'Night shelters targeted by traffickers'

Church-run drop-in centres for vulnerable and homeless people will be targeted by traffickers this winter; churches are urged to be aware of the risks to their guests and spot the signs of modern slavery 

The warning comes from Baptist minister the Revd Dr Dan Pratt, the Eastern Baptist Association’s Antislavery Co-ordinator. He said that traffickers and exploiters target the most vulnerable people within our communities with offers of employment, accommodation and food and cash, which seem attractive on the surface but often result in long hours, harsh conditions and little pay - in other words, modern slavery.   

People using drop-in centres and winter night shelters run by community groups and churches are particularly vulnerable, explained Dan.

'Many churches and community groups across the UK run drop-in centres for homeless people. This is especially true during the winter months as homeless winter night shelters are run. Thousands of rough sleepers seeking warmth, shelter and food attend these night shelters and drop-in centres.

'Traffickers and exploiters target the most vulnerable within our communities, including homeless people - and our drop-in centres and night shelters are being targeted by these exploiters, looking for vulnerable people to recruit. 

'Offers of employment, accommodation in a caravan, food and cash in hand seem attractive to some homeless in desperate situations. Sadly, the ‘work’ isn’t what it seems. Long hours, harsh conditions and little or no payment is often what follows. If the homeless tries to leave, threats against them or their families are received.

'This is Modern Slavery. This is Labour Exploitation.'

Dan speaks from experience. He spent six years founding 57 West, a church among rough sleepers in Southend-on-Sea. ‘Very early on in this new ministry among rough sleepers I came across were men who had ‘escaped’ from ‘bosses’ who had offered them work, accommodation and food. They found themselves working for 14-16 hours each day. Money was deducted from their wages for the food (sometimes only a sandwich a day) and accommodation (in a dirty caravan, sometimes shared with the boss’s dog). This left them with only enough money each week to buy some cigarettes.

'When they tried to leave they were beaten, threatened and abused. These vulnerable men stayed sometimes for 12, 15 or 20 years, working excessively long hours and being exploited.

'It is essential for our churches and community organisations who work among homeless people to know about the risks to their guests.’

Dan's experiences in Southend are featured in a new resource from the Clewer Initiative to help churches and community groups increase their awareness of modern slavery. The Clewer Initiative enables Church of England dioceses and wider church networks to develop strategies for detecting modern slavery in their communities. Its new resources cover:

• Why homeless people are vulnerable to modern slavery
• What signs you can look out for if you think someone might have been exploited
• How to tell if someone is recruiting from your project
• What to do if you are worried about exploitation or recruitment

The main body of the resource consists of four videos, which are aimed at volunteers working in a project. They are designed to be accessible and digestible, with each video less than five minutes long. The videos have accompanying notes, which summarise the content and include several questions to reflect on and consider. They can be used alone, or in a group. 
 
Dan said, ‘These resources from The Clewer Initiative help churches and communities think through how to best equip their workers and volunteers to protect and safeguard the homeless people we are ministering among.

'This is an opportunity to improve best practice while serving God to the best of our ability.'
 

The resources to help churches increase their awareness of modern slavery can be found at theclewerinitiative.org/training-courses/homelessness. They include notes for project co-ordinators, and volunteers.