Modern slavery referrals double in Portsmouth, most involve children

According to council documents shared during a recent meeting, referrals from Portsmouth to the National Referral Mechanism rose to 32 in 2024, compared to 16 in 2023. Of these, 30 involved individuals under the age of 18.

An officer at the meeting said: “We’ve seen in the last year referral nearly double from Portsmouth rising to 32 from 16 in 2023. With the highest number involving individuals under 18.”

Modern slavery includes people being forced to work, treated as property, controlled by employers, and having their freedom restricted.

The increase in referrals does not automatically point to more cases, the council explained, but is likely linked to growing awareness and improved recognition of modern slavery.

Even with these improvements, modern slavery remains hard to measure due to how often it goes unreported.

“This reflects an upward trend in numbers but it doesn’t necessarily mean an upward trend in cases, what we believe it represents is improved awareness and identification of modern slavery,” the officer added.

“However it remains a really under reported issue so it’s difficult to tell either way.

“Last year was the highest number of referrals into the national referral mechanism across the UK ever.”

The council is part of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Modern Slavery Partnership, with senior managers from both adult and children’s safeguarding teams involved.

Across Hampshire, 350 potential victims were identified last year.

Councillor Lee Hunt said: “Modern slavery is a scourge on our city’s life – the government has got to continue funding it because it is a very miserable affair.”

Councillor Hugh Mason asked how Portsmouth compares to other areas. In response, an officer explained: “The way that the referral data is presented to us makes it difficult to compare to others. We only know the referral that come from our council.”

They also noted ongoing work with the Home Office and other councils through the Local Government Association to “build a picture of modern slavery.”