Human trafficking
Human trafficking, as defined under the UN Protocol, highlights the exploitation element of illegal immigration:
"Trafficking in persons shall mean the recruitment, transportation, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs."
How human trafficking relates to people smuggling
Human trafficking and people smuggling are both components of what is also referred to as organised immigration crime. Human trafficking takes place on a much smaller scale than people smuggling, however the nature of human trafficking makes it harder to identify and therefore gauge.
There are also cases where people who set out to be smuggled become victims of trafficking during their journey or find themselves vulnerable to exploitation on arrival at their destination.
People trafficking networks vary from large highly organised networks to more opportunistic agents who operate on their own.
How organised criminals exploit immigrants
Human trafficking victims may be brought into the UK unaware that they are under the control of traffickers and face exploitation, or may have been abused and exploited en route. However they have arrived in the UK, illegal immigrants who need to find work, often to pay off their facilitators or to avoid detection, can fall into a cycle of exploitation. This may include them becoming involved in criminal activities.
Legal immigrants are also vulnerable to various forms of exploitation, especially those from the new European Union member states. That’s because they represent a large proportion of economic migrants and can work legally without a visa, so don’t require fake documents. This makes them more attractive to exploitative employers.
Sexual exploitation of women
Victims trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation have been identified throughout the UK. In practice, any off-street sex establishment in the UK may be employing trafficking victims. Demand for sexual services remains strong, with the off-street sex trade employing an increasing number of foreign women and girls, some of whom are human trafficking victims.
Much of the demand for victims appears to be generated by the criminals controlling them. They can make greater profits by forcing victims under their control to work longer hours and provide a wider range of sexual services, while allowing them to keep only a small fraction of their earnings. It is certain that fear of violence and intimidation from their criminal controllers makes many victims reluctant or unable to come forward.
Where trafficking victims work
Consumer demand for cheap goods and services in the UK creates a market for cheap labour. This attracts immigrant workers, both those in the UK legally and illegal immigrants who have been smuggled or trafficked.
Immigrants are employed, in some cases against their will, in regulated and unregulated sectors. These include agriculture, horticulture, marine farming, textiles, catering, construction, nail bars, care homes, and car washes, and in criminal ventures, such as cannabis cultivation and pirate DVD selling.
Child trafficking
Children and young people trafficked into the UK are predominantly identified as previously living in poverty, orphans or living away from their family. Child traffickers promise a better life; the prospect of an education, employment or a family are significant pull factors.
The child will commonly be put under debt bondage to cover the cost of transportation, accommodation and the agent’s fee. Some children appear to be trafficked into the UK with the agreement of their parents or guardians.
Find out more about human trafficking now
For further information on human trafficking, have a look at the organised immigration crime section of the UK Threat Assessment (765.62 kb PDF)
SOCA works closely with Stop the Traffik, a global coalition of individuals, communities and organisations dedicated to preventing human trafficking, supporting victims and prosecuting offenders.
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