A Traumatized Silence

The story of Thomas

Thomas’ journey into the nightmare of human trafficking began in Nigeria, where he was vulnerable due to poverty and gang violence. Desperate to provide for his three children, he was attracted by the promise of work in Europe. But this promise quickly turned into a trap. After his arrival, Thomas was forced into illegal construction work and lived in deplorable conditions without receiving any form of payment. His traffickers controlled every aspect of his life, even seizing his land back in Nigeria and threatening his family. For years, he was trapped in this cycle of exploitation.

When HopeNow first met Thomas during an interview in a prison; he was deeply traumatized and unable to articulate his experiences. His confusion and stress were palpable, and time was running out—he was set to be deported in just a few days. But through careful, empathetic questioning, Michele Mildwater, HopeNow's director, began to piece together the truth: Thomas was not a criminal but a victim of human trafficking.

Breaking the Silence
One of the most challenging aspects of working with trafficking victims is helping them find their voice and to be seen, heard and understood. Traumatized individuals like Thomas often struggle to communicate their experiences in a coherent way, especially when dealing with the complex legal and bureaucratic systems that may not always see them as victims. After realizing the gravity of Thomas’ situation, Michele immediately contacted a lawyer and the authorities to halt his deportation. Their intervention was crucial; without it, Thomas would have been sent back to Nigeria, without the possibility of receiving financial assistance from Denmark which would have made him even more vulnerable to his traffickers who still held power over him and his family.

Building trust with Thomas required time and consistent support. Michelle visited him multiple times, slowly gaining his trust. It was only after these visits that Thomas could recount his story in a sequential manner, which eventually led to his official recognition of being trafficked. However, he was not released from prison, as he was still considered to be a criminal in the Justice System. The reason for this was that he presented false identification to the police during his arrest, provided by the trafficker, which resulted in imprisonment for fraud. 

The Journey to Empowerment
Thomas’ story also sheds light on the psychological manipulation that traffickers employ. Despite the horrors he endured, Thomas felt ashamed, believing he had somehow failed his family by falling into the traffickers’ trap. HopeNow worked to empower Thomas, helping him understand that he was not alone and that his situation was not his fault. HopeNow specializes in understanding the complex cultural, political, religious and family structures from various countries, specifically West African countries. Our experience in HopeNow is that this assists us in the trust-building process with trafficked people. Through our support, Thomas began to regain his sense of self-worth.

Yet, the road to recovery is fraught with challenges. Despite being recognized as a trafficking victim, Thomas remained in prison for many months after he had served the sentence for fraud, despite the fact that he was coerced by his traffickers to give an incorrect name. It has remained almost impossible for lawyers dealing with non-punishment cases in the appeal courts to apply the guidelines from the EU to not criminalize victims of trafficking. This criminalization reflects a broader issue regarding how male victims of trafficking are often perceived—as perpetrators rather than victims.

A Call for Empathy and Understanding

Thomas’ story is a stark reminder of the importance of empathy, awareness and understanding in the fight against human trafficking. Victims and survivors must be given the time and space to share their stories without fear of judgment or further criminalization. This is particularly true for male victims, who face the additional challenge of breaking through societal stereotypes that often fail to recognize them as victims.

At HopeNow, we believe that every trafficking victim’s story is worth hearing. Through patient, empathetic listening, we endeavour to create a safe space to start their healing process and empower survivors to reclaim their lives. Thomas’ journey from silence to recognition shows us that the first step to healing is often simply being heard. In order to break the cycle of exploitation, he needs to be able to find paid work and financial support to support his family. The endemic corruption, violence and structural problems in Nigeria make this a great challenge. Thomas verbally communicated to HopeNow several times that his only wish was to live a life where he had legal and stable work to support his family. 

*All names and some details changed to protect the identity of the clients of HopeNow.