UK too slow dealing with sophisticated slave gangs
Police and border officials should be more “proactive” in tackling slave trading gangs operating in the UK, according to a former Home Office adviser.
In a report for the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Fiona Cunningham said the European Union had been “too slow” in responding to the issue and freedom of movement rules had made it easier for “sophisticated” crime gangs to operate.
It comes ahead of an emergency EU summit on the issue of migration across the Mediterranean, amid fears slave traders are fuelling the crisis.
The Government passed the Modern Slavery Act last month and Ms Cunningham said other EU nations should follow suit, while Theresa May acknowledged legislation was “only part of the answer”.
The Home Secretary said: “We need concerted and coordinated action by law enforcement agencies and other partners and we, as a society, need to confront the shocking reality of modern day slavery.”
The report, entitled A Modern Response To Modern Slavery, also identified housing built in Slovakia using funds from benefits claimed by trafficking victims and siphoned out of the country by slave traders.
In her conclusions, Ms Cunningham suggests UK police and border agents should be more proactive and work with other European countries to develop “multilateral” investigations.
The associate director at the CSJ said: “Modern slavery will not stop if countries work in silos. It will not stop if police, borders and immigration agencies work in silos.
“Organised crime groups are exceptionally good at making the most of their networks; until politicians, police, policy makers and the public do the same we will not stop vulnerable men, women and children being trafficked into enslavement.
“Modern slavery is a high harm, high threat crime. Its international reach requires police to work more closely with law enforcement in other countries. Our EU borders are less defined and the internet provides opportunities for organised crime groups, yet challenges and hurdles for law enforcement investigations.
“Criminals of the sort that exist in the world of organised crime respect money over humanity. Organised crime groups think they can play by their own rules. Politicians, police and policy makers across Europe must leave them in no doubt that they are wrong and as a society, exploiting vulnerable people for profit will no longer be tolerated.”
The Home Office estimated there were between 10,000 an 13,000 victims of modern slavery in the UK in 2013.
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