Modern slavery and Human Trafficking
The term Modern Slavery covers a wide range of types of exploitation where people are used and treated in a terrible way for the benefit of others.
As a victim of Modern Slavery, the person's freedom is taken away and they are controlled by someone else. They might be forced into working for very little pay, made to commit crimes or sexually exploited.
In 2023 the Home Office received approximately 22,000 notifications of potential victims of Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking - that is nearly enough people to fill Norwich City Football Club stadium. Norfolk Constabulary reported 269 potential victims of Modern Slavery in 2023 but there is likely to be a large number of unidentified potential victims given its hidden nature so the true scale of Modern Slavery remains unknown.
Human trafficking is part of Modern Slavery. This is when people are moved with the purpose of exploiting them. Sometimes people are brought into the country, tricked by the promise of work and a better life, but people can also be trafficked within the UK.
Some common types of exploitation linked to trafficking are:
- Sex trafficking – victims have to work as prostitutes, or in other areas of the sex industry such as pornography or escort agencies
- Forced labour – victims are threatened or physically forced to work and receive little or no pay. Commonly this might be working in fields, on a fishing boat, in car washes, nail bars or building sites
- County Lines – victims are used to sell and transport drugs
- Working as a servant – cooking, cleaning in a household, again for low pay or no pay and sometimes facing abuse
- Forced crime – begging, stealing or dealing drugs
- Organ harvesting – victims have organs, such as a kidney, removed from their body to be sold illegally
- Forced marriage – when you are pressured into a marriage that you do not consent to
What are the signs?
Victims of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking are often tricked into believing that they are being offered a better life and do not realise how they will be treated.
It’s important to get help as soon as possible if you think someone is being exploited. A victim of slavery might show some of these signs:
- Appearing frightened and reluctant to interact with others
- Having injuries
- Not having ID documents
- Having few personal possessions and wearing the same clothes all the time
- Having someone else with them at all times and not being allowed to speak for themselves
What could happen?
In all types of Modern Slavery, victims are treated with no regard for their wellbeing – they are seen simply as a means of benefiting the people who are exploiting them.
As a victim, they will often experience violence or threats of violence as a way of making them comply. They could also face sexual abuse.
If they have received gifts, travel or accommodation, they might be told they have a debt to pay off. This can result in working long hours in poor or dangerous conditions and receiving little or no payment.
Living conditions can be dirty and cramped and they might be exposed to drug use. They could become addicted to drugs or alcohol as a way of coping with a desperate situation – and this could make them even more dependent on the people who are exploiting them.
If someone is forced into crime, such as stealing, violence or dealing drugs, they could be arrested and receive a criminal record. This could seriously affect their future opportunities, such as employment, travel and housing.