Fears over sharp rise in suspected child slavery victims

THE NUMBER of suspected child slavery victims referred by English councils has risen 15-fold over five years, figures show, amid fears that a resurgence of exploitation will continue to rise.

There were 1,971 children referred by local authorities for support under the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2019, according to Home Office statistics analysed by the Local Government Association (LGA).

This is about 15 times the 127 suspected child victims of modern slavery referred in 2014.

Coun Nesil Caliskan, the chairwoman of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, urged the public to report any “telltale signs” of exploitation.

She said: “The spiralling rate of referrals, especially those relating to children, is having a huge impact on overstretched council services, particularly children’s services. The easing of coronavirus restrictions could lead to more people being exploited by unscrupulous businesses seeking to make up for lost income by breaching minimum wage laws.”

She added: “Modern slavery is happening in local communities everywhere, with high street services such as car washes and nail bars being high risk sectors for exploitation.

“The public should look out for telltale signs, including people who may be dressed inappropriately for the work they are doing, or who appear frightened or withdrawn at work.”

Referrals of adults and children from all agencies dropped in the first quarter of 2020 as restrictions were imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The LGA fears exploitation could increase as businesses reopen and the lockdown measures are eased. Some will have taken a financial hit, meaning they may lack funds to pay staff wages or could take advantage of people made vulnerable by the crisis.

And the LGA said some victims may be harder to identify because closures will have taken them away from the public eye.

The number of child referrals rose by 71 per cent between 2018 and 2019, when children accounted for 91 per cent of all council referrals.

Suspected adult victims of modern slavery have also risen since 2014, but less rapidly. Adult referrals by English councils increased more than five-fold from 28 in 2014 to 190 in 2019, up 81 per cent from the previous year.

Anyone with concerns is urged to call the modern slavery helpline on 08000 121 700.