The National Crime Agency (NCA) has published its end of year summary on potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking. Findings from data on referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), a framework for identifying victims and ensuring they receive appropriate care, include: 3,137 referrals related to potential child victims, a 48% increase on the 2017 total.
The NCA largely attribute this increase to a rise in the number of referrals relating to county lines – a process through which urban gangs use children to move drugs and/or money to suburban areas, market towns and coastal towns.
For further details, please click here.