Memorandum submitted by CARE
1. EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
1.1 In 2003 the Home Office estimated that
there were 4000 women and girls in the UK at any one time that
had been trafficked into forced prostitution. In light of this
fact, CARE recommends that more resources are dedicated to increased
safe housing provision for these victims.
1.2 A greater level of awareness of trafficking
is needed amongst Border and Immigration Agency staff carrying
out asylum screening interviews. The current lack of gender awareness
and spirit of disbelief often displayed in such interviews is
leading to cases of trafficking going undetected and victims being
inappropriately placed on the Detainee Fast Track System.
2. INTRODUCTION
2.1 CARE is a well-established mainstream
Christian charity providing resources and helping to bring insight
and experience to matters of public policy and practical caring
initiatives. CARE is represented in the UK Parliaments and Assemblies,
at the EU in Brussels and the UN in Geneva and New York. We aim
to work on behalf of the most needy and vulnerable.
2.2 CARE has a network of over 180 crisis
pregnancy centres across Europe, providing free pregnancy tests,
confidential counselling and post-abortion counselling to women
struggling with unplanned pregnancies. CARE has developed a resource
entitled Evaluate—Informing choice, designed for sex and
relationship education in schools and youth clubs.
2.3 CARE recently ran a series of conferences
across the United Kingdom on the subject of internet pornography,
aiming to help parents and children use the internet in a safe
and responsible way, and continue to provide advice and support
to those struggling with addictions to internet pornography. CARE
sees a strong correlation between society's attitude towards sex,
prostitution and pornography on the one hand and levels of violence
against women, human trafficking and prostitution on the other.
3. TREATMENT
OF THOSE
TRAFFICKED INTO
THE UNITED
KINGDOM
3.1 While much has been done in regards
to tightening borders and trying to stop traffickers from entering
into the UK, there seems to be a great lack of attention paid
and action being taken on the side of identifying victims of trafficking
and ensuring their care and protection once they have been recognized
as such. The only Government funded safe house for victims of
trafficking is the POPPY Project which only accommodates for a
mere 35 people. When compared with the government's estimation
of 4000 people who have been trafficked into the UK for prostitution,
this effort seems to fall massively short of the extent of the
phenomenon.
3.2 One of the first instances in which
a woman may have a chance to report her experiences of trafficking
is during the asylum screening process. The screening interview
involves an interviewer and interpreter who ask the individual
questions regarding the reasons she is in the UK and how she traveled
here. It may be decided after the screening interview alone that
her case is "straight-forward" and it will immediately
be paced on the Detainee Fast Track System. However, it has been
reported that stories of trafficking rarely come out during this
interview due to several factors:
3.3 A Lack of Gender Awareness
Many researchers and NGOs have raised concern
at the lack of gender awareness in the interviews. The UNHCR reports
of one particular interview which was assessed with a young female
who was an alleged survivor of rape. Concern was raised that the
"harsh tone of the questioning, coupled with the lack of
gender appropriateness of the participants may have had a significant
effect on the willingness of the applicant to disclose details
of her case."[71]
Of the 20 female interviews assessed, the UNHCR only found three
to be entirely gender appropriate. What is most concerning is
that a number of the gender-inappropriate interviews were relating
to cases were there was subject evidence prior to the interview
indicating that they raised gender sensitive issues, such as rape.[72]
3.4 Spirit of disbelief
In their report, Hope Betrayed, the POPPY Project
found that all the cases included had been refused at the initial
stage of the asylum process, but the women in the study appeared
to have a marginally higher rate of refusals than all other female
asylum seekers.[73]
There seems to be a spirit of disbelief on the part of decision
makers in dealing with cases of human trafficking as most of the
rejected cases in the report were on the basis of credibility.[74]
3.5 When individuals are successfully identified
and confirmed as victims of human trafficking, the UK does not
guarantee them protection. At present, there is no specific provision
within immigration legislation to allow victims of human trafficking
to remain purely on the basis of their status as victims.[75]
All cases are dealt with individually and leave to remain is only
granted where it is felt to be appropriate, otherwise victims
are able to apply for asylum through regular procedures.
3.6 CARE recommends that gender sensitive
interviewing is essential in the successful identification of
victims of human trafficking in the UK. In order to obtain gender
appropriate screening interviews the Border and Immigration Agency
should seek to:
— Always provide female interviewers
(when dealing with female interviewees), unless the applicant
has been asked what her preference would be and she has shown
no partiality to the gender of her interviewer.
— Improve the content of the current
Gender Guidance to the standard of the IAA/UNHCR gender guidelines.
— Compulsory awareness and understanding
of the Gender Guidance on part of all caseworkers through better
training.
3.7 In regards to the Detained Fast Track
System CARE recommends the following:
— A review of the suitability list
and gender guidelines to include a non-exhaustive list of types
of women's cases which should be excluded from the DFT.
— That the DFT be brought in line with
the Gender API.
8 February 2008
71 UNHCR Quality Initiative Project, Pg. 14 Back
72
UNHCR Quality Initiative Project, Pg. 15 Back
73
Hope Betrayed, POPPY Project 2006, Pg. 9 Back
74
Hope Betrayed, POPPY Project 2006, Pg. 18 Back
75
Tackling Human Trafficking-Consultation on Proposals for a UK
Action Plan, Home Office, January 2006, Pg. 16 Back
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