Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking: Anti-Slavery Week

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16 October 2025

This week is ‘Anti-Slavery Week’, when a spotlight is put on issues around modern slavery and human trafficking in an effort to raise awareness of how to spot, stop and report criminal behaviour.

Below are extracts from the website of Warwickshire County Council on this topic. A link to the full article can be found at the bottom of this page. Please read it and share it with interested parties.

“Human trafficking and modern slavery are thought to be amongst the most widespread crimes in the world, affecting millions of men, women, and children each day.

This is happening in Warwickshire. We all need to be aware of what this is, understand what it involves, be able to spot the signs and know how to respond to and report concerns.

What Is Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking?

Human Trafficking is:

The movement or recruitment by deception or coercion for the purpose of exploitation.

Modern Slavery acts as an umbrella term, which covers several human rights issues, of which human trafficking is one, it encompasses:

Slavery – including bonded labour, child slavery such as child labour and trafficking, early and forced marriage, forced labour, descent-based slavery, and trafficking.
Human Trafficking.
Domestic Servitude – victims are forced to carry out housework and domestic chores in private households for little or no pay.
Forced/Compulsory Labour – victims are forced to work against their will, often working exceedingly long hours for little or no pay in dire conditions and with verbal and physical threats made to them.
Debt bondage – victims are forced to work to pay off debts often accrued by travelling to their place of exploitation with no real prospect of paying off the debt.

Traffickers and slave masters use whatever means they have at their disposal to coerce, deceive, and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude, and inhumane treatment.

Whilst each case of Modern Slavery can look different, there are signs which are common across multiple forms of exploitation, which may suggest an individual is at risk of, or is a victim of a form of Modern Slavery. These signs include if someone:

acts as if instructed by another, as though they are forced or coerced to carry out specific activities
demonstrates signs of physical or psychological abuse, such as lacking self-esteem, seeming anxious, bruising, or untreated medical conditions
seems to be bonded by debt; has money deducted from their salary; or has a lack of access to earnings
has little or no contact with family or loved ones
is distrustful of authorities
has threats made against themselves or family members
is not in possession of their own legal documents (Passport or documents are held by someone else)

The Stop The Traffik website has additional details of warning signs which may be more apparent with specific forms of slavery.

Reporting Concerns & Support

UK Modern Slavery Helpline and Resource Centre – call 08000 121 700.

The Modern Slavery Helpline and Resource Centre brings us closer to the eradication of modern slavery. They provide victims, the public, statutory agencies and businesses access to report concerns and get help, support and advice, on a 24/7 basis.

If you have any concerns about someone you believe to be subjected to modern slavery you can contact Warwickshire Police on 101. In an emergency call 999”.

The full article can be found here - https://safeinwarwickshire.com/crime-anti-social-behaviour/modern-slavery-human-trafficking/3 .

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