‘Brexit may make it easier to prevent slavery’
Head of UK commission into human trafficking says enhanced border controls could help stop criminals
Brexit correspondent
BREXIT could make it easier for Britain to help prevent human trafficking, the independent anti-slavery commissioner has said.
Kevin Hyland OBE, a former police officer of 30 years experience, told The Daily Telegraph the UK was leading the fight against modern slavery and would do so “before or after Brexit”.
And he suggested enhanced border controls after the country leaves the UK could even improve the country’s ability to keep tabs on people.
He also said that Brexit should have no impact “whatsoever” on its partnership with Europol, the EU’S law enforcement agency.
It comes after campaigners claimed that leaving the EU would make it “impossible” to tackle slavery and human trafficking due to a loss of regulations and funding from Brussels.
“If you look at the real facts and figures, there’s nothing at the moment that suggests any change, [with] the presence of Brexit looming,” said Mr Hyland.
“For the UK fighting modern slavery, we have created legislation. We’ve created an anti-slavery commissioner, we’ve got life imprisonment sentences for human traffickers. The legislation is still new and I want it to be more effective, but this is a piece of UK legislation and it will remain before or after Brexit.”
“I know the relationship [with Europol] has to change, for a number of reasons. But I’ve worked with, in my past role, countries like the US, Thailand and India. When an offence happens, with those countries we have mutual legal assistance treaties. We will still have a relationship with Europol.”
On the issue of free movement, Mr Hyland suggested enhanced border controls could help keep tabs on people who were vulnerable to people trafficking, but added it was “too early to say what effect it will have.”
“We don’t know what the terms and conditions are and how it is going to be managed. If that is all managed well, and governed well, it could actually create a process whereby we know who’s coming in and where they’re working,” he said.
Mr Hyland, the former head of the Metropolitan Police’s anti-human trafficking unit, said the UK police force already had strong links with other forces worldwide. In terms of the EU he said: “A lot of the victims that will arrive in the UK will have gone through several European countries before they arrive. So it’s also important we have those relationships and there’s no reason whatsoever why that doesn’t remain. We have to step outside of whether it’s an EU or non-eu issue. It’s a global crime.”
An estimated 45 million people worldwide live in slavery. There are around 13,000 potential victims in the UK. It affects thousands, lured to Britain and forced to work long hours in horrific conditions with little or no pay.
The independent anti-slavery commission, the first of its kind worldwide, was set up by Theresa May, who appointed Mr Hyland to hold the Government to account.