There are an estimated 136,000 people living on conditions of modern slavery in the United Kingdom (Global Slavery Index 2018). According to the 2017 annual figures provided by the National Crime Agency, 5, 145 potential victims of modern slavery were referred through the National Referral Mechanism in 2017, of whom 2,454 were female, 2688 were male and 3 were transgender, with 41% of all referrals being children at the time of exploitation. People are subjected to slavery in the UK in the form of domestic servitude, labour exploitation, organ harvesting and sexual exploitation, with the largest number of potential victims originating from Albania, China, Vietnam and Nigeria. This data however does not consider the unknown numbers of victims that are not reported.
In his early twenties, John was seriously assaulted as he walked home to his family. He suffered life threatening injuries which meant he could no longer work to support his family.
I didn’t care what kind of job I got, I was just thinking about the future of my kids. From the moment I left my family, until today, I say sorry to God.
Do you know how it feels? You feel like nobody. It’s like you are forgotten. You feel empty and lonely, people treat you like you’re worth nothing, like dogs. The cattle are treated better than humans, by these people. I haven’t seen my kids since the day I left my country. My heart is always crying.
God listened to my cry for help. Hope for Justice are helping me to make good decisions for my life. They are people with a heart, they are on my side. They have helped me find work and a doctor. I have a house and food, and they’ve helped me get back in touch with my family. I feel safe now, I have a life.
Narrative provided by Hope for Justice.