In March 2020 Delta 8.7 published an article which argued that the pandemic would impact on modern slavery in at least three ways: by heightening risks for those already exploited, increasing he risks of exploitation and disrupting response efforts.1 Over the last year we have witnessed this predicted impact both in the United Kingdom and overseas. The pandemic has also greatly affected the way in which I was able to carry out my statutory responsibilities and my work, and that of the whole team, has gone online. While my face to face contact with survivors and frontline workers has not been possible and I have very rarely travelled, the use of online platforms has enabled me to speak at over 80 events, many with international participation. This annual report sets out my work using the framework of my strategic plan which was laid before parliament in October 2019. It draws attention to the events we have hosted and attended, the reviews that we have published and the letters that we have written during the year. I have continued to develop my approach to listen carefully, to take an independent view and base my contribution on evidence and data.  While some progress has been made, there is still much to do to support victims to become survivors living lives of sustainable independence. The successful prosecution of perpetrators of the most egregious offences remains infrequent and organised crime still regards trafficking in human beings as rewarding with a low risk of apprehension. After two years in this role I am even more convinced that the considerable research activity in this area could be contributing so much more to our practical understanding of what works in both survivor support and prosecution of offenders. EU Exit and the political focus on immigration both have the potential to impact on modern slavery and we have highlighted these risks to politicians and officials, in the media and in published reports. It is not my role to take a political position on either issue but to be constantly alert to the consequences for the identification of modern slavery victims and the potential to increase the vulnerability of people to traffickers and exploitative employers.  The pandemic has illustrated the vulnerability of workers and supply chains and I have placed priority on encouraging good practice in business, financial institutions, and labour market organisations. I am proud of our work on what businesses should learn from the UK’s largest anti-slavery prosecution, Operation Fort. A practical review led to good engagement with the supermarkets, the development of the IASC maturity matrix and a modern slavery intelligence network established by business. We also worked with Themis and the TRIBE Freedom Foundation to collate good practice in financial institutions and our review, ‘An agenda for action across the financial services sector’ led to constructive engagement with over 40 financial institutions.

The protection of victims who commit criminal offences as a direct consequence of their trafficking has continued to be a focus for our work. The prevalence of child exploitation in the county lines drug dealing model means that the statutory defence is frequently raised. A call for evidence prompted a good response and I concluded that there were considerable grounds for concern. The possibility of criminal exploitation was not being considered at the start of an investigation risking victims being wrongly prosecuted. However, there was also over-reliance on the trafficking decisions made by the Single Competent Authority and a failure to consider properly the legal components of the defence. This risks a case being discontinued when the matter could have been put before a jury. Most worryingly, in many cases it was clear that non-prosecution alone was not protecting a child or vulnerable adult – there needed to be effective safeguarding. This was not happening.  My work is supported by a small team of seven and all have worked with compassion and creativity, always industrious and focused on making a difference. I am extremely fortunate to have such a strong team and my thanks go to April, Katie, Jenna, Emma, Shelley, Ed and the seconded police officers Jenny, Nick, Helen, Rich and Kieran.

Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Annual Report 2020-2021 DOWNLOAD

post

page

attachment

revision

nav_menu_item

custom_css

customize_changeset

oembed_cache

user_request

wp_block

acf-field-group

acf-field

ai1ec_event

Combating modern slavery experienced by Vietnamese nationals en route to, and within, the UK
Publications

Vietnam has consistently featured in official statistics on modern slavery as one of the top three source countries for victims of the crime. Driven by this, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner visited Vietnam in 2015 and subsequently commissi...Read More

Guide to eliminating worker paid recruitment fees and related costs (third edition): A practical step-by-step guide for retailers, brands, employers and labour providers in global supply chains
Guidance

There are costs associated with providing the range of services integral to recruiting workers, including advertising and sourcing workers, processing applications, interviewing, worker documentation, skills assessment, placement, orientation, trans...Read More

An Exploratory Study on the Role of Corruption in International Labor Migration
Publications

In this targeted, exploratory research project, Verité examined three illustrative transnational migrant worker recruitment corridors – Nepal to Qatar, Myanmar to Malaysia, and Myanmar to Thailand – to identify the points in the recruitment pro...Read More

Eliminating Human Trafficking from the Thai Fishing Industry
Guidance

Findings from this research expand current knowledge about the various reasons why trafficking and exploitation persist in the Thai fishing industry, despite various state and corporate actions to prevent and address it. The main recommendation...Read More