A children’s charity has called for action as new figures show record numbers of children are being referred to the authorities as suspected victims of modern slavery, exploitation and trafficking.
New figures have revealed that a record number of children – 1,630 – were referred as suspected victims in this quarter – up nearly 20% on the previous quarter.
There was also a 49% increase in referrals of children suspected of being subject to labour exploitation and 484 children who were referred for criminal exploitation through county lines drug dealing.
Iryna Pona, policy and impact manager at The Children’s Society, said: ‘Professionals and the authorities must do more to identify signs that a child is being exploited, and child migrants must be given the time and space to disclose their experiences.
‘We want the Government to give all unaccompanied migrant children and all suspected victims of trafficking in the UK access to an independent guardian who can identify signs of exploitation and support them to stay safe and access the help they desperately need. For migrant children, this will include crucial support to navigate the complex asylum system.
‘We also want ministers to define child criminal exploitation – which includes county lines drug dealing – in law, and introduce a national strategy, backed by the funding needed, to end the current postcode lottery and ensure all young victims are identified early and get the support they need.’
