Public Health Perspective on UK-identified Victims of Modern Slavery

Sheila Bird

doi:10.1177/0011128720981887

Abstract

Links between identified-victims, which occur if escape of one has led to rescue of others (as cluster of victims in single location or controlled-individuals across a network of locations), have implications for how the totality of victims of modern slavery is estimated. Information from identified-victims can help to identify densely or dangerously trafficked-routes. Vulnerability of victims is not ended by their liberation: evidence-based healthcare and other support protocols are needed to assist recovery and resilience. The evidence-base for national protocols would be enhanced if over half the identified-victims agreed to join a research-led cohort by which morbidity and mortality could be monitored; location notified if the participant was again in extremis; with DNA-sampling offered as means to re-unite trafficked family-members.

Highlights

Links between identified-victims, which occur if escape of one has led to rescue of others, have implications for how the totality of victims of modern slavery is estimated
The 2018 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery (Her Majesty’s Government et al, 2018) documented that 5,143 potential victims of modern slavery were referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the UK’s identification and support system for victims of modern slavery, of whom 2,121 (41%) were children
Another 1,694 potential adult victims were referred via the “duty to notify” provision of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 which applies to England and Wales, bringing the total number of potential victims identified to 6,837

Summary

Principal Epidemiological Perspectives

The sort of labor (domestic, physical, sexual) enforced upon victims of modern slavery, for example those within the UK (Her Majesty’s Government et al, 2018), differs by the gender and age-group of the identified victim. Identified victims can be asked about hospitalizations (by cause) and pregnancy (by outcome) for themselves and for fellow-victims (by gender, age-group, and type of victimization) within the UK; and to report on the death (if any; and by cause, gender, age-group, and type of victimization) of fellow-victims within the UK This vital public health and safety information that identified victims may be able to provide can be triangulated with other National Health Service (NHS) or police sources to arrive at improved estimates for the morbidity and mortality of UK-based victims of modern slavery. Re-uniting of trafficked family-members would be more likely if, periodically, any such identified-victim-DNA-databases could be pooled internationally

Public Health Perspective on Mortality

Expected number of deaths

Discussion

Findings

Author Biography