Source: Tyrone Times
Monday 26 March 2012 12:43
DOMESTIC servitude, slave labour and prostitution are happening “every day” in local communities, a major conference on human trafficking has been told.
Bernadette McAliskey, CEO of Dungannon based community development organisation STEP, was addressing delegates at an event which took place in the town’s Ballysaggart Business Complex on Wednesday.
Representatives from the PSNI, Women’s Aid, and Migrant Help, were in attendance, along with officials from Dungannon Churches Forum, Dungannon Community Safety Partnership, the Law Centre and the Human Rights Consortium.
Welcoming those present, Mrs McAliskey suggested much work needed to be done to ensure that the conditions which create a climate for people to become victims of trafficking, must be broken down.
“When people read of human trafficking the story tends to concentrate on the more sensationalised context of brothels and prostitution with the moral outrage centred on buying and selling sex”, she continued.
“The reality is that this tip of a scandalous iceberg can exist only in the context of human trafficking that excites less public attention – the exploitation and dehumanising of labour. People who are treated as no more than cheapest units of imported labour - whether lawfully imported; smuggled or trafficked are vulnerable to destitution and the downward spiral of unprotected rights forces them into domestic servitude, slave labour and prostitution.
“All these things are happening every day in the communities in which we live as part of the fabric of our society. This is modern day slavery. Nobody will protect the human dignity and human rights of the 21st century slave if we do not. Today’s conference will highlight the reality of the practice; the efforts to stop it and what you can do to help.”
The event was organised as an opportunity for those working within both the community/voluntary and statutory/public sectors to come together to discuss the emergence of human trafficking as a major issue.
A panel of key speakers whose work centres on the victims or perpetrators of human trafficking afforded the conference delegates an in-depth look into the severity of the issue within Northern Ireland and the current processes in place to support victims or counteract the occurrences or longevity of the victims’ subjection to conditions of forced labour, domestic servitude or sexual exploitation.
John McCallister, deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, spoke about his campaign work on human trafficking and the need for the assembly to address current legislation and policy.
He urged those working within the community to lobby and campaign on the issue so that it becomes a multi-agency focus and makes it “everyone’s business”.
Other speakers included Lois Hamilton, representing The Law Centre, Belfast, who gave details of the various legal processes victims must go through, while DS Philip Marshall, PSNI. detailed statistics of cases within Northern Ireland and successful prosecutions on behalf of victims of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes.
Victims’ perspectives were discussed by Marie Brown, Women’s Aid and Roger McVicker, Migrant Help, who are the first-hand response to female and male victims respectively within Northern Ireland.
They gave accounts of the type of support emotionally and practically required by victims of trafficking and the impact of the experience of trafficking on an individual’s physical and psychological well-being.
Khara Glackin, STEP’s Solicitor and event organiser, concluded: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the delegates from the various sectors for their participation in the conference and particular thanks to the panel of speakers who provoked much discussion by their extensive knowledge and expertise on a subject that sadly is becoming an increasing part of our society here.”
STEP will be producing a conference report based on the information highlighted by the key speakers at the event. To receive a copy, contact roisin@stepni.org
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