Croydon is to stage a conference this week to look at ways modern slavery and human trafficking can be tackled and, ultimately, eradicated from the borough.
Prevention of Modern Slavery in Croydon is a free half-day event that will feature 10 guest speakers, including Tamara Barnett, project leader for the Human Trafficking Foundation and Peter Cox, the chairman of Croydon Community Against Trafficking.
The conference will take place at Croydon Conference Centre, Surrey Street, this Thursday, November 10, from 9am to 1pm.
The terms “modern slavery” or “human trafficking” encompass slavery for the purposes of sexual exploitation, servitude and forced and compulsory labour. Traffickers and slave drivers coerce, deceive and force individuals against their will into a life of inhumane treatment. It is estimated that there are more slaves today than at any time in global history.
Professor Bernard Silverman, chief scientific officer to the Home Office, has estimated that in 2013 there were between 10,000 and 13,000 potential victims of modern slavery in Britain.
Research has shown that 65 per cent of the world’s slaves are in a forced-labour situation; that it’s not just girls who are enslaved – 400,000 men and boys are being sexually exploited globally; and that, according to the United Nations, 46 per cent of victims worldwide know their trafficker.
Conference delegates will hear about recent developments, such as the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and what support options are available for victims of modern slavery.
They will get the chance to share experiences, consider their own role in identifying and assisting victims, and how they might be able to contribute to Croydon’s action plan.
To reserve a place at Thursday’s conference, email antony.botting@croydon.gov.uk
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