Definition of Modern Slavery
The internationally accepted definition of human trafficking comes from The United Nation’s ‘Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children’ (2000). Commonly referred to as the ‘Palermo Protocol’. It states:
“Trafficking in persons” shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.
The consent of a victim of trafficking in persons to the intended exploitation shall be irrelevant where:
Any of the means have been used.
The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation shall be considered “trafficking in persons” even if this does not involve any of the means.
“Child” shall mean any person under eighteen years of age.
In the United Kingdom the term ‘Modern Slavery’ is used to refer to several related crimes.
These include:
Human trafficking.
Slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.
| Human Trafficking | Slavery, Servitude and Forced Labour |
|---|---|
| 1. ACT: What has happened? recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons | 1. MEANS: How has this happened? threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person |
| 2. MEANS: How has this happened? threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person | 2. SERVICE: Why has this happened? the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs. |
| 3. PURPOSE: Why has this happened? the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs. |