A cross government report published this week has revealed that there were 3,266 potential victims referred to the national system for identifying and supporting victims of trafficking (NRM) in 2015. This is a 40% increase from 2014.

The report from the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group also records that in the nine months from November 2015 to July 2016 an additional 427 reports of possible victims who did not enter the NRM were received under a new notification system introduced for England and Wales in the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Whilst it is good to know that police forces, government and local authorities will now have more information about the number of victims there may be in the country, it is still concerning that victims are fearful or reluctant to go into the NRM since it is the only way they can be sure to receive the supported 45 day recovery period that they are entitled to.

The report also notes that there has been an increase in the number of prosecutions for forced labour and trafficking offences although conviction rates remain extremely low when compared with the number of possible victims that are referred.

Disappointingly, although the report refers to the current victim care system and the ongoing pilot of a new process for formally identifying victims, the report gives no consideration to the concerns raised in several recent reports about the problems faced by victims when they leave the specialist support at the end of the reflection and recovery period.

Highlighted in the report is the Prime Minister’s new Modern Slavery Taskforce which will involve key government ministers along with senior police and intelligence officers as well as other experts. The taskforce will keep modern day slavery a key government and enforcement priority and work towards bringing the response to this crime into line with the way other serious crimes are treated.

Overall, the report presents a picture of devolved and UK-wide administrations which take the issue of human trafficking and forced labour seriously but where there is much more effort required to bring traffickers to justice and support victims effectively.