Modern slavery is mostly a hidden crime, and to get a true picture of prevalence is very challenging. It is an umbrella term and can include:
- human trafficking;
- exploitation;
- servitude; and
- forced or compulsory labour.
The same statistics also identify that whilst the majority of children referred to the National Referral Mechanism were aged between 15-17, nearly 800 were younger, with 7 children being under 5 years old at the point of referral. Examples in relation to children and young people include county lines, sexual exploitation and labour exploitation.
More information such as survivor stories can be found at unseenuk.org.