Download the full Combatting Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Plan.
We have set out our first-ever approach for tackling all forms of modern slavery in the borough.
The ‘Combatting Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Plan’ will focus on how the council will work with partners to prevent exploitation, identify and support victims and bring perpetrators to justice.
Modern slavery is a growing problem in the UK however many cases remain unreported, emphasising that more needs to be done to identify and safeguard victims.
Modern slavery can take many forms and includes human trafficking and slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour. It can also include sexual exploitation, debt slavery, forced criminality and removal of organs. It is defined as the illegal exploitation of people for personal or commercial gain.
Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, or receiving a person through force, fraud, coercion, or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit. In many cases this can include false promises of jobs, education, romantic relationships, or an escape of their current situation for a “better life.”
Councillor Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement said: “Modern slavery is everyone’s business, so we encourage everyone to read the plan to familiarise themselves with what it is, and how to spot the signs. We want to create a borough where survivors can ask for help and communities know how to respond and report anything they are suspicious of.
“We’ve developed the plan using insight from a range of professional experts, and it outlines how the council will work with the police to help identify and tackle exploitation. It also focusses on the work we do with schools to identify and protect children and young people from becoming victim of human trafficking.”
The actions set out in this plan builds on and adapts the framework that has already been successfully implemented in Royal Greenwich. Partnership working is key to tackling modern slavery and the council is responsible for identifying the risks of modern slavery and reporting any concerns.
Recommendations include all frontline and school staff undergoing training to identify exploitation, the council working with local businesses to promote ethical employment practices, and to raise awareness of employment rights and modern slavery support. The council’s enforcement team and the police will continue to work together to help identify and respond exploitation in the community.
The Combatting Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Plan has been developed in line with key learning from our partners; the London Modern Slavery Leads, the Human Trafficking Foundation and Stop the Traffik, as well as guidance from the Government’s Modern Slavery Strategy and the priorities of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
If you have any concerns that someone you know may be a victim of modern slavery or human trafficking, please contact the police by calling 101 or the Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700. For local advice and guidance email us on modern-slavery@royalgreenwich.gov.uk
Download the full Combatting Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Plan.