People may try to pressure you into exploitative situations if they feel you don’t understand your rights as a foreign national living in the UK. Below you will find information about what coercion and control looks like, your rights at work and tips to keep yourself safe. You will also find contact details for organisations that can help.
"I feel isolated, but I have to maintain face."
Page Summary
This page includes the following sections
Help and Support
If you are in a situation that doesn’t feel right, there is free and confidential support available in your language listed below.
You can also report suspicious exploitation activity on The STOP APP, STOP THE TRAFFIK’s independent and confidential reporting tool. It is available in Mandarin.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please contact 999.
Modern Slavery and Exploitation Helpline
The modern slavery and exploitation helpline provides information, advice, and guidance about any modern slavery issue relating to potential victims, businesses, and the public in the whole of the UK. We are free, confidential, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and available in 200 languages.
Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice provides free and confidential advice on housing, jobs, debt, immigration, benefits, legal and other issues. You can search for your local bureau on the link below.
On Your Side Helpline
Support & reporting service for East and Southeast Asian communities experiencing racism and/or any forms of hate. Freephone available 24/7.
https://www.onyoursideuk.org/zh/typeform-report-page-simply-chinese/
Mind
Mind provides confidential advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They can provide an interpreter using Language Line. Remember to ask for the Language Line service when you call.
Black Country Women's Aid
Black Country Women’s Aid is an independent charity which supports survivors of abuse and exploitation in the West Midlands, including sexual exploitation and all forms of modern slavery. All Services 0121 553 0090 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday). Located in Cedar Centres in Sandwell, Dudley, Birmingham, and Walsall.
Rape and Sexual Violence Project
RSVP offer support to victims of sexual violence and abuse across Birmingham and Solihull. Their services include counselling, helpline and health support, and a Chinese women's group.
If you would like to report an incident to the police but are unsure how to report a crime, you can visit a virtual police station here: Virtual Police Station
Methods of control
It may be hard to notice exploitation, or believe it is happening in your community. Unfortunately, it is often hidden in plain sight.
There are many ways that exploiters gain and maintain control over their victims. This can make it difficult for individuals to leave their situation and come forward.
Coercion and control can look like:
Rights at work
Some employers may be taking advantage of you.
They may abuse any limitations you might have in English language, or want to cut corners if they feel you don’t understand your rights or the immigration system, or do not have legal status in the UK.
If you, or anyone you know, has experienced any of the below, you may have experienced exploitation. You deserve to be free from this, and there is help available listed at the bottom of this page.
You can get free, reliable and confidential support and help if you have:
You can find out more information about your rights at work from the following sites:
Confidential, free advice on workplace issues available at Citizens Advice and Acas (subject to call charges)
Tips on how to stay safe
1. Tell people where you are working. Note down the address and share it with your friends and family. You can also send them a photo of the address and share your location on your phone.
2. Save emergency numbers on your mobile phone and always keep it with you. Make note of support organisations that can help you.
3. Always keep your ID, travel, and personal documents safe. Do not let your employer hold on to them.
4. Employment contracts can be there to protect you. The lack of a contract poses a risk to your working rights, such as being paid for your work.
If you have experienced harm at work, document it in the form of photo/video materials. If anyone is in immediate danger, or a crime is being or has been committed, call the emergency services. You can otherwise report such incidents anonymously on The STOP APP.
Make sure to make a note of what happened, including details of:
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What the incident was
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When it happened
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Where it happened
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Who was involved + any witnesses
Download the STOP APP
The STOP APP enables anybody who knows, has seen or even heard a situation that they believe to be human trafficking, to talk about it in a safe and secure space. You can report the incident anonymously and securely through the STOP APP. There will be no record of the report submitted on your phone. It is available in Mandarin.
- Have you seen a suspicious job advert online?
- Has someone offered you work that seemed suspicious?
- Are you or someone you know being forced to work, or being exploited?
Let us know. You can report your suspicions or observations by downloading our STOP APP. Make sure you are in safe place away from the suspected incident when making the report.
If anyone is in immediate danger, or a crime is being or has been committed, call the emergency services.
STOP THE TRAFFIK is a human trafficking prevention organisation. This app collects individuals’ stories of global human trafficking to disrupt and prevent this crime. We are not a rescue organisation and this app is not monitored 24/7 but will be checked on the next working day. If anyone is in immediate danger or a crime has been committed please contact trusted authorities.