Modern slavery and human trafficking

Have you been affected by, or do you want to know more about, modern slavery and human trafficking?

Modern slavery is when you’re tricked, deceived, coerced or forced into exploitation for someone else’s personal or commercial gain. Your movement and freedom are usually restricted.

The different types of modern slavery are:

forced labour – you’re working where someone might get a job (e.g. in a factory, on a construction site, in a care home or at a car wash) but you’re not being paid or being paid very little, you’re under threat or being forced, and you don’t have freedom of movement or choice
sexual exploitation – you’re forced to have sex with one or more people against your will
criminal exploitation – you’re forced into committing criminal acts against your will, such as cultivating cannabis or transporting drugs from one place to another
domestic servitude – you’re made to perform domestic tasks under duress and threat of harm
organ harvesting – you’re moved from one place to another for the purpose of removing your organs and transplanting them into someone else

Human trafficking is the movement of a person or people for the purpose of exploiting them. Even if you think you’re travelling willingly, you can still be trafficked. If you’ve been tricked into travelling because you’ve been told you’ll get a job or education, but then experience forced labour or sexual exploitation and not proper employment, trafficking has happened.

For children and young people under 18, even if it looks like you’re travelling willingly to another part of a city or the UK, you’re never able to consent to that travel.

Modern slavery and human trafficking are two linked but separate types of crime.

Modern slavery can happen without you being trafficked. But with human trafficking, there’s always some form of exploitation, for example you’ve been forced into labour.

In most cases of human trafficking and modern slavery, you’ll experience the following:

threat and intimidation
restriction of freedom, this includes having personal documents you need for travel taken away, access to your bank accounts restricted or controlled, or being locked in spaces you can’t leave
inappropriate living conditions, this includes sleeping in the same space as multiple people and having limited access to food
physical violence and/or sexual violence, to keep you frightened of the person or group who is exploiting you

If you’re a child or young person under 18, you can be affected by child criminal exploitation and child sexual exploitation. If you’re experiencing exploitation, it’s most likely happening in your local area and may involve travelling short distances. You might hear the term ‘county lines’ in relation to the criminal exploitation of young people.

How you might be feeling

If you’ve been affected by modern slavery and human trafficking, it’s not your fault. You’re not alone, and you can get help.

You’ve experienced a traumatic, dehumanising crime and might have an extreme distrust of people and services trying to help you. This is completely normal. You may have experienced extreme levels of coercion or brainwashing, including being told that people in positions of authority will treat you badly. It might take a long time for you to trust anyone.

We’re here for you no matter what. We understand it might take you a little time to trust us and will do everything we can to help.

Get the help you need

If you’d like more information or support, contact us now.

As well as receiving help from us, you can also get support from other organisations and charities. See below or search our directory.

Unseen – Unseen is an anti-slavery charity that runs the modern slavery and exploitation 24-hour helpline. You can call them anonymously on 08000 121 700. Help is available in more than 200 languages.

National Referral Mechanism – A government-run framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery and ensuring they receive appropriate support. A first responder must refer you. First responders include police, certain parts of the Home Office (e.g. Border Force or UK Visas and Immigration), The Salvation Army and Medaille Trust. See the full list of first responder organisations here.

The Salvation Army – Charity that provides recovery and reintegration support for victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. They’re a first responder organisation that can refer you to the National Referral Mechanism and can offer help and referrals to other organisations. Contact the 24-hour helpline on 0800 808 3733.

Medaille Trust – UK charity supporting survivors of modern slavery with first responding, safe houses and outreach services. They’re a first responder organisation that can refer you to the National Referral Mechanism and can offer help and referrals to other organisations. Call 0800 0699 916 or email enquiries@medaille-trust.org.uk for more information.

St. John of God – Provides support and hospitality for victims of modern slavery in Greater Manchester. You must be referred to this service by a first responder organisation.

Causeway Charitable Services – Offers support for victims in Greater Manchester including services to prevent re-exploitation, protect while recovering and help with reintegration back into society. You must be referred to this service by a first responder organisation.

Justice and Care – Greater Manchester Police work with this charity and will refer you if appropriate. It provides Victim Navigators to support modern slavery victims who are working with the police to provide evidence. The Navigators offer support with prosecutions, ensure contact is maintained and keep the victim informed of the process.

How to report modern slavery and human trafficking

In an emergency, please call 999.

In a non-emergency, report modern slavery and human trafficking to the police by calling 101 or reporting on the Greater Manchester Police website.

If you want to remain anonymous, you can call the modern slavery and exploitation 24-hour helpline on 08000 121 700. This is run by the charity Unseen and is independent of the police.

Even if you don’t report the crime to the police, you can still receive help and support get help from us.

Victims of modern slavery

Anyone can be a victim of modern slavery. In the UK, many victims have been exploited before they reach the UK, either in their home country or as part of the journey.

Some of the nationalities that the UK sees the highest number of victims from include Pakistan, Albania, India, Sudan and Eritrea.

There are also a high number of UK victims, particularly children, who are criminally exploited by organised crime gangs.

In Greater Manchester, just over a quarter of all victims are women and girls, and almost half of all victims are children under the age of 18.

Modern slavery in the UK

In 2023, 17,004 potential victims of modern slavery were referred into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). This helps the government to keep track of how many victims are identified, and also enables those affected to access support.

In Greater Manchester, 524 victims entered the NRM in 2023. Not everyone who has experienced modern slavery wants to enter the NRM, so the actual number of victims is likely to be higher.

If you don’t want to report the crime to the police, you can still access our services to receive help and support.

Find out more about modern slavery and human trafficking

Dan is a survivor of modern slavery, watch his story.

Greater Manchester Police has more information, including how to spot the signs and different ways to report:

Watch this video created by the UK Home Office about modern slavery and human trafficking.