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Spearheading the UK’s fight against modern slavery
Kevin Hyland OBE is the UK’s first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. The Commissioner’s role was created as one of the key provisions of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
About the Commissioner

What is modern slavery?

Modern slavery is an umbrella term encompassing slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking. Victims of modern slavery are unable to leave their situation of exploitation, controlled by threats, punishment, violence, coercion and deception. Slavery violates human rights, denying people of their right to life, freedom and security.

40,300,000
people live in slavery today
(ILO & Walkfree Foundation 2017)
13,000
potential victims of slavery are in the UK
(Home Office 2014)
151,600,000
children are victims of child labour
(ILO & Walkfree Foundation 2017)

The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner's five priorities:

Victim care logo
Victim Identification & Care
To drive improved identification of victims of modern slavery and enhanced levels of immediate and sustained support for victims and survivors across the UK.
Law enforcement logo
Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice
To promote an improved law enforcement and criminal justice response across the UK, to support development and adoption of effective training and to increase awareness across relevant statutory agencies.
Private sector logo
Private Sector Engagement
To engage with the private sector to promote policies to ensure that supply chains are free from slavery and to encourage effectual transparency reporting.
Partnerships logo
Partnerships
To identify, promote and facilitate best practice in partnership working and to encourage improved data sharing and high quality research into key issues.
International collaboration logo
International Collaboration
To encourage effective and targeted international collaboration to combat modern slavery.

Statutory Agencies

The Commissioner has a UK-wide remit to encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of modern slavery offences. In order to achieve his aims the Commissioner works directly with statutory agencies, who have a duty to co-operate with the Commissioner as set out in the Modern Slavery Act.
NHS
Police
Local Authorities
Immigration Agencies

Recent News & Insights

News | 16 October 2017
Exclusive - Annual Report 2016-2017
Today the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner launched his Annual Report, detailing activities in the anti-slavery fight since October 2016. The Report covers work under his 5 priority areas - Victim identification and care Law enforcement and...
News | 27 September 2017
“While our cars will emerge clean, our consciences may not”
Once upon a time, a trip to the local car wash involved buying a token, driving into a fixed machine and sitting patiently while two large, colourful brushes whizzed back and forth until the vehicle was clean.   Nowadays, it is more likely to comprise a...
News | 12 September 2017
Research into enslavement of Vietnamese nationals in the UK
A young trafficking victim called Hung became the moving focus of a speech given by the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner at the House of Lords yesterday (Monday 11 September). Kevin Hyland OBE told an audience, which included retired judge Baroness...
News | 11 September 2017
EXCLUSIVE: Report on combating modern slavery experienced by Vietnamese nationals
Vietnam has consistently featured in official statistics on modern slavery as one of the top three source countries for victims of the crime. Driven by this, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner visited Vietnam in 2015 and subsequently commissioned...
News | 11 September 2017
Slavery report sounds alarm over Vietnamese nail bar workers
Following the launch of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner's most recent research, 'Combating modern slavery experienced by Vietnamese nationals en route to, and within, the UK', Amelia Gentleman reports on the report findings and the...
News | 11 September 2017
Rescued Vietnamese child slaves hunted by trafficking gangs
On Monday 11th September the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner published a research report titled, 'Combating modern slavery experienced by Vietnamese nationals en route to, and within, the UK'. Sean O'Neill of The Times reports on the findings, with...

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