Lucy Cavendish Director of Studies, Dr Saradamoyee Chatterjee, chaired Public Policy Exchange Symposium.
On Thursday 26th of January 2023, a panel of experts chaired by College’s Director of Studies in Land Economy and Bye-Fellow, Dr Saradamoyee Chatterjee, discussed ways to develop a stronger multi-agency response for the identification of and support for victims of trafficking.
There were 8,730 modern slavery offences recorded by the police in the year to March 2021 in England and Wales, a 5% increase from 8,354 in the year to March 2020. In the year ending March 2021, police recorded modern slavery offences involving a child increased by 27% to 3,239, compared to the previous year. Charities, law enforcement agencies and other bodies indicate that the Covid-19 pandemic made people more vulnerable to exploitation and made victims of human trafficking less able to access help. Figures published by the Home Office have shown that during the first three months of 2021, 2,945 potential victims of modern slavery were referred to the UK’s National Referral Mechanism – a 33% increase on the same quarter in 2019.
Dr Chatterjee says, "The trafficked survivors in the UK are not adequately supported and they are at increased risk of being re-trafficked".
The symposium provided local authorities, police forces, health professionals, criminal justice agencies, academics and charities, with an opportunity to examine methods of improving the identification and disruption of modern slavery and human trafficking, and to assess government policy and legislation in this area. It also enabled delegates to share best practice in strengthening local partnership arrangements and coordination activities to increase reporting and deliver sustained support for victims.
Key speakers at the event were:
- Dr Saradamoyee Chatterjee, Affiliated Lecturer in Migration and Human Trafficking at the University of Cambridge, Lucy Cavendish Director of Studies in Land Economy and Bye-Fellow (Event Chair)
- Lord McColl of Dulwich CBE, Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery & Sponsor of the Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill
- Phil Brewer & Alan Patrick, Specialist Advisor on Modern Slavery at Human Trafficking Foundation & Child Exploitation Activist
- Garry Smith, Chief Executive of Medaille Trust
- Kate Roberts, Head of Policy at Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX)
- Fiona Mactaggart, Former member of Dame Sara Thornton's advisory panel
- Lia Husarciuc, Social Services and Criminal Justice Liaison at the International Justice Mission UK
- Paul McAnulty, UK & Europe Programme Director at Hope for Justice and Slave-Free Alliance