A/HRC/54/30 businesses, as well as local and religious leaders, are often involved in the recruitment of persons experiencing homelessness, including children and young people in street situations. 43 Such individuals and groups entice them with the promise of jobs, accommodations or other necessities and later coerce or deceive them into situations of sexual or labour exploitation.44 36. In terms of the manifestation of exploitation, it has been reported that persons experiencing homelessness, in particular children and young people in street situations, may be recruited for criminal exploitation, including forced drug and weapons trafficking, theft and the smuggling of contraband.45 Although those who are exploited in criminal activities should clearly be regarded as victims of contemporary forms of slavery, the reality for many of them is that they face law enforcement actions, such as fines and incarceration, and end up with criminal records. This is an additional hurdle in gaining access to affordable housing, education, decent work and public services, significantly increasing the risk of revictimization. 37. Labour exploitation is occurring in various parts of the world. Forced begging is a common form of exploitation globally, in particular among children and young people in street situations.46 Domestic servitude among women and girls experiencing homelessness has been reported in Australia, the United Kingdom and East Africa. 47 Other sectors allegedly recruiting persons experiencing homelessness into exploitative working relationships include the agriculture, garment manufacturing and car washing sectors. 48 For children in street situations, the worst forms of child labour raise serious concerns. It has been reported in this regard that children from Burkina Faso and Mali are trafficked into neighbouring countries for forced labour in mining and cocoa production, and a similar picture emerges in South Asia. 49 Instead of earning proper wages, they are forced to work in exchange for accommodations, food or even drugs and alcohol. 50 This increases their dependence on traffickers and exploiters, allowing them to maintain control over the victims for sustained exploitation and abuse. 38. In addition, the sexual exploitation of persons experiencing homelessness remains a serious concern. It has been reported, for example, that many “runaway youth”, in particular among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex populations, have to resort to so-called “survival sex”, which may entail exploitation and abuse, including through deception or the threat and/or use of violence.51 Young girls in street situations in various African States have also been recruited by criminals for sexual exploitation. 52 However, the sexual exploitation of persons experiencing homelessness is not a problem just for developing States –it has been estimated that in New York, Arizona, Kentucky and Indiana, United 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 8 Submissions from the Association Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII, Medica Zenica and Terre des Hommes Netherlands. UNANIMA International, “The intersection of family homelessness and human trafficking” (2021); and submissions from the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria, the Human Trafficking Legal Center and Raíces. Anti-Slavery International, ECPAT UK and Pacific Links Foundation, “Precarious journeys: mapping vulnerabilities of victims of trafficking from Vietnam to Europe” (2019); and Department of State of the United States, “Trafficking in persons report 2022”. CRC/C/GRC/CO/4-6, para. 42; A/HRC/40/51/Add.3, para. 23; and submission from UNODC. Consultation with the Consortium for Street Children and its partners in Africa; and submissions from Terre des Hommes Netherlands and the Mercy Foundation. Submission from the Association Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII; and Crisis UK, “No way out and no way home: modern slavery and homelessness in England, Wales and Northern Ireland” (2021). Submissions from Association Jekawili and the Centre for Applied Human Rights of the University of York. Consultations with stakeholders in Australia; and submission from the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless. A/HRC/41/39/Add.1, para. 7; A/77/140, para. 28; A/76/144, para. 53; and submissions from Consortium for Street Children, Child Labour: Action-Research-Innovation in South and SouthEastern Asia, the Council of Women’s and Infants’ Specialty Hospitals, Lorraine van Blerk and ReportOut. Submissions from the Government of Chad and the Centre for Applied Human Rights of the University of York. GE.23-12640