Positive action combats a potential case of modern slavery
There may be a view that modern slavery is not a subject which is seen very often in Norfolk. But this is not the case at all.
Recently Border Force Officers at Norwich Airport became concerned about a male who had arrived from South Asia. After talking with him they established he was a seafarer and it transpired that his documents were forged. There was no boat for him to work on and the company he believed he would be working for did not exist. As such he was at high risk of exploitation and abuse. This is a known method of abuse of the immigration rules. The man declined referral into the National Referral Mechanism (a framework for identifying victims of human trafficking or modern slavery and ensuring they receive the appropriate support) and was returned home as per his wishes.
New powers were introduced in 2016 to tackle modern slavery at sea; over 2013 and 2014, the National Crime Agency (NCA) identified 37 potential victims of modern slavery who reported exploitation in the maritime industry.
Also see a recently published (2 May) House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on reducing modern slavery.
Modern slavery training: resource page
Training and awareness raising resources available to public sector organisations to help their staff understand modern slavery and learn to spot the signs.
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