Latest modern slavery fight updates - FreedomUnited.org

The College Cleaner No One Knew was Enslaved

  • Published on
    April 16, 2018
  • News Source Image
  • Category:
    Forced Labor, Human Trafficking, Rehabilitation & Liberation, Survivor Stories
Hero Banner

It’s 9AM and Sara watches the students arrive at school as she mops the floor. She looks at them wishing that she too could continue her education, but at this point she’s already been at work for six hours. And her shift — with no breaks — won’t end until 11PM.

She won’t receive a penny for her work.

Sara may work in plain sight of teachers, students, and staff, but none have realized that she’s a victim of modern slavery. And Sara’s not going to tell them — her traffickers warned her that if she tells anyone they will kill her children back in her home country.

“As a mother, how could I ever forgive myself, if I saw my children killed?” she said, feeling trapped.

The BBC spoke with Sara about her treatment:

We are not using [Sara’s] real name as her traffickers are still at large, possibly in the UK.

Sara was first enslaved aged 16 by her husband, whom she had married days earlier, and was forced to work both in her home country and the UK.

She was a slave for more than 20 years.

Her feet had become swollen and bloody, she had developed arthritis from years of hard labour, and she was constantly tired and depressed.

But, fearing the death of her children, she put up with the conditions – and decided to flee only when she felt she had no other option.

At that stage she had become unable to walk – her legs black with bruises after falling over at work – and had, in effect, been left to die by her traffickers.

Finally, with the help of a friend she contacted the Home Office who helped get her to a safe house with the assistance of the Salvation Army and Black Country Women’s Aid.

Anne Read, from the Salvation Army, says Sara’s story “powerfully demonstrates the awful truth that modern slavery is taking place under our noses in every corner of the country.”

Sara is hoping that she can one day go to university, though she is still separated from her children who are back in her home country.

“I want to go back to my home country and be with my children. But if I did, I would put us all in danger,” she says. Her husband — the one who trafficked her to the UK — is back there too.

Subscribe

Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.

stop icon A few things we do not tolerate: comments that promote discrimination, prejudice, racism, or xenophobia, as well as personal attacks or profanity. We screen submissions in order to create a space where the entire Freedom United community feels safe to express and exchange thoughtful opinions.

Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

This week

S.O.S at sea: forced labor, abuse, and murder in global fishing industry

One in every five fish is caught through illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, often in conditions rife with worker abuse. The United Nations estimates that approximately 128,000 workers are currently ensnared in forced labor on remote fishing vessels worldwide. According to the US Department of Labor, child labor or forced labor has been observed in the production of various seafood items in at least 20 countries, underscoring the global scale

| Wednesday March 13, 2024

Read more