Constabulary highlights Modern Day Slavery during anti-slavery week

To mark Anti-Slavery Week, Cheshire Constabulary is taking the opportunity to highlight Modern Day Slavery and how to spot the signs.

More than 49.6 million people in the world today, and an estimated 136,000 people in the UK, are trapped in conditions of modern slavery.

The Constabulary’s Protecting Vulnerable People teams across the county are dedicated to identifying, safeguarding and supporting victims of forced labour, domestic servitude and sexual exploitation and in taking robust action against offenders.

They work closely with partners including local authorities, recruitment agencies, employers and private landlords to identify, prevent, disrupt and stop modern day slavery and help the vulnerable victims.

Detective Inspector Dave Jarvis from the Eastern Protecting Vulnerable People Exploitation team, said:

“It’s a sad fact of life that modern slavery is happening today, in our communities, often hidden away behind closed doors.

“Modern slavery destroys lives. It stems from serious and organised crime and targets some of the most vulnerable people in our society, who are coerced into a range of exploitation, including trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude.

“Many are tricked into coming to the UK with a promise of a good job and a better life. Instead, they are made to live a life of abuse, working in terrible conditions with very little reward.

“These offences represent a grave abuse of human rights and basic dignity - we are determined to eradicate modern slavery and bring to justice those who so cruelly exploit vulnerable people.”

Victims of modern slavery are often hidden in plain sight. You may see victims working in your community without realising that they are being coerced to do so by organised criminals.

To look out for potential victims, it is important to recognise the signs and behaviours associated with this type of crime.

Here are some of the common signs that may indicate that someone could be a victim of modern day slavery:

• Appearance: Victims may show signs of physical or psychological abuse, look malnourished or unkempt or appear withdrawn.
• Isolation: Victims may rarely be allowed to travel on their own, seem under the control/influence of others, rarely interact or appear unfamiliar with their neighbourhood or where they work.
• Poor living conditions: Victims may be living in dirty, cramped or overcrowded accommodation, and may be working at the same address.
• Few or no personal effects: Victims may have no identification documents, have few personal possessions and wear the same clothes day in, day out. The clothes they do wear may not be suitable for their work.
• Unusual travel times: They may be dropped off/collected for work on a regular basis, either very early in the morning or late at night.
• Reluctant to seek help: Victims may avoid eye contact, appear frightened or hesitant to talk to strangers and fear law enforcers for many reasons, such as not knowing who to trust or where to get help and fear of deportation.

Information from the community, no matter how small, plays a vital part in tackling modern slavery.

If you see something suspicious call Cheshire Constabulary on 101 via the website or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

For more information about modern day slavery visit here.