‘Vulnerable people are being preyed on by criminal gangs - it has to stop’
The region’s first dedicated modern slavery strategy has been launched to protect vulnerable people from being exploited by organised criminal gangs.
The Humber Modern Slavery Partnership has released the action plan to tackle the issue, which includes forcing victims to work for little or no pay, restricting movement and withholding passports, bank cards and ID documents. Threats, control and coercion are common themes in modern slavery, which often also involves sexual exploitation.
Spanning the four local authority areas across the Humber, the strategy brings together partners including law enforcement, academics, health and other professionals for a focused and targeted approach to addressing modern slavery and human trafficking.
Led by partnership co-ordinator Andrew Smith, a consultation period helped shape six strategic priorities that spearhead the strategy. Those priorities are:
To fully support victims and equip them with the tools they need to recover
To disrupt organised crime
To raise the public’s awareness and improve professionals’ knowledge and skills
To improve the local response to identifying victims and at-risk communities
To develop an effective structure and performance monitoring
To ensure sustainability
Mr Smith said: “Protecting vulnerable people, victims and survivors is at the heart of this new strategic plan. Working together in true partnership across all sectors will see us build more resilient communities that are able to deflect and dismiss those looking to exploit them.
“Collaboration and coordination are recognised as the most effective way of tackling modern slavery in our communities. Creating a strong partnership approach, where different members can bring their skills and strengths to the fight, means we are in a better position than ever before to make lasting change.”
Dr Alicia Kidd, postdoctoral researcher at the Wilberforce Institute and vice chair of the Humber Modern Slavery Partnership said: “The partnership was established in 2015 and it's fantastic to see the progress made in those years. This new strategy will be instrumental in ensuring we move forward in providing the most effective, comprehensive approach to modern slavery in our region”.
RAISING AWARENESS: Keith Hunter
Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Keith Hunter, whose office funds the partnership co-ordinator position, said: “Modern slavery preys on the most vulnerable members of our community. In the Humber area, police and wider partners including the Modern Slavery Partnership are committed to tackling this form of exploitation by collectively raising awareness of modern slavery, encouraging the community to report concerns, supporting victims and those vulnerable to exploitation, and bringing those responsible to justice.”
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Calvert, force strategic lead for modern slavery, said: “Although you may not see it, modern slavery exists in our communities and sadly it often goes unnoticed. Vulnerable people in our society are being exploited by organised criminal gangs for their own benefit.
“Vulnerable people remain Humberside’s main priority, which is why a dedicated taskforce specialising in modern day slavery and human trafficking offences has been established.
“Operation Wilberforce’s priorities are to protect the victims of modern slavery and bring the offenders to justice.
“Working with the partnership is crucial to achieving our aims, raising awareness and gathering intelligence, bringing the skills and services of all our partnership agencies together to protect our most vulnerable.”
The strategy will be available to view on the following websites:
Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner: www.humberside-pcc.gov.uk
Wilberforce Institute: www.hull.ac.uk/Wilberforce
Humber Modern Slavery Partnership: www.humberantislave.co.uk
To report a suspicion or seek advice, call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700 or visit www.Modernslaveryhelpline.org .