Large-scale migration is one of the key global economic, political and security challenges of the twenty-first century, with migrants and displaced persons reaching unprecedented levels in recent years. While the role of push and pull factors is well recognised, the underlying characteristics that render migrants vulnerable to modern slavery victimisation are…

Although the drivers and consequences of forced marriage are correlated with those of modern slavery, there is little consensus regarding whether and to what extent the two phenomena intersect.

The globalisation of supply chains has contributed to a deterioration of labour standards worldwide, exacerbating workers’ vulnerability to modern slavery and human trafficking. Governments, private actors and worker organisations have adopted a variety of approaches aimed at tackling modern slavery in supply chains. However, available evidence on their effectiveness is still scarce, and our understanding of “what works” remains limited.

This report builds on the Modern Slavery Policy Unit’s 2020 report It Still Happens Here which explored the progress that has been made in the UK’s response, five years on from the Modern Slavery Act, but also identifies the key challenges faced by frontline professionals who are working to fulfil their…

This Issue Brief explores the opportunities that the digital revolution has created to more effectively, and efficiently combat human trafficking, and – importantly – to respond to the increasing use of technologies by traffickers in the advertisement, recruitment and exploitation of victims. It examines the opportunities created by the digital trail left by traffickers, and considers the key technological, legal and financial challenges that need to be addressed in order to fully harness these opportunities.

This report explores the shared experiences of the victims of these hidden crimes, to understand and compare the support available and the impact of immigration status and having no recourse to public funds, on recovery and the pursuit of justice. Our paper outlines how enabling these victims to access support,…

This Issue Brief examines the effectiveness of awareness-raising campaigns – moving beyond the question of whether participants are informed by awareness-raising activities, to an assessment of whether they lead to behavioural changes that reduce the risk of trafficking. It considers the key drivers behind trafficking, whether the underlying assumption that information is lacking necessarily holds and the importance of targeted campaigns that are delivered by messengers credible to the target communities.

As the name suggests ‘cuckooing’ involves the gang taking over somebody’s home against their will and then using it for criminal activity such as storing and/or distributing drugs cash and weapons. Together with our partners at The Centre for Social Justice, Justice and Care is arguing for a simple change in…

COVID-19 has put under the spotlight the fast fashion industry in Leicester East, and its exploitation of thousands of (mostly immigrant) workers. Our research has confirmed that conditions in these garment factories exemplify a wide spectrum of criminality and exploitation. There is urgent need for action before a tragedy along…

This report by The Modern Slavery Policy Unit builds on the impact of the Centre for Social Justice’s groundbreaking report ‘It Happens Here: Equipping the United Kingdom to fight modern slavery’, which led to the passing of the Modern Slavery Act in 2015. It explores the progress that has been made…