parth’S STORY

Parth is a male survivor of modern slavery and human trafficking from India. His father sold him to a gangmaster and he was subjected to forced labour in a kitchen, where he was physically assaulted on a daily basis .

Parth was then trafficked to Africa and forced under armed guard to cross the desert; he saw many others die from accidents, injuries and violence. After a perilous sea crossing to Spain, he was trafficked to the UK.
 
Here, Parth suffered more than 5 years of modern slavery as an unpaid labourer on construction sites. Eventually, he took a rare opportunity to escape and fled to a temple where he stayed all day, sleeping on park benches at night. Parth was picked up by the police and taken to an Immigration Removal Centre; he thought he had been recaptured by the gang. The next day, Parth was interviewed and released. His solicitor referred him to the Helen Bamber Foundation.
 
Our clinicians identified symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and several physical health problems. Parth couldn’t make eye contact and could only speak briefly his nightmares and flashbacks. He struggled with frequent thoughts of the boys who died in the desert begging him for help.
 
Our immediate concerns were for Parth’s mental and physical health and legal protection. The Medical Advice team coordinated his access to appropriate medication. The Helen Bamber Foundation’s Counter-Trafficking team identified detention as particularly dangerous environment for him and advocated for his reporting requirements to be reduced to every 6 months and for him to be accompanied. The MLR team delivered a comprehensive Medico-Legal Report to his solicitor for use in his claim for asylum and to be legally recognised as a victim of trafficking.

Our immediate concerns were for Parth’s mental and physical health and legal protection. The Medical Advice team coordinated his access to appropriate medication.

Parth is currently engaging in intensive trauma-focused Narrative Exposure Therapy. This is incredibly difficult, as Parth has spent years trying to avoid thinking about his trauma, which he feels unbearable shame about. Parth recently told his therapist that NET is having a positive effect on his mood. Parth has also begun to attend HBF’s English class and has started volunteering in a local charity shop, which is making him feel positive about the future.