Key parts of anti-slavery legislation come into force south of the border

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 has raised the limit for custodial sentences for offenders from 14 years to life.

In addition it gives courts the powers to hand out orders restricting the activities of suspected traffickers.

Victims are also afforded protections from prosecutions for offences committed in the course of being exploited and will have access to civil legal aid.

The legislation also provides powers to issue reparation orders and for courts to compensate victims and seize the assets of perpetrators.

Figures from the Home Office state there may be between 10,000 and 13,000 slaves in the UK.

Among them are domestic staff who are imprisoned, women forced into prostitution as well as people forced to work in factories, fields and on fishing boats.

The College of Policing has published national guidance to coincide with the law coming into force.

It states the “primary objective” of looking into allegations is to protect and support victims and provides guidance on how police officers can determine who may be at risk of being trafficked or a victim of forced labour.

The Salvation Army has the Home Office contract for running safe houses for adult victims of trafficking.

Anne Read, anti-trafficking and slavery director at the Salvation Army, said: “Everyone engaged in this work is pleased that something is being done, there is now an escalation in effort.

“There are thousands of people trapped in situations not of their choosing, doing things they do not what to do and things need to be done to help them and to stop anybody else being sold in to slavery.”