How to spot the signs of Modern Slavery

A number of newspapers cover the Public Accounts Committee report on modern slavery today. The report acknowledged that the UK is ahead of many countries when responding to modern slavery but makes a number of recommendations for further progress.

A Home Office spokesperson said:

Modern slavery is a barbaric crime that destroys the lives of its victims, which is why we introduced the world-leading Modern Slavery Act in 2015 and have put in place the Modern Slavery Strategy.

The Public Accounts Committee recognises that the UK is ahead of many countries in responding to modern slavery and the Government’s Modern Slavery Taskforce will consider its recommendations carefully.

Modern Slavery Strategy

• The UK is the first country in the world to have dedicated legislation in place to tackle modern slavery. The Government has had an ambitious Modern Slavery Strategy in place since 2014.
• In 2016 the Prime Minister announced a new Modern Slavery Taskforce, which sits at the centre of Government, to drive further progress in tackling slavery and people trafficking.
• To co-ordinate the modern slavery response across Government and ensure accountability for delivering the Modern Slavery Strategy, the Cabinet Office has appointed a Senior Responsible Officer.
• In October 2017, we published new research that has identified 17 distinct types of modern slavery in the UK. The findings will be used to inform our response to preventing modern slavery from taking place.

Action against modern slavery offenders

• There are more than 600 live modern slavery police operations underway.
• More potential victims are being identified and protected due to a greater awareness and improved understanding of modern slavery. In 2017, 5,145 potential victims of modern slavery were referred to the UK’s National Referral Mechanism, a 35% increase on 2016.
• The latest conviction figures from 2016 show that 55 offenders were convicted of modern slavery offences, a 77% increase from 2015.