Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. It is estimated there are approximately 136,000 victims of slavery currently in the UK and another 5,000 cases still open. Yet it is an issue that many might associate with other countries and not something they’re aware of happening closer to home. This is why the Medaille Trust and 2M Creative team has teamed up with film company Brother Brother Film to raise awareness and offer support for victims. 

The campaign ‘Marked for life’ shines a spotlight on the human trafficking problem happening around the world and in our own backyard too. The project centres around one of the signs of modern slavery – branding; where traffickers brand their victims with their names as a sign of control and ownership. By teaming up with a host of talented tattoo artists across the UK the ‘Marked for life’ campaign aims to turn these branding marks into a symbol of hope to give victims of human trafficking a new beginning in their journey to freedom.

“The branding process is something that's not well known within the modern slavery community,” said Stephen Hay, Director of Police and Justice at the Medaille Trust, “and essentially it's like farmers marking their cattle to identify them as belonging to them as their possessions. Effectively it’s normally a symbol or the name of the perpetrator themselves.” 

The campaign signifies the start of a long term program called ‘Tattooists against Traffickers’. In modern times, most traffickers use professional studios to brand their victims where the tattoo artist is unaware of the crimes taking place. But this project aims to equip tattoo artists with the necessary means of identifying suspicious behaviour to help recognise victims and flag any unusual signs that could help to prevent traffickers from taking more innocent people.

“We want to help the tattoo community recognise the signs of modern slavery so that we can help people know if someone comes into their studio that perhaps doesn't feel completely comfortable,” explains Rebecca Langton, Director of Communications & Advocacy at Medaille Trust. “If something doesn't seem right, they will recognise the signs and know how to raise their concerns.” 

At the centre of the campaign is a short documentary film, which tells the story of a survivor. The film explains how she was trafficked and exploited, before being branded with a tattoo by her trafficker. In collaboration with tattoo artist Natalie Duffield from Lost Garden Tattoo Studio, the mark is covered throughout the duration of the film, leading to a cathartic point on the victim’s healing journey; a pivotal moment that the film describes as the transition from victim to survivor.

Alongside this, the project also aims to show how the marks beneath the skin, those which cannot be seen, actually leave the most lasting damage. In raising awareness of this important issue, the campaign aims to show other survivors that it is possible to rebuild their lives after suffering such a traumatic experience. Whilst the marks of trafficking go far deeper than the skin, removing this unwanted physical reminder of trauma allows survivors to make meaningful steps in taking back control of their lives and their bodies.

To support the campaign, the Medaille Trust has released an online hub, giving more details about this project, as well as key information about human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the UK. Through information, support and resources, the project aims to help recognise and stop trafficking whilst using the creativity and skills of talented tattoo artists to support victims on their road to recovery.