Nearly 200 slavery victims in Hampshire in just 12 months

The Human Trafficking Foundation said a national increase in the number of identified potential cases demonstrates better awareness of the problem, but warned the UK figure could be a 'serious underestimate.'

The number of suspected modern slavery victims in the UK hit a record high last year, with more than 10,000 potential sufferers of trafficking, slavery and forced labour identified.

Home Office data shows that 195 potential cases were referred to Hampshire Constabulary in 2019.

This was up on the previous year, when 144 were recorded.

Modern slavery was introduced as an offence under the 2015 Modern Slavery Act, and can involve domestic servitude, forced sex work or labour exploitation.

Suspected victims can be flagged to the Home Office via the National Referral Mechanism by government agencies, police forces, councils and other organisations.

They are then assessed and can receive support including accommodation, legal aid and counselling.

The rise in referrals to Hampshire Constabulary reflected the trend across the UK, where 10,627 referrals were made last year, a 52 per cent increase from 2018.

However, just seven per cent of referrals made in 2019 received a 'conclusive grounds' decision – meaning they were positively identified as modern slavery victims and could access specialist services and support.

In a report accompanying the data, the Home Office said: ‘This is a result of the current length of time taken to make conclusive grounds decisions.’

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