Scale of modern slavery revealed
Bid to tackle gangs who hold over 4,200 modern slaves across region
WEST Midlands Police fear there are up to 4,200 victims of modern slavery in the region – and an astonishing 100,000 across the UK.
The force has been pioneering efforts to tackle the often unreported crime and has arrested 58 suspected people traffickers since January.
Detectives last year busted one Polish gang led by husband and wife Ignacy Brzezinski and Justyna Parczewska who lured hundreds of vulnerable people from abroad to West Bromwich. They were forced to work for as little as £20 per week under the threat of violence – while the criminals banked £2 million. Now a new report has revealed the staggering scale of the problem across the West Midlands, with up to 4,197 potential victims identified by police through an innovative data analysis system. And across the UK the figure has now been estimated at 100,000.
The grim statistics have been released by anti-slavery charity Justice for Care and The Centre for Social Justice.
The report, called ‘It Still Happens Here’, reveals that in the last three years the UK has been the top country of origin for suspected slavery victims.
West Midlands Police Superintendent Sally Simpson, the force’s lead for slavery, said: “Traffickers abuse and exploit their victims in a multitude of forms with the most common types of exploitation being labour exploitation, sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation and domestic servitude. Modern slavery is often linked to other crimes. Trafficking gangs will use the identities of victims to commit benefit fraud and victims are also controlled with alcohol and drugs and may be forced to beg in the streets, engage in the sale of illicit tobacco or be exploited in brothels or car washes.
“It’s really important that our communities work with us to tackle slavery and trafficking – and to report any suspicious behaviour around properties.
“This could include people being collected from an address early in the morning and dropped off late at night, residents rarely leaving an address or appearing frightened or reluctant to talk to people.”
Previous slavery estimates had placed the total UK slavery figure at between 10,000 and 13,000.
But by using a pioneering new data analysis project led by West Midlands called National Data Analytic Solutions (NDAS) – the UK figure has now been put at closer to 100,000.
Justice for Care’s Chief Executive Officer Christian Guy said: “West Midlands Police’s innovation means that, for the first time, we have a much more accurate indication of the true extent of modern slavery in the UK.
“Their work should be recognised and built on; it’s key to ensuring our country’s response is proportionate and serious. We can also now take giant strides forward in our national assessment.”
NDAS uses data analytical tools to help build better intelligence and insight from police data. The system was able to identify cases where slavery was likely to be involved and then pinpoint everyone likely to have been linked. Based on 2017 data, the system identified 4,197 potential victims of modern slavery in the West Midlands. And when extrapolated to the whole of the UK returns a figure of 99,469. But it is thought many more victims remain hidden and unaccounted.
From April 2019 to March 2020 almost 1,000 potential slavery victims in Birmingham and the West Midlands were identified by police. The regional figure amounted to eight per cent of the national total and represented a 45 per cent increase on the previous 12 months. And from January 2019 to June 30 this year the West Midlands force has arrested 58 suspected traffickers under the Modern Slavery Act.