Home Office plans to deport foreign rough sleepers will ‘play into hands of traffickers’, Priti Patel warned – The Independent

Changes to the Immigration Rules that come into force on Tuesday will make rough sleeping grounds for removal for non-UK nationals. The Home Office has said the provision will be used sparingly, but campaigners have questioned whether this will be the case.

In a letter to Priti Patel, seen by The Independent, 141 charities, lawyers and local authorities that work with victims of exploitation or homeless people said the policy would have severe consequences for confirmed and potential survivors of modern slavery, increasing the number of cases where victims are wrongly arrested, detained and removed from the UK.

The signatories, who include Anti-Slavery International, the Salvation Army and Southwark Council, also warn that the new rules risk enabling exploitative employers to use the threat of homelessness to coerce workers, due to the threat that they will be detained and removed if they escape, and therefore playing into the hands of traffickers.

They say the fact that the changes are coming into force in the midst of a global pandemic is extremely concerning, seeing as many workers, including migrant workers, are being affected by large scale dismissals and unemployment linked to the economic downturn.

Many migrants face restrictions accessing state support under the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition, which puts them at great risk of destitution and homelessness since they have little to no safety net to assist them and their families during these difficult times, according to the signatories.

In short, the rules punish rough sleeping, force people into riskier and exploitative situations to avoid it and are likely to put victims in a revolving door of abuse and re-victimisation and at increased risk of detention and removal, the letter concludes.

We strongly urge that you revoke the rough sleeping rules to avoid aggravating the already precarious situation that many victims find themselves in and the potential negative impact on the current modern slavery strategy.

One of the signatories, Cllr Helen Dennis, cabinet member for social support and homelessness at Southwark Council where half of rough sleepers currently have NRPF due to their immigration status said it was inhumane and morally wrong to deport someone simply for falling on hard times and losing their home.

Most foreign nationals are here to work, quite legally, and we should be encouraging them to seek help and support, rather than pushing them away and increasing their vulnerability to modern slavery and other forms of exploitation," told The Independent.

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 Agencys campaign to raise awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking.

National Crime Agency

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 wont be sure which country, city or town theyre 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

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, theyre 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 dont have suitable protective equipment, working instead in cheap sports clothing and trainers, and dont have a different change of clothes from day-to-day.

National Crime Agency

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

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 theyre 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

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

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

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 wont 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 dont 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

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, theyre 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 dont have suitable protective equipment, working instead in cheap sports clothing and trainers, and dont have a different change of clothes from day-to-day

National Crime Agency

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

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

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 doesnt care about whether hes operating machinery safely, or putting himself at risk.

National Crime Agency

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

Letcia Ishibashi, networks officer at Focus on Labour Exploitation, said it was shocking that the government had chosen to threaten homeless people with deportation at a time when so many workers are faced with job losses and wage cuts.

These new rules will likely pressure people facing destitution to accept any jobs, even exploitative ones, to avoid sleeping rough, she added.

"After the Windrush scandal, the government has promised a more compassionate and humane Home Office, and yet, it has now chosen to target people experiencing extreme hardship in the middle of a global pandemic and one of the worse economic downturns of last years. Its time the government delivers on its pledge and revokes these troubling policies.

A Home Office spokesperson said: The new rule provides a discretionary basis to cancel or refuse a persons leave where they are found to be rough sleeping. The new provision will be used sparingly and only where individuals refuse to engage with the range of support available and engage in persistent anti-social behaviour.

We remain committed to ending rough sleeping for good and have been working hard to ensure the most vulnerable in our society have access to safe accommodation. This year alone, we have provided over 700m in funding to support rough sleepers.

The safety and security of modern slavery victims is also a top priority for this government, and the Victim Care Contract provides support to potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery who consent to support, including accommodation.

Original post:

Home Office plans to deport foreign rough sleepers will 'play into hands of traffickers', Priti Patel warned - The Independent