A BLOG POST BY REBEKAH TURNER, STOP THE TRAFFIK
Human trafficking is modern slavery; it is a serious crime and a gross violation of human rights. Traffickers deceive and exploit people for financial profit by forcing them into prostitution or sexual exploitation, forcing them into inhuman labour, forcing them to work as a domestic slave, forcing them to beg and steal, or forcing them to remove and sell their organs. According to the United Nation’s refugee agency human trafficking is the second-largest criminal industry in the world. Every year 1.3 million people become victims of human trafficking. (Department of State, USA: Trafficking in Persons Report, June 2010).
‘Katerina was a student in Romania. She made friends with a young man named Alex, who invited her to his house in the UK. When she arrived in the UK, Katerina was held prisoner in a flat where she was repeatedly beaten and raped. Alex told her that she could have her freedom, but she would have to work as a prostitute to pay back the money he had paid to bring her here. Katerina eventually gave in and began work, paying all of her money she made to Alex.’ House of Commons: The Trade in Human Beings, Sixth Report of Session 2008-09
STOP THE TRAFFIK is a charity, which believes that trafficking starts in a community and can be stopped by it. The Liverpool ACT Group is part of STT’s global campaign to raise awareness for human trafficking in Liverpool. Our ‘No Room for Traffiking’ campaign aims to raise awareness of human trafficking amongst the hotel industry. STT have printed door hangers for use in hotels. The door hanger says ‘This hotel has no room for human trafficking’ and lists possible signal signs. Through this campaign, we will show that we have NO ROOM FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING!