10 May 2023 - Human Trafficking - Oral evidence

Human trafficking victims are subject to four main types of exploitation: criminal, labour, sexual and domestic servitude. Cases reported to the UK’s National Referral Mechanism reveal a stark difference between the exploitation of men and women. Men and boys are most often subject to criminal and labour exploitation, accounting for 69% of male referrals combined. Women and girls are more likely to be subject to sexual exploitation, comprising 85% of NRM referrals. 

The nature of modern slavery and human trafficking means many cases may go unreported. There are particular concerns that the low proportion of sexual exploitation cases in the UK, compared to similar nations in Europe, could indicate significant under-reporting in this area.

In this session, the Home Affairs Committee will examine the scale of human trafficking and modern slavery in the UK, and the impact of legislation and policy designed to combat it. It will question whether the UK’s approach to combatting human trafficking places sufficient focus on the gendered nature of related crime, with women and girls predominately subject to sexual exploitation and men liable to be victims of labour exploitation. It will also examine the services available to support victims of human trafficking and consider whether these need to be improved.

Human Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit. It is distinct from people smuggling, which is illegal or clandestine transportation of people across international borders with their consent. Modern Slavery is an umbrella term which encompasses human trafficking and slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour. Human trafficking can involve a range of criminal activity including sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, domestic servitude and organ harvesting.