Government under fire for 'outrageous' treatment of modern slavery victims facing deportation from UK

Exclusive: Ministers accused of ‘riding roughshod’ over needs of trafficking victims as it emerges Vietnamese man forced to work on UK cannabis farm to be forcibly removed this week

Social Affairs Correspondent

Monday 11 June 2018 21:33 BST

Campaigners say it is the latest example of Theresa May’s hostile environment to migrants (Rex)

The Government has come under fire for its “outrageous” treatment of victims of modern slavery who face deportation from the UK despite fearing for their lives in their home countries.

Ministers were accused of “riding roughshod” over the needs of trafficking victims, as it emerged that a Vietnamese man who was brought to Britain and forced to work on a cannabis farm by a drugs gang will be forcibly removed from the country this week.

Duc Kien Nguyen, who is in his 40s, fears he will be killed by his traffickers if he returns, but the Home Office claims it would not be “appropriate” to allow him to remain in the UK – despite admitting he was a victim of modern slavery last year.

Campaigners said it was the latest example of Theresa May’s hostile environment to migrants, following on from the Windrush scandal that saw British citizens wrongly deported to the Caribbean.

Ms May has repeatedly spoken out against exploitation and pledged to “consign slavery to the history books”.

The Independent has battled to combat the modern-day scourge as part of the Slaves on our Streets campaign, which highlights the scale of exploitation taking place across the country.

Yvette Cooper, Labour’s chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said Mr Nguyen’s case highlighted a serious issue with the current system.

“This is the wrong approach. Sending vulnerable victims of trafficking back to the place they were trafficked from risks pushing them straight back into modern slavery,” she told The Independent.

“It also means that victims won’t come forward or ask for help for fear of being sent straight back again. Instead of tackling modern slavery, this risks strengthening the power of the traffickers.”

Labour MP Vernon Coaker, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on human trafficking and modern slavery, said the current policy was “outrageous” and “totally and utterly unacceptable”.

“Immigration policy seems to be riding roughshod over the needs of victims of trafficking. With much of this we’re talking about confirmed victims. These are not people who are playing the system, they are cases where the Home Office themselves have said these are victims of some of the most serious crimes,” he said.

“It’s going to put people off coming forward, and it’s going to undermine the government’s own strategy on cracking down on trafficking and modern slavery. If the government is true to its rhetoric around supporting modern slavery victims, this would not be happening.”

The Home Office accepted that Mr Nguyen was a victim of trafficking last August. He was released on bail last year and relocated in Glasgow, where he began volunteering for a number of charities, but he was detained again last Monday and issued the deportation notice.

He is currently being held in Colnbrook detention centre, in Harmondsworth, awaiting deportation on Thursday.

Describing his trafficking ordeal, Mr Nguyen said: “I worked but I had no money. I knew nothing about cannabis. They told me they couldn’t sell it because my skills to cultivate it were so poor.

“When I realised it was illegal, in my mind I had a plan to escape but I couldn’t because they are gangsters and part of an underground group.

“They would come in and open the door and then leave again. I had to wake up after midnight to turn on and off the lights and to water the cannabis. I often had to stay up overnight.

Duc Kien Nguyen, described by those who know him as ‘friendly and helpful’, fears he will be killed by his traffickers if he returns to Vietnam

“I couldn’t get out. The house lacked oxygen – all the windows and the doors had live power on them so I would get electric shocks if I tried to open them.”

Eight months into the exploitation, police raided the property and Mr Nguyen was arrested and sentenced to 15 months in prison

The Vietnamese national described his imprisonment as “hard, but better than growing cannabis,” adding: “I felt more freedom in prison.”

Expressing his fear of deportation, the Vietnamese national said: “I feel very nervous. I don’t know what will happen to me in the future. I would be scared to go back because the gangsters will be out to get me. If I was to return I fear I will be killed.”

Mr Nguyen’s situation has prompted a renewed push for changes to legislation to ensure adequate support is provided to modern slavery victims, after a report by the National Audit Office urged there was “much more to do” to ensure victims in the UK are protected.

At present, people who are officially recognised to have been trafficked through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) – the UK’s official framework for identifying victims of human trafficking – receive no long-term support or automatic immigration status in the UK.

Janet Fisher, advocacy manager and a solicitor at anti-slavery charity Hope for Justice, said the number of victims the organisation was seeing being threatened with deportation was “definitely increasing”, and claimed the issue was an as yet uncovered element of the hostile environment policies.

She told of one client who was recently taken from their safe house, which is where trafficking victims stay after they are rescued, by immigration enforcement officers in order to carry out their deportation. The removal was later halted after lawyers intervened.

“We’ve had a number of trafficking victims who have been deported and then been pursued by their captors and fled straight back again. It’s a growing problem. It’s one of a number of things which are happening in the hostile environment but are only anecdotal at this point because they haven’t come to light,” said Ms Fisher.

“We know that traffickers are mentioning the threat of deportation when they are exploiting people as a way of keeping control. One man was shown his own house on Google Earth by his trafficker to show they knew where he lived, so didn’t want to report the abuse out of fear. There are genuine threats to people.

“The government must focus their immigration efforts on the people doing the trafficking, not the victims. But we know there have been many more victims facing deportation than traffickers.”

Bhaveshri Patel-Chandegra, a solicitor from Duncan Lewis who is representing Mr Nguyen, said: “So many people get put off reporting because word gets around and they think if this is how I’m going to be treated, why should I claim?

Modern Slavery in the UK

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1/13Modern Slavery in the UK

Modern Slavery in the UK

NCA has launched a touring photographic exhibition which aims to portray the signs of slavery and exploitation. Entitled ‘Invisible People’, the exhibition will tour the country as part of the National Crime Agency’s campaign to raise awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking.

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Child trafficking

Child trafficking for sexual exploitation Traffickers use grooming techniques to gain the trust of a child, family or community. The children are recruited, transported and then sold for sex, often returning to their homes immediately afterwards, only to be picked up by the same people again. This is happening here in the UK, to migrant and British-born children. Spot the signs of child trafficking: Often, children won’t be sure which country, city or town they’re in. They may be orphaned or living apart from their family, in unregulated private foster care, or in substandard accommodation. They may possess unaccounted-for money or goods or repeatedly have new, unexplained injuries.

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Agriculture

Some workers in the farming sector, harvesting grains or root vegetables, tending livestock or fruit picking, are being exploited every day in the UK. Victims of this crime in the agricultural sector are often Eastern European men and women, who were promised a job by traffickers, or they could be individuals on the fringes of society, homeless or destitute. Through threats, violence, coercion or forced drug and alcohol dependency, they’re enslaved, working for little or no money, living in squalid conditions having had their identity documents taken from them. Spot the signs of exploitative labour in agriculture: Agricultural slaves often have their wages paid into the same bank account, meaning an illegal gangmaster is likely collecting all their wages. Exploited agriculture workers often don’t have suitable protective equipment, working instead in cheap sports clothing and trainers, and don’t have a different change of clothes from day-to-day.

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Food processing

Polish or Slovakian men are brought to the UK with the offer of employment and, after arrival, gangmasters seize documents, opening multiple bank and utility accounts in their names – but refuse to handover access to the accounts or bank cards. Hours are long and the work is gruelling and dangerous. Workers are abused and are controlled by threats of harm to their families at home. Spot the signs: Those exploited wear inappropriate clothes and often no safety gear – despite working with dangerous and life-threatening equipment. They may often have untreated injuries and be refused medical attention, and will live and work in agricultural outhouses.

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Construction

Labour-intensive sectors like construction, where temporary and irregular work are common, are high-risk sectors for forced labour. With new homes, offices and buildings being constructed or upgraded in great quantity, labour exploitation is the second most common type of modern slavery, after sexual exploitation. Spot the signs of exploitative labour in construction: Exploited workers are often not provided with protective clothing or equipment, and may show signs of abuse or carry old untreated injuries. Slave workers are also likely to work extremely long work hours for six or seven days a week without any leave. Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: “I wanted this image to communicate that despite being forced to live, eat, wash and sleep – where they’re working, in cramped and unhygienic conditions, that there is a human instinct to domesticate. I wanted to show how there is still hope and dignity in the most squalid and difficult of circumstances.”

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Maritime

In the tough maritime industry young men, often Filipino or Indian, Eastern European or African, are promised a better life, but instead find themselves in a cycle of debt and exploitation. Unable to read, they are offered a job, given papers to sign and begin working on a trial-basis, only to be told they have failed and owe money, and have to work more to settle the debt. They may be forced to work for long hours in intense, hazardous and difficult conditions. Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: “In the 80s, Chris Killip published a series of images called In Flagrante, and these images were at the forefront of my mind while composing this shot. I wanted to show the utter desperation of these men - how passed their limit they are. The broken floats and the entire decaying environment around him, I saw as a metaphor for his existence.”

Rory Carnegie/National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Forced prostitution

Each year, women from across Eastern Europe and West Africa are lured to the UK by the dream of a better life. Whether by fake migration services or unscrupulous individuals who befriend and then betray them, women fall into a dark spiral of sexual exploitation and forced, unpaid prostitution, unable to escape. Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: “What I really wanted for this image, was to depict how women are used as commodities, the complete control slavery has over them – the helplessness of having to sit and wait for man after man, until no more men arrive. I wanted the image to show how lonely and eventually numbing that experience is, and for that ugliness to be contrasted against the bright blue of the wig – a fancy dress item that we would usually associate with a fun event – but here is used as a disguise, perhaps of her own identity to herself - to further emphasise how unjust the situation is.”

NCA

Modern Slavery in the UK

Cannabis farming

The cannabis industry hides a dark secret in the house next door. Gangs bring young boys to the UK from countries like Vietnam and deliver them to a house where, once in, they won’t be able to leave. Forced to tend cannabis plants that fill specially rigged houses, the boys are often locked in and forced to work, sleep and eat in one confined and dirty room. The chemicals used on the cannabis are poisonous, and often victims don’t know where they are or how to get help if they do escape. The eyes, ears and compassion of the local community are essential. Spot the signs: Aside from the strong and prolonged smell of cannabis, have you noticed a house that looks unusual? Are the windows covered or usual entry points blocked? Buildings might be over-heated – in very cold weather is the roof without frost, because the house is being kept warm to grow plants

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Agriculture

Some workers in the farming sector, harvesting grains or root vegetables, tending livestock or fruit picking, are being exploited every day in the UK. Victims of this crime in the agricultural sector are often Eastern European men and women, who were promised a job by traffickers, or they could be individuals on the fringes of society, homeless or destitute. Through threats, violence, coercion or forced drug and alcohol dependency, they’re enslaved, working for little or no money, living in squalid conditions having had their identity documents taken from them. Spot the signs of exploitative labour in agriculture: Agricultural slaves often have their wages paid into the same bank account, meaning an illegal gangmaster is likely collecting all their wages. Exploited agriculture workers often don’t have suitable protective equipment, working instead in cheap sports clothing and trainers, and don’t have a different change of clothes from day-to-day

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Forced prostitution

Spot the signs of forced prostitution: Victims of this type of crime might appear withdrawn or scared, avoid eye contact, and be untrusting. Poor English language skills could indicate exploitation because it suggests someone else must be arranging the work. A brothel is likely to be an average house on a normal looking street, but may have curtains which are usually closed and many different men coming and going frequently.

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Maritime

Spot the signs of exploitative labour in the maritime sector: Victims might appear withdrawn or frightened, often unable to answer questions directed at them or speak for themselves,. They might be afraid of authorities like police, immigration or the tax office, and may perceive themselves to be in debt to someone else. They may not have been given proper protective equipment so can suffer illness or injury. Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: “Throughout the series of images, I wanted to juxtapose the harshness of the lives of slaves against bright primary colours – colours we traditionally associate with happiness or a feeling of wellbeing – to provoke a reaction. The image, as rich as it is, communicates how completely uncomfortable this person is. I wanted to show how his body is not his own, and how he has no right to avoid hardship, avoid the ice, or wear better shoes, he is utterly controlled.”

Rory Carnegie/National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Food processing

Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: “This image communicates utter exhaustion and dejection. We can see how dire his situation is. He has no protective gear on, and we can see the extreme tiredness that leads him to a place of anxiety and distraction, where he doesn’t care about whether he’s operating machinery safely, or putting himself at risk.”

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

The exhibition comprises a series of large, freestanding cubes displaying images capturing snapshots of life within different types of modern slavery - in agriculture, construction, maritime, cannabis farming and food processing, child trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced prostitution. Each image comes with written commentary describing what the viewer is seeing, and information about signs which may indicate someone is a victim.

National Crime Agency

“There needs to be a change in the policy. People are being recognised as victims but then left without status. They’re left with nothing. What’s the point in being recognised as a victim if they’re not going to have any kind of support?”

Kate Roberts, head of the Human Trafficking Foundation, echoed the concerns, saying: “There is a conflict between the immigration enforcement and the rehabilitation and victims’ needs, and supporting people to ensure they have a chance to rebuild their lives and not be re-trafficked.

“It’s symptomatic of the huge focus on immigration control and its prevalence above everything else.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We do not routinely comment on individual cases.”

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