Posted on May 02, 2017
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Modern slavery and human trafficking in the news
Modern slavery is happening in the United Kingdom, with sexual exploitation becoming the most common form of modern slavery reported, closely followed by labour exploitation, forced criminal exploitation and domestic enslavement.
Said to be hiding in plain sight, victims of modern slavery are working in our nail bars, on construction sites, in brothels, on cannabis farms and in agriculture. There is no typical victim. They can be men, women and children of all ages. They can be of any ethnicity and nationality, but it is normally more prevalent among the most vulnerable or within minority or socially excluded groups.
Cannabis farming
In March 2017, The Guardian reported a story on enslaved Vietnamese teenagers being trafficked to the UK to work on illegal cannabis farms. The report detailed that over the past decade police have become increasingly aware of a trafficking route that brings hundreds of young, vulnerable Vietnamese men and women to the UK every year. While women and girls are sent to work in nail bars or in the sex industry, young men and boys are forced to become gardeners in small, hidden cannabis farms – often set up in suburban houses.
You can read the full story here.
Modern slavery police officer
In April 2017, The BBC published a story on North Wales Police’s plans for a first Modern Slavery Officer. High-profile modern slavery cases in south Wales include one which saw three members of the same family jailed for forced labour offences.
Last year, North Wales Police mounted two major investigations into modern slavery, resulting in 17 people being made safe.
You can read the full story here.
Child trafficking hits record high
Child trafficking referrals in the UK have hit a record high after rising by 30% in a year, statistics have revealed.
The Independent published the article in April 2017 detailing that the number of children referred to the UK Government’s National Referral Mechanism increased to 1,278 in 2016 – the highest figure on record according to the latest figures from the National Crime Agency.
You can read the full story here.
In another related article, The Independent also reported that human trafficking victim referrals have risen by almost 80% across the UK amid calls for heightened public awareness.
You can read more about this story here.
Ensure your staff are trained and aware of the signs of modern slavery and human trafficking
Training your staff so they are aware and alert to the signs of modern slavery has never been more important.
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