Tell the government - do the right thing!
Every year, thousands of people are trafficked into the UK. When they arrive, they are forced to work for little or no money, often in the sex trade. The UK government are currently refusing sign up to European plans which could help tackle the problem, and stop even more lives being destroyed. If we work together, we can change their minds.
The stories from people who’ve survived being trafficked are heartbreaking. One woman told how she’d been locked up and forced to have sex with 20 men a night. A 15 year-old Vietnamese boy found by police had been forced to work in the drugs trade since he was 12.
The government is evenly split on trafficking. Some want to prioritise protecting trafficking victims. Other hardliners are trying to block the deal because they don’t like working with Europe. If we build a big petition directed at Cameron and Clegg, we can tip the balance towards doing the right thing.
Trafficking gangs smuggle their victims between countries. The new rules will help European countries work together to catch and punish these gangs. If the UK refuses to join in, we'll make life easier for the traffickers. They'll be able to carry on making huge profits from abusing people.
Thousands of people end up in the UK each year after being tricked by traffickers. They con people living in desperate poverty with the promise of a better life. But when they get here, the traffickers take everything they own and they’re forced to work in horrible conditions, with no way out.
Jiera, a 19-year-old Lithuanian woman who shared her story with Anti-Slavery International, says,"My life has been ruined." She came to London thinking she was going on holiday. But when she got here, she was forced to work as a prostitute, aged just 17. Eventually, she escaped and, with the right help, is rebuilding her life.
Help make sure the people who value other people so little are caught and punished
It’s only right that we make sure that we have the toughest rules we can to bring traffickers to justice. But so far, hardliners have blocked the UK signing up. Now, we need to build a huge petition to Cameron and Clegg, to convince them to do the right thing.
38 Degrees members have achieved lots when it comes to standing up for people in danger. Back when 38 Degrees had just a few thousand members, we won our fight to make Boris Johnson keep his promise to pay for four Rape Crisis Centres in London. Then we stopped the government from sending Kiana Firouz back to the risk of prison or torture in Iran.
Click here to sign the petition and help get justice for trafficking victims:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/stop-human-trafficking
Thanks for getting involved,
Hannah, David, Johnny and the 38 Degrees team
