Since the Modern Slavery Act of , the issues of human trafficking and enforced slavery have become more embedded in the public consciousness. Young girls stolen for sex? Or could it be someone just like you? Trafficking gangs target children and adults from all kinds of demographics, no matter what their education, lifestyle or age. That is just what happened to Natasha, and she wants to share her story to make it clear that anyone can be manipulated by traffickers intent to do harm.
Two years ago, aged 21, she was at the end of her university career in Albania. Little did Natasha know that she would spend the next year in enforced prostitution. In the past five years, 89 million people experienced some form of modern slavery, according to the International Labour Organisation report. That same report stated that on any given day in , 40 million people were victims of modern slavery — with an estimated 25 million people in forced labour.
Women and girls accounted for 71 per cent of modern slavery victims. Though she has been safe in the UK for over a year, Natasha still fights tears when she relives her ordeal. She explains what happened to her with a detached exhaustion. That same night, she was taken to a bedroom with a man she had never met before. He became her first client. Initially, Natasha was in shock, but she soon grew despondent and depressed.
As the punters came and went, so did her hope. Months later, Natasha found out she was pregnant. Terrified, she was too far gone for a termination, and her captors told her they would still keep her working once the baby arrived. And one summer evening, when she was seven months pregnant, an opportunity presented itself to escape.
Hours later, the lorry doors opened and Natasha realised she was in the UK. Being reunited with her family in Albania seems doubtful, as she fears their judgement.
