Frequently Asked Questions

Violent abuses like rape, human trafficking, slavery, violence against women and children, and police brutality have an immediate and significant impact on victims. That’s why each of our aftercare services is unique, and meets different needs of the children, women, and men we serve. In addition to strengthening local social services to empower survivors when IJM isn’t present, IJM social workers and our partners help individual survivors as they journey to a place of sustainable recovery. This process includes elements like:

• Immediate crisis care
• Connecting survivors to a place of stability
• Ongoing counselling
• Support throughout the legal process
• Skills training and education

As our social workers walk with survivors on their journey to safety and stability, we carefully assess how they are progressing. Our goal is to help survivors to a place where they can live in society with a low vulnerability to being victimised again.

We have developed a validated tool, the Assessment of Survivor Outcomes (ASO) tool, that aftercare staff use to generate a baseline assessment of a survivor’s vulnerabilities and strengths, set goals with survivors for their care plan, and then measure survivors' progress in key areas of restoration.

IJM works with governments, local authorities, partners, and survivor leaders around the world. We currently have 32 active justice system strengthening projects across 19 countries across Europe, Africa, South Asia, Asia Pacific and South America.

IJM also has offices in the UK, US, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Hong Kong and South Korea.

IJM staff are available for media interviews, but due to high demand, we are generally unable to provide interviews for student research projects or general information about the work.

IJM works alongside governments and local authorities in the countries in which we work, as well as partnering with local NGOs and survivor leaders. Together, we help bring people to safety from violence and trafficking, support survivors with trauma-informed care, bring perpetrators to justice and strengthen justice systems to protect people from being abused in the first place. Working in partnership with government authorities is the best long-term strategy to ensure that children, women and men are protected from violence.

IJM's work to stop violent injustice is primarily limited by financial resources. However, in certain countries, government or legal structures do not currently make IJM's casework methods feasible. Our casework model of working with governments and authorities to strengthen justice systems does not work in the absence of a justice system - this prevents IJM from being most effective in war zones, for example. However, there are many other excellent NGOs that are working in such situations.

If you believe you know of a case of abuse in one of the countries where IJM works, please email [email protected] with as much information about the situation as possible. We will examine the case and let you know if it is something we can assist with.

If you believe you know of a case of human trafficking within the UK, please contact the Modern Slavery helpline by phoning 08000 121 700. In an emergency or if someone is in immediate danger, please dial 999, or 101 to report an ongoing local concern. 

Other numbers you could consider calling include:

• Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111
• UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC): 0844 778 2406
• Police Anti Trafficking: 0800 783 2589
• NSPCC (for children): 0800 107 7057
• Salvation Army Ministry of Justice (for adults): 0300 303 8151

UK police make it clear that if a member of the public believes they have discovered a victim of trafficking, they should under no circumstances attempt to intervene themselves. Instead individuals should refer to the appropriate authorities, using the phone numbers above, and allow professional and trained authorities to respond accordingly.

It is, however, helpful and encouraged for members of the public to keep an eye out for signs that might indicate that someone has been trafficked, in order to report it to the authorities. General indicators of exploitation may include:

• Not free to come and go as he/she wishes
• Is under 18 and providing commercial sex acts
• Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
• Works excessively long and/or unusual hours, with few breaks
• Is transported to and from work
• Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
• Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
• High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations
• Is fearful, anxious, submissive, nervous/paranoid, avoiding eye contact
• Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behaviour, particularly towards the authorities
• Poor physical health, including malnourishment or signs of physical/sexual abuse
• Has few or no personal possessions
• Is not in control of his/her own money or identification documents
• Is not allowed or able to speak for themselves
• Lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or where they live
• Loss of sense of time
• Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story

IJM is inspired by God's call to love all people and to seek justice. We serve all people, without regard to religion or any other factor, and seek to work alongside all people of good will.

IJM's staff members are Christians from a variety of traditions who are motivated by the Bible's call to "rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow." We find strength and encouragement in sharing a spiritual life together.

Through IJM's European Anti-Trafficking Programme, IJM works to stop cross-border human trafficking, including to the UK.

IJM has staff in the UK whose role is to liaise with law enforcement, service providers and non-profits to collaborate on cases and document learnings alongside partners to improve our collective response to cross-border trafficking.

For security reasons, we cannot provide the full address for any of our offices. However, we have offices in London, Edinburgh and Belfast.

Thank you for fundraising to help stop slavery and violence around the world! Visit our fundraising page to find out more.

Please contact us if you'd like to use our logo, images, videos or other assets.

We appreciate every effort our supporters make to financially support the work of IJM. Due to the great interest among our supporters to organise events, we can only assist in your planning by answering questions and providing resources (information, literature, speakers, banners etc). However, we do not generally assist with advertising and do not solicit our constituents to purchase products not distributed by IJM UK or to attend events not managed by IJM UK.

IJM UK gladly features on social media the efforts of supporters to help stop slavery and violence. As much as possible, we prefer to include photos and videos, so please send them to us after your event or tag us: @IJM_UK

We are happy for you to seek media coverage on your own. Do get in touch if an opportunity arises, as we would love to support you. However, we cannot promise that a member of IJM will be available for interviews. Should an opportunity arise, please contact us.

IJM UK's charitable registration numbers are 1099126 (England and Wales) and SC049311 (Scotland).

The Gift Aid scheme allows us to claim back 25p from HMRC for every £1 that you donate to us at no extra cost to you. To enable us to claim Gift Aid on your donation we ask you to complete a declaration which you can do on the donation page itself or by completing this Gift Aid declaration form. A completed Gift Aid declaration covers all donations including one off payments and regular donations. Your declaration will be applied to any donations that you may have made to IJM UK over the past four years and any donations you make in the future. Your donations are eligible for the scheme if you are a UK taxpayer and you are currently paying Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax that is at least equal to the amount of tax reclaimed by all charities that you donate to, for each tax year. Please let us know if you have made donations to us but have not been a UK taxpayer in this period. You are entitled to cancel your Gift Aid declaration at any time. Should you choose not to Gift Aid your donations or if you stop paying tax, please let us know and we can take your donations out of the Gift Aid scheme.

Yes! You can help end slavery around the world by becoming a Freedom Partner.

If you would like to give by cheque, please send your donation (cheque payable) to: International Justice Mission UK, PO Box 78942, London, SE11 9EB

If you are able to Gift Aid your donation (see above) then please send a completed Gift Aid declaration with your donation.

For other ways to give, visit: IJMUK.org/ways-to-give

IJM UK will send confirmation of receipt of your monthly donations after your first, initial gift. You will also receive regular updates on IJM’s work around the world throughout the year. However, due to our efforts to save costs, we do not send confirmation thereafter for each following month’s donation. We are, however, continually grateful for your ongoing support!

If you would like to discuss a restriction on your gift, please contact our team here for a further conversation.

IJM UK receives funding from individual donors, churches, community organisations, corporations, law firms, government agencies, trusts, grants and foundations.

An outside accounting firm conducts an annual audit of IJM UK’s finances. In addition, an all-volunteer Board of Directors sets policies and procedures and monitors the budget and expenditures. IJM UK is a registered charity and company and also a member of The Fundraising Standards Board. We are therefore committed to financial responsibility, accountability and transparency (read our Fundraising Promise). You may also view our annual report.