General indicators

Trafficking victims are often lured into another state or country by false promises and so may not easily trust others. They may:

Be fearful of police/authorities

Be fearful of the trafficker, believing their lives or family members’ lives are at risk if they escape

Exhibit signs of physical and psychological trauma e.g. anxiety, lack of memory of recent events, bruising, untreated conditions

Be fearful of telling others about their situation

Be unaware they have been trafficked and believe they are simply in a bad job
Have limited freedom of movement

Be unpaid or paid very little

Have limited access to medical care

Seem to be in debt to someone

They may have few or no personal possessions

Have no passport or mention that someone else is holding their passport

Be regularly moved to avoid detection

Be aware: ordinary residential housing/hotels are being used more and more for brothels. People forced into sexual exploitation may:

Be moved between brothels, sometimes from city to city

Sleeping on work premises

Display a limited amount of clothing, of which a large proportion is sexual

Show signs of drug use or drug addiction. They can be forced or coerced into drug use by his or her traffickers, or turn to substance abuse to help cope with his or her enslavement.

Be forced, intimidated or coerced into providing sexual services

Be subjected to abduction, assault or rape

Demonstrate affection, attachment, or dependence toward their abuser.

Be unable to travel freely e.g. picked up and dropped off at work location by another person

Be accompanied by a controlling person, and do not speak on his or her own behalf, but instead defer to another person.

Have money for their services provided collected by another person

Have bruises, scars, and other signs of physical abuse and torture. Victims of human trafficking are often beaten in areas that will not damage their appearance, such as their lower back.

sexual exploitation

Where all the work is done under the menace of a penalty or the person has not offered himself voluntarily and is now unable to leave. They may experience:

Threat or actual physical harm

Restriction of movement or confinement

Debt bondage i.e. working to pay off a debt or loan, often the victim is paid very little or nothing at all for their services because of deductions

Withholding of pay or excessive reductions

Withholding of documents e.g. passport/security card

Threat of revealing to authorities an irregular immigration status

Their employer is unable to produce documents required

Poor or non-existent health and safety standards

Requirement to pay for tools and food

Imposed place of accommodation (and deductions made for it)

Pay that is less than minimum wage

Dependence on employer for services

No access to labor contract

Excessive work hours/few breaks

forced labor