Slavery today is a global business and the source of huge profits for the traffickers and crime syndicates. The UK began to wake up to the horrors of modern slavery in February 2004 when 23 Chinese cockle pickers drowned in Morecambe Bay.
Since that time campaigners have exposed a pernicious human trafficking across both Europe and the UK. Support agencies, police and the wider community have identified thousands of victims of trafficking including men, women, boys and girls. They have been trafficked from every corner of the world.
The Epiphany Trust is supporting children and young people at risk of being trafficked in five different countries – Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, El Salvador, and Romania. Traffickers target the most vulnerable, moving them from place to place and making vast amounts of money out of their exploitation.
In 2005, the Epiphany Trust set up a safe house in Romania – providing life changing support for four former orphans with learning disabilities; helping them adjust to the outside world. Those, however, who do not receive help can end up living on the streets; in mental institutions or even worse……. being trafficked by inscrutable criminals. It is estimated that over half of those trafficked from Eastern Europe come from its orphanages and institutions. In recent years, fund raising has led to the construction of a 2nd safe house in Romania.
