In an attempt to combat the estimated $150 billion-a-year slavery industry the UK Government last week enacted the Modern Slavery Act. The Act introduces maximum jail sentences of life imprisonment for those found guilty of trafficking human beings, a significant increase from the previous 14 year prison term. In addition to increased custodial sentences, the Act gives the UK authorities the power to seize trafficker’s assets and forces them to compensate their victims.
Currently in the UK it is estimated that up to 13,000 people may be victims of modern day slavery including forced labour, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude. On a global scale it is estimated that as many as 36 million people may be living in situations of modern day slavery. According to the Global Slavery Index 2014 it is estimated that there may be up to 300 people living in modern day slavery in Ireland today. In Ireland, trafficking of human beings is criminalised under the Criminal Law Trafficking in Persons Act 2008. Those found guilty of human trafficking under the Act face a custodial sentence of up to life in prison.
The enactment of the UK Modern Slavery Act has for the most part been welcomed by organisations working to combat modern day slavery. That being said, a number of issues remain outside the protection of the new legislation including protection for domestic workers who are tied to one employer for the duration of their visas in the UK. Additionally In what has been described as a loophole in the Act, barrister Parosha Chandran has criticised the exclusion of non UK based subsidiaries from the ‘transparency in supply chain’ clause of the Act. According to Chandran “the transparency in supply chain clause will not prevent parent companies in the UK from profiting from any slave labour used in their supply chains abroad by non-UK subsidiaries”.
Click here to view the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Click here to read a summary of the key provisions of the Act on the Guardian website.
Click here to view the Global Slavery Index 2014.
Click here to read criticisms of the Act on the Guardian website.