Rights and responsibilities

Modern slavery act

The legislation significantly enhances support and protection for victims, gives law enforcement the tools they need to target today’s slave drivers, ensures perpetrators can be severely punished, and includes a world leading provision to encourage business to take action to ensure their end-to-end supply chains are slavery free.

DOWNLOAD THE MODERN SLAVERY ACT

Duty to notify

Specific public authorities have a duty to notify the secretary of state of any person identified in England and Wales as a suspected victim of slavery or human trafficking. This applies to the following public authorities at the time of publication:

• a chief officer of police for a police area,
• the chief constable of the British Transport Police Force,
• the National Crime Agency,
• a county council,
• a county borough council,
• a district council,
• a London borough council,
• the Greater London Authority,
• the Common Council of the City of London,
• the Council of the Isles of Scilly,
• the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.

USE THE ONLINE SERVICE TO REFER POTENTIAL VICTIMS AND HELP THEM RECEIVE SUPPORT 

Please always consider passing information to Hampshire Constabulary using the ‘Community Partnership Information Form’ which can be downloaded from our Stop Modern Slavery page.

Civil orders

Part 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 introduced two civil orders designed to prevent the harm caused by slavery and human trafficking offences: Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders (STPOs) and Slavery and Trafficking Risk Orders (STROs).

The police, the National Crime Agency, immigration officers and labour abuse prevention officers from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority can apply to court for these orders, which allow the courts to place a range of restrictions on the behaviour and activities of a person who poses a risk of committing slavery or trafficking offences.

GUIDANCE FOR ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

Recognise modern slavery in supply chains and businesses

Businesses have a vital role to play in helping to tackle modern slavery.

Every organisation carrying on a business in the UK with a total annual turnover of £36m or more is required to produce a slavery and human trafficking statement for each financial year of the organisation.

In this statement a business must describe the steps they have taken to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any of their supply chains or their own business, or they must disclose that they have taken no such steps.

The Home Secretary has produced statutory guidance to help businesses to comply with this requirement.

HOME OFFICE PRACTICAL GUIDE

EEA/non-EEA immigration position

Below is information on what financial support individuals may be entitled to depending on their nationality and whether they are from within the EU or not.