The UN defined human trafficking as:

‘the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons by means of threat, or use of force, coercion or deception…to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation’.

Human trafficking is the movement of people by force, fraud, coercion or deception, with the aim of exploiting them. It is a form of modern slavery with deception at its core.  It does not always involve international transportation; a person can be trafficked across the UK from Newcastle to London. In fact x% of victims of human trafficking are from the UK.

There are three elements that form part of trafficking:

1. The act: recruiting, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons
2. The means: force, fraud, coercion, deception
3. The purpose: exploitation

How it happens?

Traffickers lure their victims and force them into labour or commercial sexual exploitation.

Victims are often vulnerable, coming from areas where there is little work. They are offered a great deal: a guaranteed job, a good wage and the chance to build a new life.

It sounds too good to be true. And it is.

When they arrive at their destination, the promised job is a lie. Instead, they are forced to work long hours in hard and degrading conditions with little or no pay. The threat of violence – to themselves or their families – traps them further.