BMS World Mission Launches Human Trafficking Campaign

BMS World Mission has launched a major new campaign against the trade of people for exploitation at the Baptist Assembly in Brighton.

In Transit urges Christians in the UK to sign and return a campaign postcard declaring their opposition to human trafficking and their support for Christians in Albania who are working to make a change.

The trafficking of people has become a very real problem for Albania, which is primarily a country of origin. Two thirds of trafficking victims from Albania - the vast majority of which are girls and women - are sent to either Greece or Italy and around one in 50 end up in the UK.

For several years now, evangelical Christians in Albania have been practically helping trafficking victims through a women's prison ministry, supported by BMS representative for counter-trafficking work, Hannah Wilson.

They are now stepping up their work by lobbying the Albanian government to create more effective legislation and training people in churches to know how to prevent trafficking in their communities and how best to support victims.

The campaign is launched at a time when the world marks the bicentenary of the act to abolish the transatlantic slave trade. This - as well as modern forms of slavery, such as human trafficking - is the focus of the Baptist Assembly held in Brighton this bank holiday weekend, entitled "In search of freedom".

"In Transit gives churches the opportunity to take very practical action in ending the scandal of people trafficking," said Mark Craig, BMS World Mission director for communications.

He said BMS would stand together with the fledgling Albanian church as they sought to challenge their government to do more in the struggle to end the modern-day slave trade.

Hervin Fushekati, vice secretary of the Albanian Evangelical Alliance and director of the Christian Association for Albanian Prisoners, said, "We have a desire to change our communities and to heal the wounds of the society. The support, prayer and alliance of evangelicals in the UK and other EU countries will magnify the voice of the evangelicals in Albania to the ears of the state."

In Transit will demonstrate to the Albanian government the weight of support from UK Christians on stopping the trade in people. At the end of the six-month In Transit campaign, BMS will collect all the names from postcards and present them as a petition to the Albanian ambassador in London.

Hannah Wilson, BMS World Mission representative for counter-trafficking work, stressed the need to care for trafficking victims after they had returned to their communities.

"Once victims are reintegrated into their communities, they are trying to survive in a prejudiced environment. This is where the church can reach out and offer them the love, care and support they need."

Jonathan Edwards, Baptist Union of Great Britain General Secretary, called on Christians today to take the same stand against trafficking as the abolitionists took against the trade in African flesh two hundred years ago.

"Human trafficking is a vile trade and we need to stand together with all those who are opposing it. Two hundred years ago people stood together to oppose the grotesque slave trade and it is deeply depressing that slavery is still so firmly embedded in the life of our world," he said.

"God gives us no choice. We cannot sit back and simply shake our heads in disapproval. We must act and I urge you to respond to join in this powerful postcard campaign."