Between April and June this year, 1,630 children were identified as potential victims of modern slavery through the government’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM), an increase of almost 20 per cent on the previous quarter and the highest level since the NRM was launched in 2009.
The figures refer to any form of human trafficking, slavery, servitude or forced labour, as set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
They show that that children known to the NRM were most often referred for criminal exploitation, where victims have been coerced into criminal activities from pickpocketing to transporting drugs across the country.
Iryna Pona, policy and impact manager at The Children’s Society, said: “We hope [the increase] reflects increased knowledge of child exploitation among professionals.”
She added that while this is positive, domestic servitude, where the victim is on call at a person’s house, often 24 hours a day, often gets less attention in comparison with other areas of modern slavery.
The figures have been released weeks after Sir Mo Farrah revealed that he was trafficked to the UK from Djibouti as a child and forced to work as a domestic servant.
Pona said: “Even for children referred to the NRM, support too often falls short, but the outlook can be even more bleak for the many other victims who are still not being identified by professionals.
“We hope the bravery of Sir Mo Farah in opening up about his ordeal will also help to raise awareness of exploitation.”
Pona has called for a change in how the government support migrants to minimise the risk of slavery to new migrants.
She said: “We want the government to give all unaccompanied migrant children and all suspected victims of trafficking in the UK access to an independent guardian who can identify signs of exploitation and support them to stay safe and access the help they desperately need.
“For migrant children, this will include crucial support to navigate the complex asylum system.”
Pona also warned that children are often not getting the support they need from the authorities. She said: “Too many of these children are criminalised, or unfairly treated as illegal immigrants, rather than recognised and supported as trafficking victims.
“Professionals and the authorities must do more to identify signs that a child is being exploited, and child migrants must be given the time and space to disclose their experiences.”
