A third of all human trafficking referrals recorded nationally are made in London, according to new data.
The Home Office released its annual statistics on the state of human trafficking in the UK.
The data shows that victim numbers hit a record high of 17,004 at the end of 2023.
The Metropolitan Police made 5,173 referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2023. These remained almost the same as referrals in 2022.
The Metropolitan Police force is the largest in the UK and is responsible for protecting 9,000,000 people.
But Phil Beck, specialist advisor at the Human Trafficking Foundation, said the large number of referrals is not down to the size of London. Instead, traffickers are drawn to London, he said.
“London is extremely diverse, so I think that’s probably one of the draws, it’s easier to stay under the radar in London.
“If you think, you know, if you as a foreign national ended up in a sort of small town or village, you probably stick out. Where London, it’s very easy to blend in because we are so diverse.”
Human Trafficking referrals in London reached 5,173 in 2023. CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS
What is the National Referral Mechanism?
The NRM was established in 2009 and records all allegations of human trafficking nationally.
Importantly, the records do not reflect arrests made or prosecutions against instances of human trafficking.
For an allegation of human trafficking to be referred, the suspected victim must give their explicit consent.
If they do not consent to being listed on the NRM, social workers or police officers still have a duty to notify.
In 2023, the NRM changed its criteria for referrals, meaning suspected victims have to provide objective evidence of trafficking.
Because of these changes, Mr Beck said that potential victims are less likely to come forward, out of fear of being deported.
“We’ve seen a far higher increase in people refusing support”.
Speaking about the need for objective evidence of trafficking, Mr Beck said: “I think that the hostile, approach, particularly to foreign nationals, has put people in fear that if they come forward”.
There have also been large increases in the waiting time for referrals to be approved on reasonable grounds, increasing from nine days in 2016 to 43 days in 2023.
City News has contacted the Home Office for comment.
Submitted Article
Headline
Short Headline
Standfirst
Published Article
HeadlineOne in three UK modern trafficking referrals made in London
Short HeadlineOne in three modern trafficking referrals made in London
StandfirstThe data shows that the Metropolitan Police made 5,173 human trafficking referrals in 2023.
A third of all human trafficking referrals recorded nationally are made in London, according to new data.
The Home Office released its annual statistics on the state of human trafficking in the UK.
The data shows that victim numbers hit a record high of 17,004 at the end of 2023.
The Metropolitan Police made 5,173 referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2023. These remained almost the same as referrals in 2022.
The Metropolitan Police force is the largest in the UK and is responsible for protecting 9,000,000 people.
But Phil Beck, specialist advisor at the Human Trafficking Foundation, said the large number of referrals is not down to the size of London. Instead, traffickers are drawn to London, he said.
“London is extremely diverse, so I think that’s probably one of the draws, it’s easier to stay under the radar in London.
“If you think, you know, if you as a foreign national ended up in a sort of small town or village, you probably stick out. Where London, it’s very easy to blend in because we are so diverse.”
Human Trafficking referrals in London reached 5,173 in 2023. CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS
What is the National Referral Mechanism?
The NRM was established in 2009 and records all allegations of human trafficking nationally.
Importantly, the records do not reflect arrests made or prosecutions against instances of human trafficking.
For an allegation of human trafficking to be referred, the suspected victim must give their explicit consent.
If they do not consent to being listed on the NRM, social workers or police officers still have a duty to notify.
In 2023, the NRM changed its criteria for referrals, meaning suspected victims have to provide objective evidence of trafficking.
Because of these changes, Mr Beck said that potential victims are less likely to come forward, out of fear of being deported.
“We’ve seen a far higher increase in people refusing support”.
Speaking about the need for objective evidence of trafficking, Mr Beck said: “I think that the hostile, approach, particularly to foreign nationals, has put people in fear that if they come forward”.
There have also been large increases in the waiting time for referrals to be approved on reasonable grounds, increasing from nine days in 2016 to 43 days in 2023.
City News has contacted the Home Office for comment.
