Justice Minister has launched a new three-year
strategy to tackle modern slavery and trafficking in Northern
Ireland.
The strategy will enable the Department of Justice to take a more
sustained approach to identifying and eradicating modern slavery
and human trafficking here.
It will build on the commitments and achievements of previous
strategies and is informed by engagement with both
non-governmental and statutory partner organisations.
The Minister said: “Modern slavery and human trafficking are an
affront to our values as a society. They are brutal and
appalling crimes which undermine the fundamental principles of
human rights and dignity.
“Victims are among some of the most vulnerable and traumatised in
the criminal justice system. They may not be recognised as
victims, and they may not recognise themselves as victims.
“The issue requires a societal wide effort if we are to
raise awareness and successfully tackle this heinous crime and
collaborative working is a key element of the strategy. The
Department will engage regularly with stakeholders to ensure
objectives are achieved.”
The strategy groups actions and commitments under the strands of:
- Pursue - enhance operational responses to pursue and disrupt
offenders;
- Protect - providing victims with necessary levels of
protection and support and
- Prevent - engagement, awareness raising and training.
The full strategy can be found on the publication section of
this website.
If you suspect someone is a victim of modern slavery and human
trafficking ring 999 in case of an emergency, 101 to report a
general situation or 0800 0121 700 for the Modern Slavery
Helpline.
Further information about human slavery can be found on the
NIDirect website(external link
opens in a new window / tab)
Notes to editors:
1. The consultation on the draft strategy ran from 18
October 2022 to 10 January 2023. A summary of consultation
responses has been included in the published strategy as an
annex.
2. The strategy has been developed under section 12
of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and
Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015(external link
opens in a new window / tab).
3. Some of the signs of modern slavery are -
- Someone who is distrustful of authorities.
- Someone who appears to be under the control of others.
- An over-crowded house or flat.
- Someone who is unsure of their address or the local area.
- Someone who may not have cash because they can't keep the
money they earn.
- Someone who can't produce their passport or personal
documents.
