Slavenarbeid in het VK

[karo]

Ik vraag me echt af wat voor een straf dat die klootzak gaat krijgen? Ik persoonlijk zou hem kaal pluimen, het bedrijf collectiviseren en onder deskundig oog plaatsen zodat deze mensen niet voor niets jaren hun kloten hebben afgedraaid.

Twenty-four modern day slaves were released from bondage on Sunday after a pre-dawn police raid found them emaciated, hungry and living in "filthy and cramped" conditions on a caravan site in Leighton Buzzard.

The men – Poles, Romanians and Russians as well as British – had been forced to survive in a "state of virtual slavery" at the Green Acres caravan site, according to Bedfordshire police.

The men varied in age from about 20 to 50 years old; all vulnerable men who had been recruited from homeless shelters and dole queues. Some are believed to have been in virtual captivity for up to 15 years.

Five people – four men and a woman – were arrested in the swoop on the mainly Traveller site at 5.30am on Sunday. The raid, involving 200 officers including armed police, dog units and a police helicopter, followed a long-running undercover operation. When police arrived at the site, which is estimated to have around 10-12 family sized plots, they discovered men they believe had been coerced into forced labour.

One had dog excrement on his clothes, and many were starving, said Detective Chief Inspector Sean O'Neil, of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit, which was aided by officers from the UK Human Trafficking Centre.

He explained that the men had not received payment for physically demanding labouring jobs, were hardly fed and were given no clothes. If they complained they faced beatings.

"The men we found at the site were in a poor state of physical health and the conditions they were living in were shockingly filthy and cramped.

"We believe that some of them had been living and working there in a state of virtual slavery, some for just a few weeks and others for up to 15 years."

They have now been taken to a medical centre where their health is being assessed.

Police said some of the men will have to be carefully re-introduced to a proper diet; giving them a large amount to eat immediately could prove dangerous, as their bodies have existed on meagre rations for such a long period of time.

"This was a recruitment centre where people down on their luck were brought to," said O'Neil. "They had been found in soup kitchens and benefit offices and told they would be given work, clothing, a home and food.

These were people who might be alcoholics or have no family support, which made them easy prey.

"We heard in one case a man had been sitting on the parapet of a bridge ready to commit suicide when he was spotted by this gang and brought here to the site after being promised paid work and a roof over his head. It was all lies."

When new recruits arrived at the site they would have their mobile phones confiscated and their heads shaved, he added.

"They were told by the people who had brought them here 'you have no family now, we are your family'. If they wanted to leave they were threatened."

The men lived in unsanitary conditions, said Jo Hobbs, a spokeswoman for Bedfordshire police.

"There were up to four men living in tiny and filthy caravans which were unheated, and old. They had no access to running water, no toilet and no washing facilities," she said.

The men were thought to have worked from 7am until 7pm most days, performing a range of gruelling manual jobs including asphalting.

It was likely that they had been threatened to keep them working, said Paul Donohoe, a spokesman for the charity and lobby group Anti-Slavery. "People in this situation find they are not able to leave because, particularly if their immigration status is irregular, their gangmaster threatens to inform the police and they could be arrested.

"They could have also been threatened with violence against themselves or their family."

The five arrests were made under the slavery and servitude provisions of the Coroners and Justice Act, after police launched an undercover operation in April this year, following tip-offs from several other alleged victims.

Weapons, drugs and money were also found at the private site, which is thought to have been occupied by a mostly Traveller community for about 10 years.

The suspects were being held at police stations in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Once the victims have been questioned, further arrests may be made.

If found guilty of forcing the men into labour, the gangmaster could face up to seven years in prison, said Donohoe. "If these people arrested are found guilty they must feel the full force of the law. Courts needs to send out the message that there is no place in Britain for slavery."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...laves-released

[karo]

De standaard publiceerde het ook.

http://www.standaard.be/artikel/deta...MF20110912_060

Zondag vond de Britse politie de mannen van Poolse, Roemeense, Russische en Britse nationaliteit, verwaarloosd en uitgehongerd terug in een woonwagenpark. Het gaat om sociaal kwetsbare mensen, van wie de leeftijd varieert tussen 20 en 50 jaar oud, die gerekruteerd werden in daklozencentra en bij voedselbedelingen. Sommigen werden tot 15 jaar lang gevangen gehouden.

Vijf mannen en een vrouw werden aangehouden bij de inval, die plaatsvond om 5.30 uur in de ochtend. Aan de raid, die volgde op een langdurig onderzoek, namen 200 agenten deel. De arrestanten worden beschuldigd van het organiseren van slavernij.

Volgens de politie werden de mannen die ze aantrof, gedwongen om arbeid te verrichten. Een van de 'moderne slaven' had hondenuitwerpselen op zijn kleren en veel van de mannen waren uitgehongerd, aldus hoofdinspecteur Sean O'neill van de afdeling zware misdaad in Bedfordshire en Hertfordshire. Ze werden vastgehouden in caravans, hondenkennels en paardentrailers.

O'neill verklaarde dat de mannen niet betaald werden voor het fysiek veeleisende werk dat ze moesten doen. Ze kregen amper voedsel en geen kledij. Als de mannen klaagden, werden ze geslagen. 'De mannen die op de site werden gevonden verkeerden in een slechte gezondheidstoestand en de omstandigheden waarin ze leefden waren ongelofelijk vuil en ondermaats', besloot de hoofdinspecteur.

[AdrianHealey]

Pretty fucked up.

Ik dacht eigenlijk niet dat zoiets echt nog duurzaam was in dit gedeelte van de wereld. Blijkbaar wel.

the gangmaster could face up to seven years in prison

is wel belachelijk weinig (en volledig nutteloos).

[Anna List]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door karo

De standaard publiceerde het ook.

http://www.standaard.be/artikel/deta...MF20110912_060

een maand of zo geleden ook al eens een docu over op canvas ... in panorama als ik me niet vergis ...

schrijnend ... bij mensenhandel wordt er in de eerste plaats aan vrouwenhandel en prostitutie gedacht, maar da's dus fout volgens die reportage

in bouw en visserij zit er nog veel slavernij ... allemaal ontvoerde en gevangengehouden werkkrachten

[Cynara Cardunculus]

Welke arbeid moesten die sukkelaars dan verrichten? waarbij je hondenuitwerpselen op je kledij krijgt?

[Stingray]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door AdrianHealey

Pretty fucked up.

Ik dacht eigenlijk niet dat zoiets echt nog duurzaam was in dit gedeelte van de wereld. Blijkbaar wel.

is wel belachelijk weinig (en volledig nutteloos).

Stel je voor dat er inderdaad geen of heel weinig overheid was zoals sommigen van jullie prediken.

[Snerror]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door Stingray

Stel je voor dat er inderdaad geen of heel weinig overheid was zoals sommigen van jullie prediken.

Hangt ervan af wat voor overheid. Politie en gerecht moeten er natuurlijk zijn.

[maddox]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door Stingray

Stel je voor dat er inderdaad geen of heel weinig overheid was zoals sommigen van jullie prediken.

Blijkbaar helpt het hebben van veel overheid ook niet.

[AdrianHealey]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door Stingray

Stel je voor dat er inderdaad geen of heel weinig overheid was zoals sommigen van jullie prediken.

Dan had het probleem er misschien zelfs niet geweest; stel je voor! Want ja; wie weet is dit probleem wel veroorzaakt door de immigratie beperkingen, of door de noodzaak van een paspoort en meer van dat fraais.

[Andy]

He explained that the men had not received payment for physically demanding labouring jobs

Gebeurt vrij frequent, zeker wanneer het om onderaannemingen gaat die buitenlanders tewerkstellen. (Misschien niet in België, maar zeker in de EU.)

[Johan Bollen]

If found guilty of forcing the men into labour, the gangmaster could face up to seven years in prison, said Donohoe. "If these people arrested are found guilty they must feel the full force of the law. Courts needs to send out the message that there is no place in Britain for slavery."

Misschien tekenden ze wel een privaat contractje. Dan zou het voor sommigen geen slavernij meer zijn, alsof een papiertje een verschil maakt in de praktijk.

[Savatage]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door maddox

Blijkbaar helpt het hebben van veel overheid ook niet.

²

[D'ARTOIS]

Woonwagenpark met als uitbetrs de Gipsy' s ?

In Frankrijk moesten ze verdwijnen, niet in alle gevallen terecht. Maar de maatschappij van nu kan geen verdere bevolkingsexplosies meer aan. De Afrikanen ziullen op termijn terug moeten.
Momenteel worden hele gangsterbenden in NL ontmaskert die islamieten uit NB Bosnie halen om als georganiseerde straatbedelaars te werken.

[eno2]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door karo

Ik vraag me echt af wat voor een straf dat die klootzak gaat krijgen? Ik persoonlijk zou hem kaal pluimen, het bedrijf collectiviseren en onder deskundig oog plaatsen zodat deze mensen niet voor niets jaren hun kloten hebben afgedraaid.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...laves-released

Rescued 'slave' criticises police raid at Bedfordshire caravan site





The police investigation into a suspected slave camp at a Travellers' site in Bedfordshire has been challenged after nine of the 24 alleged slaves refused to help police with their inquiries.

One of the nine accused the police of heavy-handed tactics and described the five arrests as "complete rubbish".

Police insist that the four-month undercover operation has broken up an "organised crime group", and were questioning 15 alleged victims, who were being treated for malnutrition and other medical problems.

Police continue to question four men and are looking for two further suspects. One heavily pregnant woman, who is expected to give birth imminently, has been released on bail. No charges have yet been brought.

DCI Sean O'Neil, from the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire major crimes unit, said: "Those people who we continue to help are appreciative of the support that is on offer, but it will take some time to work through with them what has happened."

He said he was confident the operation, called Operation Netwing, had broken up a criminal network.

Police have arrested suspects on slavery and servitude offences under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act.

"The new legislation has allowed the investigation more scope and takes into account emotional rather than physical harm," O'Neil said. "I am confident that while the investigation is in its early stages this is a family-run 'business' and is an organised crime group that has been broken up by the Netwing operation."

At the well-established Greenacre caravan park in Leighton Buzzard, which has 16 mobile homes, one of the men taken by police, who did not want to be named, said he had been living in a caravan on a Traveller plot for several years, working as a paver and was being paid £50 a day.

"I think it's all a load of rubbish and they just hate Travellers," said the man, who is in his 50s. "Plenty of men who were here wanted to be here and they were getting paid. The police coming in heavy-handed like this is just wrong."

More than 200 police officers raided the site in the early hours of Sunday, aided by a helicopter and dog patrols. Armed officers were also present.

Four men and a woman were arrested on suspicion of slavery offences, while 24 men were taken to a medical centre.

Police said the men had been kept as virtual slaves in appalling conditions, forced to work long hours doing physically demanding jobs without pay.

However, the man told the Guardian he had worked for 15 years with one Traveller family who had provided him with work and accommodation when he had nowhere else to go. After refusing to answer police questions he made his way back to the site.

He said: "The police told me I couldn't come back but I told them it was my home and if I wanted to go back I would go back."

Speaking at the door of her mobile home, one woman – who said she was the wife of one of the arrested men but did not want to be named – said the police claims were "ridiculous".

She added: "The men who were taken were getting paid £30 a day, they had somewhere to live, this is all a load of nonsense."

Police claimed the suspects lured vulnerable men from dole queues and homeless shelters to work at the site. But the woman said they came voluntarily because they knew Travellers would give work to men down on their luck.

"Isn't it better that they have a roof over their head?" she said. "What are they going to do now – when the police have finished with them they will be homeless. It's up to them how they kept their homes, but they could come and go whenever they pleased."

She accused the police of harbouring prejudices against Travellers. "It's complete lies and they are trying to make Travellers look bad. There are two sides to this story," she said.

A police spokeswoman said the 24 men taken from the site were being offered help: "We are giving help to all of the men, but if they do not want it then obviously we are not forcing them to take it."

Paul Donohoe, spokesman for Anti-Slavery International said that, although he could not comment on the details of this particular case, it was not unusual for victims of slavery to resist help from the authorities.

"We do often see the Stockholm syndrome coming into effect – it is not unusual for people who have been 'rescued' to psychologically identify with their enslavers."

Police said on Monday that of the 24 men taken from the site, nine had left the medical reception centre and had chosen not to support the police investigation.

The remaining 15 continue to be assessed for welfare and health needs, and would be interviewed by detectives. Police said it would take a number of days to establish exactly what had happened to them on the site.

Of the men helping police, eight are British, three Polish, one Latvian and one Lithuanian, with two men of unconfirmed nationality.

The youngest person to be found on site was 17. Police said he has rejoined his family.

[AdrianHealey]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door Johan Bollen

Misschien tekenden ze wel een privaat contractje. Dan zou het voor sommigen geen slavernij meer zijn, alsof een papiertje een verschil maakt in de praktijk.

Ah, en wie zijn die sommigen?

In ieder geval niet de libertarische gemeenschap. Dus wie bekritiseer je hier in feite?

[netslet]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door Andy

Gebeurt vrij frequent, zeker wanneer het om onderaannemingen gaat die buitenlanders tewerkstellen. (Misschien niet in België, maar zeker in de EU.)

Ook in België hoor. Er was daaromtrent overlaatst een interview in Humo met een arbeidsauditeur.

[Stingray]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door AdrianHealey

Dan had het probleem er misschien zelfs niet geweest; stel je voor! Want ja; wie weet is dit probleem wel veroorzaakt door de immigratie beperkingen, of door de noodzaak van een paspoort en meer van dat fraais.

Ik denk dat je wel beter weet.

[Stingray]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door Snerror

Hangt ervan af wat voor overheid. Politie en gerecht moeten er natuurlijk zijn.

Daar gaat dan je liberale maatschappij... éénmaal met dat soort zaken worden automatisch andere zaken beperkt. En dan komen er nieuwe beperkingen enz enz en dan komen er pippo's die hun macht misbruiken enz. enz. enz.

[eno2]

Mensen die nergens meer aan werk raken en plots toch nog onderdak en eten aangeboden krijgen, om te werken: wat zijn die verondersteld van te doen?

Als ze er niet op ingaan, zijn het werkweigeraars...in de uitgebreide scheld-terminologie van de gastjes van rechts.

Ik heb het ook een paar keer voorgehad, zo'n uitbuitersvoorstellen... en ik ben er op in gegaan...

Isn't it better that they have a roof over their head?" she said. "What are they going to do now – when the police have finished with them they will be homeless. It's up to them how they kept their homes, but they could come and go whenever they pleased."

[Johan Bollen]

The police investigation into a suspected slave camp at a Travellers' site in Bedfordshire has been challenged after nine of the 24 alleged slaves refused to help police with their inquiries.

Dat kom je meer tegen met slavernij. Dat is dikwijls een gevolg van de angst van de slaven waar ze terecht gaan komen naderhand. Vaak is de slavernij het enigste wat ze kennen. De mens is een gewoontedier, hoe mensonterend die gewoonten soms ook zijn.