The Trade in Human Misery in London (From Haringey Independent)

The Trade in Human Misery in London

3:08pm Monday 29th October 2007

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About 6 months ago I undertook a piece of research at work that looked at the new migration patterns and the problems that Eastern European migrants were having in areas in North London. The research was based around their advice and information and general needs and the research showed up some pretty stark problems that are hitting new migrant communities into this big Metropolis.


At a time when newspapers have taken a less than positive stance to Eastern European migrants, it seems clear that little support is being provided to potentially vulnerable people from countries such as Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia and the Ukraine.



The research showed that entry points into the UK are mainly by coach and many Eastern European communities come into Victoria station. Many of the people that come (over 80%) are young people aged between 18-35 and at least 55% of them are female. Granted that many come knowing that they have friends and relatives as link people, though many arrive with no connections within London or the UK and it is this group that are the most vulnerable to exploitation, whether it is through employment malpractices, sexual abuse or through being used by the drug pushers that actively focus on such young women. You see, for the drug pushers, these new migrants are easy and fair game, not only to hook many of them onto the vile poison that they peddle, but to use them for prostitution purposes.



When I talk to local police officers the message is clear. There are groups of migrants who seem to be caught up in the vice like grip of prostitution and Eastern European women are increasingly making up the numbers of those who are manipulated and used and abused. I am afraid to say that whilst these activities are present at a subterranean level, it is there if we merely scratch the surface. It is therefore up to all of us to try to make a difference and to be vocal against the manipulation of new migrant groups and especially, the abuse of women. We must lobby and shout out from the rafters to the Mayor’s office, local authorities and to funding agencies to try to get social support programmes underway so that those coming in through key entry points like Victoria have the basic advice and information they need thereby reducing their vulnerability. I will be making my voice heard in Haringey since we all need a chance to make the best for ourselves and our local communities. Anyone who preys on the weak and the vulnerable needs to be rooted out and exposed and that is a duty we must all carry.