Most Romani and other Traveller communities usually have informal working relationships where family members work together and share skills. In addition, some also provide accommodation, food and spending money to people who might otherwise be homeless in return for their labour. This is a consensual arrangement and can be terminated by either party if it is regarded and no longer in their interests. Such arrangements have a long history among the communities but in recent years they have come to be regarded as forms of modern slavery. In the case of Roma families from Eastern Europe the case has been made that trafficking is involved.
This puts families, and organisations like ACERT, in a difficult position. Informal working relationships are common among the communities and could be defended as part of their cultures. Modern Slavery and trafficking accusations have been used by sections of the press and the police as an excuse to raid family homes and print sensational headlines. In most cases there were no resulting prosecutions relating to modern slavery.
We need to recognise, however, that these relationships have the potential to be exploitative and that homeless people may be socially and emotionally vulnerable and those employing them may be exploitative. Workers in conventional settings have some employment rights, which in theory at least, offer some protection against exploitation.
ACERT does not condemn the informal employment of work people in return for accommodation and food, but it would advise families who regard this as part of their tradition to be aware that they may be vulnerable to prosecution if it can be proved that the relationship is not consensual and if there is coercion and exploitation involved.
