Modern Slavery Human Trafficking and Exploitation

 

 

1. What is Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

1.1 Victims of modern slavery and human trafficking (MSHT) can be any age, gender, nationality and ethnicity.

1.2 They are often vulnerable people who are tricked, coerced or threatened into involvement with work, or potentially criminal activity. 

1.3 They are then not able to leave or report their exploitative situation due to fear, control or physical intimidation. It is possible that people may not recognise themselves as victims of modern slavery even though they could be being unlawfully exploited.

1.4 MSHT encompasses a wide range of abuses including slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and trafficking for the purpose of exploiting a person. These are typically for financial benefit though this is not always the principal motivation.

1.5 Slavery is the status or condition of a victim over whom rights of ownership are exercised by their exploiter.

1.6 Servitude is linked to slavery but includes an obligation for a person to work for the exploiter, to live on the exploiter’s property and for it to be impossible for them to change their circumstances.

1.7 Forced or compulsory labour is all work or service (lawful or unlawful) which a victim is forced or compelled to do and for which they do not volunteer.

1.7 Human Trafficking is the arrangement or facilitation of a victim’s travel, with the intention of exploiting them.

1.8 The forms of modern slavery and trafficking with a view to exploitation you may encounter.

1.9 Labour exploitation - Working for offenders, or working for someone other than offenders

1.10 Domestic servitude - Exploited by partner, relatives or someone not related to them, with whom they live

1.11 Sexual exploitation - Child sexual exploitation by group or individual. Sex work in fixed or changing location, trafficking for personal or third-party gratification

1.12 Criminal exploitation - Forced gang-related activity, forced labour in illegal activities, forced acquisitive crime/begging, financial exploitation and sham marriages. 

It is not necessary for the use of force to be evident in the criminal exploitation of a child.

2. What is child trafficking?

2.1 Trafficking is where children and young people tricked, forced or persuaded to leave their homes and are moved or transported and then exploited, forced to work or sold. Children are trafficked for:

  • sexual exploitation
  • benefit fraud
  • forced marriage
  • domestic slavery like cleaning, cooking and childcare
  • forced labour in factories or agriculture
  • committing crimes, like begging, theft, working on cannabis farms or moving drugs.

2.2 Trafficked children experience many types of abuse and neglect. Traffickers use physical, sexual and emotional abuse as a form of control. Children and young people are also likely to be physically and emotionally neglected and may be sexually exploited.

3. Why it matters

3.1 Modern slavery is a criminal offence under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, it is also a direct and severe violation of human rights. It is incumbent of us all to ensure we keep our communities and citizens safe and free from harm and exploitation. This crime is not nationality, faith, culture or age specific and can affect anyone and it does. National data currently indicates that British children are the most exploited cohort in the UK. Every public, private and third sector organisation has a duty to protect some of the most vulnerable people in our society and save them from harm. It is also our duty if they do come to harm, that we provide the correct care and support enabling them to recover.

3.2 Traffickers often groom children, families and communities to gain their trust. They may also threaten families with violence or threats. Traffickers often promise children and families that they'll have a better future elsewhere.

3.3 Trafficking is also an economic crime. Traffickers may ask families for money for providing documents or transport and they'll make a profit from money a child "earns" through exploitation, forced labour or crime. They'll often be told this money is to pay off a debt they or their family "owe" to the traffickers.

4. Signs of child trafficking

4.1 Knowing the signs of trafficking can help give a voice to children. Sometimes children won't understand that what's happening to them is wrong. Or they might be scared to speak out.

It may not be obvious that a child has been trafficked, but you might notice unusual or unexpected things. They might:

Identifying a child who has been trafficked is difficult as they are intentionally hidden and isolated from the services and communities who can identify and protect them.

4.2 Signs that a child has been trafficked may not be obvious, but could include:

  • rarely leaving the house
  • having no time to play
  • living apart from family or having limited social contact with friends, family and the community
  • appearing unfamiliar with a neighbourhood
  • being seen in inappropriate places (for example factories or brothels)
  • being unsure of where they live
  • having their movements controlled or being unable to travel on their own
  • living somewhere inappropriate, like a work address or dirty, cramped, unhygienic or overcrowded accommodation, including caravans, sheds, tents or outbuildings
  • lacking personal items
  • consistently wearing the same clothes
  • often being moved by others between specific locations (for example to and from work) – this may happen at unusual times such as very early in the day or at night
  • being unable or reluctant to give details such as where they live
  • fearful or withdrawn behaviour, or efforts made to disguise this
  • being involved in gang activity
  • being involved in the consumption, sale or trafficking of drugs
  • having their communication controlled by another – may act as though instructed by, or dependent upon, someone else
  • tattoos or other marks indicating ownership
  • physical or psychological abuse, ill health, exhaustion or injury – may look unkempt and malnourished
  • reluctance to seek help, avoidance of strangers, being fearful or hostile towards authorities
  • providing a prepared story if questioned or struggling to recall experiences
  • inconsistent accounts of their experiences

This is not an exhaustive list. The warning signs presented by children and young people who are being exploited will present differently for everyone.

4.3 Children may find it hard to understand that what’s happening is abuse – especially if they have been groomed. A victim of grooming may believe they are in a relationship with their abuser and be unaware that they are being exploited.

They also may not understand that child trafficking is abuse and that they have done nothing wrong. They might think they played a part in their abuse or that they’re guilty of breaking the law if they have been forced into criminal activity.

4.4 Traffickers may:

Children and young people may also be exploited by parents, carers or family members. Often the child or young person will not realise that family members are involved in the exploitation.

5.Effects of child trafficking

5.1 Trafficking can have both short- and long-term effects and the impact can last a lifetime.

5.2 Children and young people who've been trafficked might:

  • not understand what's happened to them is abuse - especially if they've been groomed
  • believe they're in a relationship with their abuser and unaware they're being exploited
  • think they played a part in their abuse or have broken the law
  • feel very guilty or ashamed about the abuse they've suffered.

5.3 Being kept captive or living or working in poor conditions can have a serious impact on a child's mental and physical health. They might also be suffering from the effects of abuse and neglect.

5.4 Children may feel distressed and alienated if they've been separated from their families, friends, communities and cultures.

5.5 They'll often have had no access to education or opportunity for social and emotional development.

5.6 Children exploited for domestic servitude and forced labour can suffer physical injuries, develop problems with their emotional health and be denied access to an education.

5.7 Children trafficked for sexual exploitation are at high risk of prolonged periods of sexual violence, physical injuries, sexually transmitted infections and, for girls, multiple pregnancies.

6. Who is involved in child trafficking?

6.1 Child trafficking requires a network of people who recruit, transport and exploit children and young people. Each group or individual has a different role or task. Some people in the chain might not be directly involved in trafficking a child but play a part in other ways such as falsifying documents, bribery, owning or renting premises or money laundering.

6.2 Traffickers may be individuals or small groups who recruit a small number of children – often from areas they know and live in. Medium- sized groups who recruit, move and exploit, often on a small scale, or large criminal networks that operate internationally, can deal with high-level corruption, money laundering and large numbers of victims.

6.3 Signs an adult is involved in child trafficking include travelling with different children who they are not related to or responsible for, insisting on remaining with and speaking for the child, living with unrelated or newly arrived children, abandoning a child or claiming not to know a child they were previously with and making or acting as a guarantor for multiple visa applications for different children.

7. Report child trafficking

7.1 Children who are trafficked are intentionally hidden and isolated from the services and communities who can identify and protect them. If you're worried about a child, you can take steps to keep them safe.

7.2 If you think a child or young person is in danger, contact the police on 999.

7.3 Contact your local child protection services. You can find their contact details on the website for the local authority the child lives in.

7.4 Contact the Modern Slavery Helpline to get help, report a suspicion or seek advice. Call 0800 012 1700 or fill in their online form.

8. National Referral Mechanism and Duty to Notify - Referring a Potential Victim of Modern Slavery to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM)

8.1 The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is a victim identification and support process which is designed to make it easier for all the different agencies that could be involved in a trafficking and now modern slavery cases (e.g. police, Home Office UK Visas and Immigration Directorate, Local Authorities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs)) to co-operate, to share information about potential victims and to facilitate their access to advice, accommodation and support.

8.2 Referring children into the NRM encourages the sharing of information between agencies and can help to ensure an appropriate safeguarding response. It also helps the UK collect evidence and build an understanding of the patterns of child slavery. This helps to shape policy and can aid police investigations into modern slavery and trafficking. Nationality and immigration issues should be discussed with the United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) only when the child's need for protection from harm has been addressed and should not hold up action to protect the child. There should also be liaison with the embassy / consulate for the child's nationality to help establish their identity and if appropriate, their safe return home.

8.3 Since 1 November 2015, certain frontline staff, who encounter a potential victim of modern slavery have been required to notify the Home Office under Section 52 of the Modern Slavery Act. This requirement applies to the Police, Local Authorities, the National Crime Agency and the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.

8.4 For potential child victims, the duty to notify should be discharged by referring the child into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). All cases of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking must be notified to the Local Authority Lead for recording and monitoring.

The NRM does not supersede child protection procedures, so existing safeguarding processes should still be followed in tandem with the notifications to the NRM.

8.5 There is no minimum requirement for justifying a referral into the NRM and consent is not required for children. Communicate honestly with the child about your concerns and reasons for referring them into the NRM.

If the child or anyone connected to them is in immediate danger the police should be contacted as normal.

8.6 Where there is reason to believe a victim could be a child, the individual must be given the benefit of the doubt and treated as a child until an assessment is carried out. An age assessment should only be carried out if appropriate to do so and should not cause a delay in referring into the NRM.

9. Useful guidance, tools and websites:

10. Other Information: