A Vietnamese teenager who was seeking work abroad to fund a surgical operation for his mother was instead trafficked for forced labour and criminal exploitation, and sexually assaulted by those who were controlling him.
Quoc* was told that he would be working on farms and be able to send good money home. But instead when he arrived in the UK on a fake passport the traffickers gave him, he was picked up and then locked inside a property. He was made to cultivate cannabis by three men he didn't know.
Today, with intensive help from Hope for Justice's team of Independent Modern Slavery Advocates, he has recently received some fantastic news and feels able to move forward in his life
"Hope for Justice has been very helpful to me. Whatever I need, they have been there for me."
| | | Image posed to protect survivor's identity. Does not show this case. | | | News, stories and announcements from the past month: | | Men Are At Risk: our awareness campaign This month Hope for Justice has been sharing important facts and busting myths about how men and boys are affected by human trafficking and modern slavery. Please share the posts on social media and take a look at the campaign webpage here. | | | Family searched for son for seven months A boy in Ethiopia who was trafficked has been reunited with his parents, thanks to the team at our Lighthouse. Yohannes*, a 14-year-old from a small town in southeastern Ethiopia, had been tricked into travelling to the capital, on the promise he could start a business. Read his story. | | | How much money do traffickers make? Hope for Justice has published our updated estimate of the total amount of illicit profits made by human trafficking and modern slavery each year. We believe this brutal and degrading 'industry' is making at least £190 billion for criminals each year. | | | - A young survivor of modern slavery who was wrongly forced to quit his college studies because of an unexplained decision by the authorities – a decision that may have just been someone's mistake – is celebrating after the decision was finally reversed. It has taken nine months of advocacy on his behalf by our IMSA (Independent Modern Slavery Advocacy) team and his solicitors to get this result, which means he has just been able to re-apply to resume his college education, with the hope of one day becoming an engineer. We are so hopeful for this young man's future, after everything he has been through as a child and teenager.
- David*, a survivor of trafficking in the UK who is being helped by one of our IMSAs, Laura, bravely shared his story with the BBC for a special report looking into victims' real experiences. The whole programme is worth listening to, and you can hear the interviews with David and Laura beginning at 19m49s.
- You should have received an email with Hope for Justice's Annual Review for 2022-23. If you missed it, you can see the highlights of a fantastic year in the fight against human trafficking here.
| | Thank you to Joy Liddle and all the fundraisers and volunteers in Lincolnshire who raised more than £500 at a fun community treasure hunt and scavenger hunt. Rev Sue Deacon, vicar of St John the Baptist Church in Scampton, offered free use of the premises – and because the church has Commonwealth War Graves, and nearby is the RAF base for Squadron 617 (the Dambusters), there were lots of historical clues for people to find.
A big shout out to everyone who donated to the cause of ending modern slavery and helping its victims and survivors! | | Thank you so much for your support. Any comments, questions or feedback? Just reply to this email!
The Hope for Justice Team | | | *Names and some images changed in this email to protect identities. | | | | |
