflicts, natural disasters and individual
emergencies. We enable vulnerable people in the UK and abroad
to prepare for and withstand emergencies in their own communities,
and when the crisis is over we help them to recover and move on
with their lives.
2. The British Red Cross is part of the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which comprises:
2.1 The International Committee of the Red Cross.
2.2 The International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies.
2.3 183 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
worldwide.
3. As a member of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement, the British Red Cross is committed to, and
bound by, its Fundamental Principles. These are: humanity, impartiality,
neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.
4. The British Red Cross helps vulnerable
asylum seekers and refugees access essential services and adjust
to life in a new country.
5. An increasing number of the people we
assist are destitute. With no means to support themselves, many
have nowhere else to turn for help. The Red Cross has provided
emergency help, such as food parcels and vouchers, warm clothing
and sleeping bags to destitute asylum seekers either directly
or with partner agencies. We have a humanitarian duty to provide
help impartially and according to need, regardless of nationality
or immigration status, and to protect human life and dignity.
6. We estimate that last year, we helped
refugees and asylum seekers on 90,000 occasions.
7. We are deeply concerned about the victims
of human trafficking because we know that people who have been
trafficked, are vulnerable to sexual and economic exploitation
and abuse. Red Cross Societies across Europe have formed a network
to find ways to assist the victims of trafficking and to publicise
the risks to vulnerable communities.
RESPONSE OF
THE BRITISH
RED CROSS
TO THE
INQUIRY
8. The difficulty of finding those who have
been trafficked when they are normally too frightened to complain
to the authorities; and the role of NGOs in helping to identify
and assist victims.
8.1 We understand trafficking in terms of the
UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons,
namely ""Trafficking in persons" shall mean 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 of another person, for the purpose of exploitation.
Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of
the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation,
forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery,
servitude or the removal of organs"
8.2. To strengthen the work of the Red Cross Movement
in response to trafficking, the Danish Red Cross in cooperation
with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies (IFRC) has initiated a cooperation programme in the
form of a network.
The purpose of the network is:
— to assist victims of trafficking
in the countries they are trafficked to as well as their countries
of origin;
— to prevent people, not least women
and children, becoming victims of trafficking;
— to find ways for victims of trafficking
to restore their livelihoods;
— to maintain close contact with authorities
and other organizations to identify needs and possible ways of
assistance including returning to their communities; and
— to advocate with government and authorities
to ensure humane treatment of victims of trafficking.
8.3 The British Red Cross is committed to supporting
the work of the European Red Cross/Red Crescent trafficking network,
and to starting up activities in relevant areas as it is clear
that victims of trafficking have a humanitarian need for assistance.
8.4 Currently the British Red Cross has no projects
aimed specifically at trafficked victims. However our orientation,
destitution and youth service across the UK occasionally assist
people who have been victims of traffickers, and likely assist
many others who do not identify themselves as victims.
8.5 Our experience has been that it is rare for
people we help through our services to offer information to us
if they have been trafficked. This is understandable given the
undercover nature of trafficking and the violence and intimidation
that often surrounds trafficking operations.
8.6 Given the complexities of the UK system it
can be very difficult for victims of trafficking for labour to
understand their entitlements and opportunities to get help. In
some cases, much of the information about the UK will have been
given to them by the traffickers themselves, which can lead to
an extremely distorted understanding of their situation in this
country.
8.7 We are currently investigating how we can
better identify victims of trafficking, how we can help them directly,
and how we can signpost them to other services and assistance
from organisations and authorities.
8.8 We believe that our role is to offer support
and guidance. The support that we provide refugees and asylum
seekers is a confidential service. If a client who has been the
victim of trafficking chooses to report the crime to the authorities
we will support them in doing so, while recognising that this
is a very difficult and frightening decision for some individuals.
8.9 We are also assessing the risks to Red Cross
staff, volunteers and clients of developing projects for trafficked
victims, and how we can develop systems to mitigate those risks.
We believe that the Red Cross is uniquely placed to offer services
to trafficked victims, as we are an internationally recognised
movement that operates independently of government. We are also
concerned at the relative lack of assistance available for victims
of trafficking, and are keen to work with partners to develop
effective services in this area.
Recent Cases of trafficked victims approaching
the Red Cross for assistance:
L was trafficked to the UK from Kenya, and forced
to work in a brothel in Leicester. After escaping she approached
the British Red Cross for assistance. We were able to assist her
with emergency supplies, emotional support and temporary accommodation
while she accessed legal advice.
N was a 14 year old girl from the Cameroon, trafficked
to do forced labour. She approached the Red Cross for assistance.
We were able to assist by referring her to social services, and
contacting the police to escort her there safely.
February 2008
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