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Abdul

2017 (Narrative date)

The UK National Crime Agency estimates 3,309 potential victims of human trafficking came into contact with the State or an NGO in 2014. The latest government statistics derived from the UK National Referral Mechanism in 2014 reveal 2,340 potential victims of trafficking from 96 countries of origin, of whom 61 percent were female and 29 percent were children. Of those identified through the NRM, the majority were adults classified as victims of sexual exploitation followed by adults exploited in the domestic service sector and other types of labour exploitation. The largest proportion of victims was from Albania, followed by Nigeria, Vietnam, Romania and Slovakia.

Abdul was struggling to support his family when he accepted a job in London. However, upon arrival he was taken to Scotland and forced to work in a hotel.

I was struggling to support my family when I saw an ad for chefs in London. The man I met said we had to pay up front for our visas, so I borrowed £15,000 from moneylenders. When I arrived in the UK, the plan changed: now I was to get on a bus to Ballachulish, Scotland. It was so remote. I was the only worker for 37 hotel bedrooms, and two tourist coaches would arrive every day. Every month I needed to send money home, but I never got paid. The trafficker didn’t just take my money. He took everything from me

 

As told to The Guardian