"West European Countries must admit that they have not so far been successful in the fight against human trafficking. They address it in a very narrow way … This is not helpful….there is no comprehensive long-term prevention strategy. Yet prevention is the key to success in curbing this kind of crime."

Helga Konrad, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, 31 March 2005

Report exposes UK forced labour reality

Migrant workers in the United Kingdom are subjected to forced labour, regardless of their immigration status, a new report from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has found.

Forced Labour and Migration in the UK, published in February, reveals a catalogue of abuse that many migrant workers face, such as being forced to work very long hours, pay below the minimum wage and dangerous working conditions in a range of sectors including agriculture, construction, hospitality, food processing, contract cleaning, nursing and care homes.

The cases show examples of workers threatened with deportation if they complained, retention of their passports by employers preventing them from changing jobs, bonded labour where employers held workers over a debt, and intimidation and use of violence towards workers with little English and limited knowledge of their rights.

The report urges that the same rights apply to migrant workers as other workers in the UK and that the Government cracks down on employers who break employment law. It is vital that all workers have the right to organise and that all migrants are protected from abuse regardless of their status.

US activists win victory against fast-food giant

Activists in the United States are celebrating victory after two years of protesting the fast-food giant Taco Bell's tolerance of labour exploitation by its suppliers.

In a welcome move on 8 March, Taco Bell, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, agreed to work with Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a Florida-based farm workers organisation, to address the exploitation of mainly migrant farm workers in Florida's tomato industry.

In February 2003, CIW launched a nationwide boycott of Taco Bell protesting against the "sweatshop conditions" tomato pickers were subjected to. Tomato pickers suffered "sub-poverty wages, no right to overtime pay, no right to organise without fear of being fired, no health insurance, no sick leave, no paid holidays or paid vacation, and no pension", CIW said in 2003.

Following Taco Bell's agreement to work with CIW to raise labour standards throughout the industry, Yum! Brands senior vice president Jonathan Blum declared: "We are challenging our tomato suppliers to meet those higher standards and will seek to do business with those who do."

It is vital companies are held accountable for the labour used in each stage of production, including that used by their suppliers, ensuring laws which protect against the exploitation and forced labour of workers are enforced.

Bank apologises for its role in 19th century slavery

Banking giant JP Morgan Chase has publicly apologised for its involvement in United States' slavery in the 19th century.

In January, the bank disclosed that between 1831 and 1865 two of its predecessor banks "accepted approximately 13,000 enslaved individuals as collateral on loans and took ownership of approximately 1,250 of them when plantation owners defaulted on the loans".

The bank's statement continued: "We apologise to the American public, and particularly to African-Americans, for the role that Citizens Bank and Canal Bank played during that period."

This is a positive move in the debate over reparations. It is necessary that the truth concerning slavery and the slave trade be publicly acknowledged, taught and better understood.

Mauritanian activists face trial after helping escaped slave

On 15 April, three activists were finally released on temporary bail after a month in prison charged with fabricating a story on slavery.

Journalist Mohamed Lemine Ould Mahmoudi, teacher Aichetou Mint El Hadar and Moya Mint Boyah, wife of an opposition senator, joined a mission from SOS Esclaves, Mauritania's leading anti-slavery organisation. They were investigating the case of Jabhallah Mint Mohamed, who fled her master in early March. If found guilty of fabricating the story, the three could face up to five years in prison.

Jabhallah, who was born a slave, fled her master after years of working long hours herding animals. She was not paid and only received a little food and basic shelter. She was denied rest and was not allowed to live with her free husband or look after her children, who were also enslaved by her master.

After escaping, she was taken to the police who registered a complaint. No action was taken against her master apart from telling him slavery was illegal.
Following her complaint, Jabhallah publicly withdrew her statement, it is believed as a result of being intimidated.

Slavery has been illegal in Mauritania since 1981, but the Government has failed to develop laws to address it. Intimidation against activists and journalists reporting on slavery is common.

We urge the Government to acknowledge the reality of slavery in Mauritania, end the intimidation of anti-slavery activists, officially recognise SOS Esclaves and work to end slavery.

UN refers crimes in Darfur to International Criminal Court

The United Nations Security Council on 1 April voted to refer the "heinous" crimes committed in Darfur, Sudan to the International Criminal Court (ICC). This is the first time the Security Council has referred a case to the international court.

In January, the UN Commission of Inquiry for Darfur found that grave crimes, including slavery, were being committed in the western province and strongly recommended the Security Council refer the case to the ICC. The Commission provided a sealed list of 51 suspects who need to be investigated.

The action was passed by 11 votes to four abstentions, made by the United States, China, Brazil and Algeria.

Millions of people have been displaced by the fighting in Darfur which has raged since early 2003, and around 300,000 killed. In February, a coalition of non-governmental organisations, including Anti-Slavery International, sent three delegations to Darfur to investigate human rights abuses, but entry was refused.

Representatives from the coalition, the Darfur Consortium, interviewed refugees in Chad gaining important information of the abuses committed by the government-backed militia, the Janjaweed. The Consortium urged referral of the crimes to the ICC as an important start in holding those responsible for the abuses accountable and in ending the violence.

People in power

"The issue [of using children as camel jockeys] is not just against our traditions and our religion, but it is simply inhumane."
United Arab Emirates Information Minister Sheik Abdallah bin Zayed al-Nuhayyan, 31 March 2005

"Trafficking is very serious … it's not solely a Nigerian problem. So we're asking destination countries to help us, because they are the terminal points of these cases of trafficking. "
Nigerian National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons spokesman Orakwe Arinze, 7 March 2005

"Parliamentarians have a choice, they can make decisions that ensure the protection of children, or they can make decisions that leave children vulnerable to being exploited and abused."
United Nations Children's Fund Executive Director Carol Bellamy, 4 April 2005