I am an Indian national (Punjabi Sikh) who was forced to come to the UK for the financial gains of my ex-husband and in-laws

I am a trafficking victim who is now seeking justice for the exploitation and torment I had to suffer due to family and cultural pressure. 

I submitted a claim to the Home Office. However, my application was refused as they deemed that my case did not fall within the meaning of trafficking. 

I initially challenged the decision in the High Court, and my case has now reached the Court of Appeal. 

The Court of Appeal Judge has granted permission for my case to be heard as a test case for trafficking. Therefore my case will be listed for a hearing over the coming months.

I need to raise £1,199 for the Court of Appeal hearing fee and any additional legal costs. On top of this, my legal representation fee is £1,500 which I hope to raise in a second campaign once I get the requisite fees for the court hearing. 

Without raising these funds, I will not be able to proceed with the Court of Appeal hearing and will have to accept my fate as I cannot fight anymore without the financial support.

My legal team states:

“This case has ramifications for women who are forced into marriage, servitude and even forced to migrate to satisfy the economic greed of the in-laws and other family members.”

This case is very important because this will expand the legal meaning of the term “trafficking” in English law, and it will be a recorded case law. I hope that my case will benefit many other young women in a similar situation and afford them the protection that I was not given.

I would very much appreciate any help and support you can provide.

--------

MY STORY

In 2011, my family forced me to marry my now ex-husband whom I was only allowed to meet once before marriage. During the marriage, my ex-husband and family emotionally and physically abused me.  A few days into the marriage I learnt that my in-laws and ex-husband merely regarded me and my academic strengths as a tool to make money for the family.  They expected me to sponsor and take my ex-husband abroad and send money to his family whilst we earned. Subsequently, my ex-husband and family planned to arrange for me to study abroad in the UK so that my ex-husband could come with me to the UK and so both of us could send monies to my in-laws in India.

I was emotionally and culturally pressurised to come to the UK and had to follow my ex-husband’s orders. From arrival in the UK airport, I spoke to the Immigration Officer saying I wished to go back to India. However, my ex-husband then bullied me into changing my statement on the basis that we needed to make money for the family and to tell the immigration officer that I wished to stay in the UK.

He used to constantly abuse me in various ways, especially under the influence of alcohol and I was  forced to on a non-stop basis provide for him, be available for him, complete my studies, find a better job, do all the chores and send financial support to his family in India without questioning him. As this escalated I could not take it anymore as I had been beaten, tormented and even thrown out in the middle of the night.

After about 5 weeks, the abuse became so severe that I was forced to move to a private room at my University for my own safety.  He eventually went back to India since I lived in hiding and his visa was dependent on my visa.  After that, I separated, and we have now divorced. However, the abuse that I endured at his hands has had a severe impact on me as such that I was not able to continue with my studies as I fell into a state of deep-seated depression and developed palpitations, and a heart condition.

After this, I sought legal advice from a Human Rights Barrister.