Shelter programmes

Background

One of the first steps to be taken by victims wishing to escape from the control of traffickers is to a find safe and secure refuge. Despite the prospect of continued abuse, many victims choose to stay because the prospect of leaving involves more danger and greater vulnerability. The lack of a safe and secure refuge often results in the victims returning to their abusers after an initial escape because of the fear of violence and the intimidation they are subjected to. It is therefore critical that real and practical options for the safety and security (both in the short and long term and in both the State of destination and that of return) are made available to victims of trafficking. This tool reviews some of the basic considerations that must be kept in mind in creating safe shelters for victims.

Type of shelter

The victims of trafficking have both short-term and long-term needs for safe shel- ter. The nature of the shelter they need may evolve as their individual situation changes and they advance in their own process of recovery. The need they expe- rience may be for one of the following types of shelter:

• An immediate, safe and short-term shelter

• A temporary but safe and secure shelter with opportunities for other needs to be met (e.g. medical, psychological, legal)

• A halfway house, hostel, transitional housing or other assisted lodging arrange- ment

• A place where they can live independently

The most basic and immediate requirement is a protected and secure shelter at the time of contacting the authorities or the agency providing assistance or before depor- tation or repatriation. In these shelters the victim is protected from harm from the trafficker and has access to immediate short-term assistance. This may include basic medical attention, short-term counselling, legal information, emergency financial assistance and access to information.

Shelters in the State to which the victims are returning will often need to provide some support to facilitate the rehabilitation process and the victims’ reintegration with their families or communities. Without the protection of the shelter and the interim assis- tance it can provide, victims may be at risk of further harassment or revictimization.

For example, the IOM office in Kyiv has opened a rehabilitation centre and a shel- ter to provide protection and support to returned victims of trafficking. Working with Ukrainian health authorities, IOM provides social and psychological counselling, psychiatric care, gynaecological and medical examinations and treatment for the vic- tims in a sensitive and confidential manner. IOM works with a Ukrainian network

chapter 8 Victim protection and assistance

of some 15 non-governmental organizations to provide assistance to victims and with the authorities to facilitate their reintegration process. After victims leave the IOM shelter, regular contact is maintained to monitor their reintegration process and to determine whether they or their families have been threatened or harassed.

In States where temporary visas and other programmes enable victims to stay for some time in the destination State, victim support programmes in partnership with Governments and immigration authorities provide shelters where victims can stay without fear or unwanted interference for a period of time while they recover from their ordeal and find some new direction for their lives. The essential elements of these shelters include a supportive environment, the provision of information about available services and access to existing community facilities and services.

When victims are not faced with imminent deportation or repatriation, less insti- tutionalized forms of shelter may be appropriate. For example, in Italy a special assistance programme makes it possible for victims to attend different types of shel- ters before being given lodgings in independent flats. Language classes and voca- tional training courses in local companies are offered. These training courses make it possible for victims to learn the rudiments of a job. Similarly in France, the Comité contre l’esclavage moderne provides help and protection to victims of domestic slavery, largely from West Africa and Madagascar. The comprehensive assistance provided to these victims begins with urgent shelter in a protected flat. As the victims recover from their ordeal, they are then lodged in hostels or halls of residence, or are taken in by volunteer families. They are entitled both to legal aid to help them defend their rights in court and to administrative assistance to help them obtain residence and a work permit. At the same time, victims are pro- vided with continuous assistance as they move towards independence.

The critical aspect of these programmes is that provision of shelter is matched to comprehensive and focused programmes of assistance, with the type of shelter matching the stage of recovery of the victim of trafficking. Specialist non-govern- mental organizations provide the expertise and operational management with fund- ing from Governments. With this planned approach, the move towards independence and control over the lives of the victims is facilitated.

Children’s needs for shelter are different from those of adult victims and separate shelters and programmes must be available for child victims of trafficking. Vulnerable because of their age and without the protection of a family, children tend to need safer and more protected environments for longer periods. The assis- tance they require must often be provided over a longer period of time than for adults. There is considerable evidence that child victims of trauma may have longer- term and more serious reactions than adults.

For those States which do not provide separate shelters for child victims of traf- ficking, existing systems of child protection may be able to provide the children with shelter, medical and psychological support and education and training.

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In some circumstances, returned victims of trafficking will be so ill that their need for shelter will be a permanent one. This is often the case for victims who are seri- ously ill with hepatitis or HIV/AIDS. These victims may be rejected by their fam- ilies or communities and have little chance of finding employment or security. Their emotional needs may be high and opportunities for assistance and self-development may best be met by longer-term or permanent shelter and support.

Models of shelter