European Baptist Federation Forms Workgroup to Fight Human Trafficking

As part of its efforts to reinforce the fight against human trafficking the European Baptist Federation (EBF) has formed an anti-trafficking workgroup within its External Relations Division to assist persons who are victims of human trafficking.

The EBF describes human trafficking as "a form of modern slavery", and has highlighted the fact that it mainly affects women and children, most of whom are forced into prostitution.

Chair of the anti-trafficking workgroup, Sven-Gunnar Liden of Sweden, says that those who are trafficked into prostitution are not 'volunteers' and are often pressured into the sex industry.

"All trafficking is organised by criminal networks" and "prostitutes become victims of their past," the Swedish Baptist pastor explains.

In showing that trafficking, and hence prostitution, is led by networks and not the women themselves, Liden gives the example of Internet-based prostitution: "It is highly unlikely that a girl from a poor country would be able to buy her own ticket to Sweden, rent an apartment there, have nude photographs taken of her, set up a website, and present herself on it in (the) Swedish (language)."

Western values feed the traffic of women and girls into prostitution, Liden asserts.

Elaine Storkey, President of Tearfund agrees, saying: "Human beings are made into commodities: things, labour machines, leisure accessories."

"Trafficking in persons is the opposite of God's design for creation," Storkey, a Senior Research Fellow said, "The sex industry is able to make humans become slaves to the power of sin."

She asserts that Christians need to challenge the prevailing view of human personhood that pervades western and other societies.

Lauran Bethell of the American Baptist Churches describes trafficking of human beings as one of the "Messiest of situations that we have in our world today."

Now based in Prague in the Czech Republic, the 2005 recipient of the Baptist World Alliance Human Rights Award explains that victims of trafficking are "Vulnerable, helpless and entrapped because of the threats and brutality of the traffickers."

"It becomes extremely difficult to escape," it said.

This is why they need help, and no other group, the EBF says, is better positioned to help than the church.

As churches are well-networked, they can provide information sharing amongst themselves. This is because "Churches represent people at the grassroots of our societies... who are often observant of what is happening in their communities," says Bethell. Besides, the church is the one institution that can provide the compassion and caring attitude that is needed to assist those who suffer from human trafficking.

Confronting human trafficking and traffickers can be dangerous, the EBF tells. It means "reaching into the dark corners of the world" that often involves "Mafia-type organisations", says Bethell, who spent 14 years working in Thailand with exploited women and children, explains.

One young Hungarian teenager who escaped after being tricked into prostitution dared not return home as the trafficker knows where her parents live. She now resides in a shelter. Another was chased and tracked down by her 'employer', but was able to escape, reports the BWA.

Rescuing those who are victims is not easy. The first difficulty is in locating victims, who are often discovered only during police raids. Assuming that they are rescued, they need further protection, shelter and medical care. Often, psychiatric care, psychological counselling, as well as emotional support are required. Because most come from a background of poverty, many need education and training, as well as financial assistance. They usually need help to re-integrate into society.

Some are shunned or rejected by their own family, while some are ashamed to return home. Some have lost their identity, and do not have identity papers and other documents. The issue of their status in the country in which they are found, and the threat of being deported, is a serious legal problem to overcome.

"Social intervention and assistance needs good and thorough preparation," Liden says. Follow-up is essential beyond the initial assistance. "Make sure that your resources allow you to provide further help....Giving help to trafficked persons can be dangerous... tiring and frustrating," he admits.

In the end, what informs the EBF's involvement in the anti-trafficking campaign is its theology.

Anna Maffei, who is Chair of the External Relations Division of the EBF and President of the Baptist Union in Italy, likens those who traffic in humans to those who used the Jerusalem temple for trade and money changing. The money changers and traders had turned the temple into a market, profaning it. The human body, which Paul describes as the temple of the Holy Spirit, is similarly being profaned as it is being marketed. Opposing the traffickers is akin to Jesus driving the traders and money changers out of the Jerusalem temple.