Advisory Forum Newsletter

This newsletter is an opportunity for Human Trafficking Foundation (HTF) Forum members to publicise events, projects, research, campaigns and job opportunities.
A note on temporary changes to HTF in light of the current outbreak is available here.
Our Covid-19 resources webpage will continue to be updated to support organisations in managing new challenges arising from the pandemic.

To share information for the webpage or newsletter, please contact [email protected]

HTF Covid-19 online forum

Thank you to everyone who joined today’s forum and a special thank you to all our speakers. Minutes will be circulated next week. Please email[email protected] for an audio recording of the meeting.

The next online forum to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on survivors of human trafficking and ongoing work to respond to modern slavery in the UK will be onThursday 21 May 2pm-4pm, where we are delighted to welcome the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Dame Sara Thornton, Hope for Justice’s Director of Legal Policy, Phillipa Roberts, and others, alongside updates from the Home Office and Salvation Army.

Dial-in and registration details will be circulated next week.

Anti-Trafficking Covid-19 Google group

HTF’s email platform to support the anti-trafficking sector’s response to Covid-19 provides a shared forum to ask questions and share examples of best practice, resources, updates, etc. with one another.
To access the platform, please subscribe by entering your email address using the following link:
https://groups.google.com/a/humantraffickingfoundation.org/group/covid-19/subscribe  

Global recommendations on trafficking and COVID 19 SURVEY FOR SURVIVORS & NGOS in 25 languages

Deadline: 11 May 2020

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) is developing short- and mid-term policy recommendations based on data collected through surveys with survivors of trafficking and frontline responders to ensure the implementation of a human rights-based, gender-sensitive and victim-centred approach to trafficking in persons during and post COVID-19.

The survey for survivors is available in 25 languages. Please see attached document for full list of languages and further information. The survey should not take more than 30 minutes to complete. We would be very grateful if you can share this with your networks for further distribution. The survey flyers are also available in Russian, Spanish and French.

Please see below links to the surveys, which will be active until 11 May 2020.
If you are a survivor of trafficking, go to https://survey.sogosurvey.com/r/8OtmoX
If you are a staff of an NGO or IGO, go to https://survey.sogosurvey.com/r/4HqbXV​

International Impact of Covid-19 Survey

If you are an international front line organisation, we, the International Anti Human Trafficking Network, co-chaired by HTF and the Global Learning Community, would like to ask you to participate in this survey, about the impact of Covid-19 on current programs and the initial responses implemented.

This data will contribute to promising practices for service providers, as well as to inform advocacy, policy, and advise funding priorities to help us all better serve survivors and at-risk populations around the world.

Our plan is to use this as a baseline and then we’ll be able to collect further information in another few months’ time to see the changes in responses and issues.

SURVEY LINK:  https://chabdai.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/iaht-network-covid-19-response-may-2020

#UnlockTheDoors campaign by Justice and Care

The #UnlockTheDoors campaign is designed to motivate people as they come out of lockdown to think about the victims of modern slavery who will remain locked behind closed doors. The short film was created with the help of some of the creative geniuses behind the John Lewis Christmas advert. See more here: https://www.justiceandcare.org/unlock/

We will then use any momentum this creates to remind the UK government to keep modern slavery as a policy priority!

Ideally, we want to make a bit of a viral splash so would love if you could help us create the momentum. This is what you can do!

1. Take a picture of yourself outside your front door with an #UnlockTheDoors sign (make your own, or download and print)
2. Post on your social media channels with the hashtag #UnlockTheDoors and tag @justiceandcare
3. We will collect all your posts together and deliver our montage to the UK government

Home Office response to Covid-19 and modern slavery: Communications

The Home Office Modern Slavery Unit (MSU) will be communicating policy and support updates related to the Covid-19 response in their newsletter. You can sign up by following this link.

Stakeholder Engagement
The policy working group on victim support has been gathering questions regarding ‘on the ground’ challenges being faced relating to the response to Covid-19 and logging them on two open shared documents, accessible here.

These documents are shared regularly with the MSU and the Salvation Army. The MSU have confirmed they will endeavour to address these questions in collaboration with the Salvation Army and Single Competent Authority through regular NRM COVID-19 newsletters.

To add questions to the document or for further information, please email [email protected] and [email protected]

EU Settlement Scheme Looked-after children and care leavers: local authority and health and social care trust guidance

On 1 May 2020, the UK Government published guidance for local authorities and health and social care trusts to make sure looked-after children and care leavers apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. See guidance here.

Modern Slavery Helpline Statistics: Q1 2020

The Modern Slavery Helpline statistics for the first quarter of 2020 include reports of 936 Potential Victims of Modern Slavery between January and March 2020 and a decline in referrals since the UK went into lockdown, indicating the measures may have reduced visibility of trafficking and reduced opportunities for victims to access support. See statistics here.

Combatting Human Trafficking since Palermo: What Do We Know about What Works?

Research by Katharine Bryant and Dr Todd Landman, entitled ‘Combatting Human Trafficking since Palermo: What Do We Know about What Works?’ analysed the evaluations of counter-trafficking interventions that are included in Walk Free’s Promising Practices database, to identify what can be learned about effective strategies to combat human trafficking from the evaluations published in the 20 years following the adoption of the 2000 UN Trafficking Protocol. The briefing is available on the Rights Lab’s website here

The research highlights the existence of some ‘promising practices’ but also that concrete answers about ‘What works?’ remain elusive. The level and type of analysis needed to develop an evidence-based response was not generally undertaken within the approaches to monitoring and evaluation of these counter trafficking interventions, although there have been recent improvements.
Full article available here

China Tribunal: Final Judgement

The China Tribunal, an independent people’s tribunal into forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China­­­­­­, chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice, QC (lead prosecutor of Slobodan Milosevic at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia), delivered its final judgement on 1 March 2020.

Conclusions include:
“Forced organ harvesting has been committed for years throughout China on a significant scale and … Falun Gong practitioners have been one – and probably the main – source of organ supply.” 

“In regard to the Uyghurs the Tribunal had evidence of medical testing on a scale that could allow them, amongst other uses, to become an ‘organ bank’.”

Full China Tribunal Judgment here
Short Form Conclusion here
Documentary – China Tribunal Final Judgment (8 mins) here

The National Lottery Covid-19 Community Fund

The National Lottery Community Fund is making grants up to and over £10,000 and will prioritise:

• Organisations supporting people who are at high risk from COVID-19
• Organisations supporting people most likely to face increased demand and challenges as a result of the COVID-19 crisis
• Organisations which connect communities and support communities to work together to respond to COVID-19.

Access their webpage for more details and how to apply.

Vacancy: Advice and Advocacy Coordinator, West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network

West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network are recruiting for a rewarding and engaging Advice and Advocacy Coordinator (Male survivors) role.
Job advert available here
Closing date: 18 May

Survivor Support Emergency Fund

London Modern Slavery SPOC Directory 2019-2020

HTF: Mapping Survivor Support Services